The problem with the “men make more than women because men and women make different choices” argument is that it’s much easier to make than it is to refute. The refutation is complicated. Yes, there are some simple cases of plain old wage discrimination, but there are also a lot of structural inequities that drive the “choices” men and women make. If a woman is married and has a child, she will almost certainly be largely responsible for the upbringing of that child, because we haven’t nearly reached equity among parents in childrearing. So she probably won’t be working as many hours. (And why is there the expectation that people will be working more than 40 hours, anyway? Fucking labor rights are shot to hell in this country.) You could say, “that’s because of her decision to have a child,” but is it really, when a man’s choice to become a father doesn’t have the same effect on his career? Or look at the grossly sexist atmosphere that drives a lot of women out of the tech industry. Again, you could say that it’s women’s choice not to be in that industry, but that choice is made in an unfair context. Lots of women’s “choices” are influenced by shit that men don’t have to put up with.

Now try explaining all this in between the interruptions of some preening asshole on cable news.