sexism and politics

Now That it’s Over


Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee for president. As promised, I will support him because the party has spoken and the majority rules. Regardless of my lack of enthusiasm, I cannot stomach the idea of another Republican administration, and I believe John McCain will make a lousy president (for example, he supports the Bush Administration’s position of what amounted to illegal wire-tapping on American citizens – shudder), but I am still harboring resentment, despite not being the tiniest bit surprised, about the blatant sexism that was not only allowed but condoned and reveled in by the media during the campaign.

CNN talking heads actually had to discuss whether or not it was okay to refer to Clinton as a “white bitch”. They needed to discuss it?

Personally, I think the word “bitch” should be completely taken off the table in terms of women. It should be as wrong to refer to us using that word as it is to use the word “nigger” when discussing blacks. Both words are pejoratives meant to degrade and remind us of our “places”. They are hurtful, hateful words, and they are intended as such.

There were the endless stream of cracks about Sen. Clinton’s looks. From novelist Kurt Anderson’s observation in New York Magazine that the Senator was connected to the working class by her “Wal-Mart shopper’s hair and big bum” to that misogynist Chris Matthews endless running commentary on the physical appearance of not just Sen. Clinton but Sen. Obama’s wife as well.

And there is still this idea among both men and women that while it is okay, expected even, for a man to be ambitious and aggressive in the pursuit, women must still ask permission and go about attaining their goals through “nice girl” means. Smiling and perfectly coifed and impeccably coutured. We can have our ambitions as long as we are ladylike about it. Reminds me of Sr. Marilou telling me that it was okay for me to play basketball as long it was 6 on 6 play.

I think Sen. Obama said it best at a rally in Iowa last month.

“No matter how this primary ends, Senator Clinton has shattered myths and broken barriers and changed the America in which my daughters and your daughters will come of age.”

Huh? How can myths and barriers that women are being told don’t really exist be shattered and broken?

Sexism in the City


I mentioned that I am blogging on a newspaper site in my old home of Des Moines. I try to be topical which it being Iowa and an election year means I do a fair amount of writing about issues and candidates. I have post a few of the things I have written for that site here. Two of those pieces being about sexism. My latest piece on the DM Register site is about an article I found on MSNBC about the difficulty Hillary Clinton is having in Iowa with wooing women voters. The article goes on to explain that aside from Mississippi, Iowa is the only state to have never elected a female governor or senator. In my assessment, I agreed with much of what was written implying that Iowa is a very traditional on gender roles despite the fact that more women work outside the home in Iowa than just about anywhere else in the U.S. and that it is so entrenched an attitude that even the women by into it. And this isn’t a new issue for me. I have been annoyed with the gender thing in my home state since I was a kid and couldn’t play summer little league baseball or join the Boy Scouts (because they actually camped and did cool outdoor stuff as opposed to the cooking and sewing the Girl Scouts had to do).

My latest efforts got my blog noticed and I received a flurry of responses – from guys – telling me I was full of shit (and those were the nice replies). So, I am wondering readers, my few and loyal, am I off base with the gender thing? Is the world, or at least the west, truly a gender-blind utopia – because it feels not so much different to me now than when I was growing up.

Any thoughts on sexism?