Call it Out: Judy Muller decries sexist treatment of Sarah Palin
October 27, 2008
by Sheryl Lee
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We’d like to call out a Yay! to Judy Muller of The Huffington Post, who, rather than join the rest of the media in their feeding frenzy on the latest juicy half-truth about Sarah Palin, instead spoke up about the sexist bias at play in the latest controversy about Palin’s hair and wardrobe expenses.
“[B]eneath this ‘controversy’ is a troubling fact: when it comes to judging female politicians, we are still a deeply sexist culture. Hillary Clinton was certainly subjected to this relentless scrutiny. The result: she actually looked better and better as the campaign went on, her ‘look’ polished by hair and makeup folks who were part of her entourage.”
Muller wonders about Palin’s high heels—how she can manage to wear them so easily. Well, Judy, I can say with a fair degree of certainty, having lived in the North myself, that Palin does not wear shoes like that when she’s back in Alaska.
My props to Muller are merely tepid rather than all-out mad, because she doesn’t adequately check out the story, and she still manages to get a few shots in at Governor Palin, even while she’s criticizing the double standard to which Palin has been subjected.
“[T]he catty comments aimed at Hillary Clinton’s appearance from the right over the years pale next to those aimed at Sarah Palin’s appearance from the left in just the last few months. Palin may appear hypocritical for accepting 150 thousand dollars of the RNC’s money for expensive outfits while touting her credentials as a woman from the ‘real America.’ There’s no doubt that she would have been better off spending the money on more reasonably-priced attire, especially at a time when she is attempting to identify with struggling middle-class Americans. That part is certainly fair game for critics. But make no mistake: we have a double standard when it comes to men and women running for office.”
Palin, in all likelihood, had little to do with the expenditures made on her clothing, or with the selection of the hair and makeup people who style and polish her before appearances. There are image consultants that take care of that, probably provided by the campaign while Governor Palin busied herself with other preparations. And, as Palin states in the video below, she must return the clothes when the campaign is over. They don’t belong to her.
Muller concludes:
“Until we can turn our culture into one that teaches our daughters that what you know is more important than how you look, hypocrisy will have a home here. And I’m not talking about Sarah Palin’s.”
Exactly.
Sarah Palin addresses rumors about wardrobe costs.
I have been so disappointed in the Media and their deliberate attempt to discredit women in politics! I want to do something about it!
This is so ludicrous. I don’t even like Palin but the clothes have nothing to do with Palin or her values; why should we possibly care how the RNC decides to spend its money? I think it’s ridiculous that she *wouldn’t* get to keep the clothes!
Chuckie Hagel is up at bat today (Politico):
“I don’t believe she’s qualified to be President of the United States.
“To try to make the excuse that she looks out her window and sees Russia—and that she’s commander of the Alaska National Guard.” He added, “There is no question that this candidate is arguably the thinnest-résumé candidate for Vice-President in the history of America.”
but living in Indonesia when six years old is a suitable “excuse?”
I’m absolutely disgusted. ClothingGate is now in Day Four headlines. The press apparently has the resources to ‘investigate’ a consignment shop in Alaska.
Obama does serve on the Senate Committee for Foreign Relations with Hagel.
Note to readers: The New Agenda is non-partisan. It’s members will vote for the candidate of their choice, but the organization and the blog do not endorse any candidate.
When we challenge sexist biases against Governor Palin, we are not endorsing her candidacy, though some of The New Agenda’s members will vote for the McCain/Palin ticket.
I see an tragic disinclination to defend women against sexism on the part of those who are not supporting them as candidates, and I will avoid reinforcing this by encouraging these comment threads to become partisan debates.
That’s not why we’re here.
Sorry if that was misleading – it wasn’t meant to be a critique of the earlier comments on this post. It’s directed more at the comments I haven’t published.
But we DO welcome comments on all candidates as relates to women’s rights issues.
She looks good in pink.
Brighter colors are better for her.
(I know it has nothing to do with the topic.)
Catty comments from the right over Hillary actually pale compared to the stuff I hear from the left about Hillary and her pantsuits, etc. over the last year and a half.
I will never trust the left again.
Except she didn’t say that. Tina Fey said that in a skit on Saturday Night Live.
The complete lack of anything remotely resembling journalistic ethics is incredible.
no she didn’t, but… she said something kind silly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXL86v8NoGk
As a woman and a mother of a college freshman son, I am proud that I and our family instilled healthy values in him. He has respect for the women in our family and community whether they are career women or stay at home mothers.
It is an embarassment to see the Obama campaign establish subtle and not so subtle misogyny in the 21st century.
Sarah Palin is an accomplished business woman and politician, no matter the difference of some policies. She should be respectfully challenged as any politician would.
I commend this website for TRULY bringing women together to fight the damage caused in this election.
I am from Alaska and know first hand about Gov. Sarah Palin! She is a very intelligent, educated and caring person. She has been the butt of everything unamerican and the ugliest political campaign against her. Why? they are afraid of her, why because she has made something of herself, she has not let a man disgrace or belittle her. The fact that “nothing can be done about the hanging in West Hollywood neighborhood” is the same sign that women are still being considered “second class people”. And nothing more then prostitutes.
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