Media “Butthead” Award
November 7, 2008
by The New Agenda
|41 Comments
To our Dear and Devoted Members:
As you know, The New Agenda has spoken out against Chris Matthews and will continue to do so. We’re just getting warmed up!
Who are the other media misogynysts that we should pursue? Who are the worse offenders? Who needs to be called out, boycotted or fired?
Let us know your thoughts.
Why not a utube presentation of actual awards? Some good satire/mocking of these buffoons – Chris Mutters to accept say a muzzle or chastitiy belt on behalf of his staunch dedication to politically suppressing women? There is an abundance of theatre arts talent to be tapped, very cost affective too and it would be a real hit. Terry Tate can body-slam Sarah Palin – so, some of the characters who should know better and act better deserve ‘slamming’ too for being the talking penis’ they are. why not? You want an increased readership and the name of the New Agenda to spread? Please don’t be like McCain and wear a white hat and bring high morals to a street fight.
I’m not sure we should keep any of them! I was so disgusted with the media’s treatment of Sarah Palin just yesterday. They’re sexist, vindictive and gossipy.
“Hey Palin, we have unamed sources you tell us you’re a real bit&ch, do you have any comments?”
“Hey Palin, we heard a rumor that people from the McCain campaign say you’re stupid, do you care to dispute that?”
“Hey Palin, how does it feel to have cost McCain the election?”
I was so angry, I nearly heaved my TV out the window. The National Enquirer does a better job and with more class.
If we’re trying to prioritize irresponsible and viscious misogyny, I’d vote to begin with Olberman and Matthews.
Greta on Fox news has done a good job of addressing the sexism. She’s really spoken out all along and I’m grateful. But it makes me so angry that the media has been allowed to behave this way without consequence or complaint.
I’d like to see Palin, Hillary, and several other female politicians join together in a public campaign against media sexism. I really think we need a bipartisan high profile group that lets this country know this stuff is unacceptable. Maybe the New Agenda will be that spark that is so needed.
Absolutely, Olberman and Matthews.
How about the publisher/editors of that rag “Us” magazine?
How about Newsweek editors?
How about Joy Behar? ugh. I guess she’d count as media ….
The list is very long. On the “Sarah Palin Sexism Watch” Blog, there are many examples. “Women Count” Blog also kept track of incidents of sexism.
Add Carl Cameron to the list. His gleeful, giddy recounting of unsubstantiated gossip by unnamed sources about Governor Palin made my stomach turn.
I have sent personal letters to many of these offenders but it would be much more HIGHLY EFFECTIVE to publicly and collectively call these media misogynists out!! Count me in on the action!
Well Fox is now bashing Palin too. I bet for Olbermann, Charlie Gibson (condescending behaviour and arrogant) and i don’t remember the name of that women obssesed with Hillary. It would be interesting that sexist that trashed (and keep doing it) Palin were accountable too.
well, Chris Matthews is the obvious choice for an upside-down crown, but Campbell Brown’s interview with Tucker Bounds is certainly deserving of a dishonorable mention. that’s the interview where Brown started questioning whether or not a woman with a new baby had the time/focus to be vice-president.
Misogyny is the WRONG word for us to be using; I do not believe that most of the disrespect for women politicians is based on hatred of women — yet that is what misogyny means: “hatred of women.”
Oh yes, some people — men AND women — do have a problem with strong, capable women who know how to lead and govern, but that’s not what’s going on here with Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin.
I think the problem here in America is that it is FASHIONABLE to disparage the accomplishments of political women and to disrespect their achievements.
People tune in to the TV talk shows and TV “comedians” and think they have permission to join in on the bashing and trashing of women they see on TV. Ridiculing women is a habit, a tradition, a pastime.
Women took one look at Sarah Palin’s hair and decided she “had” to be “dumb.” She was too sexy and beautiful to be smart. Those same women did not bother to do ANY research into Palin’s record as mayor and, now, governor. She has an outstanding record as governor — a record of accomplishment and reform most of us would welcome in our own states.
Arnold Schwarzenegger had no political experience when California, with its many problems and challenges, elected him to be governor. Californians even re-elected him a year or two later. California is now in huge financial trouble and looking to the federal government for financial help, but I guarantee you that if Arnold were a natural-born citizen the same people who ridicule Sarah Palin would be drooling in support of Arnold for president.
Why do you suppose this is? Arnold has proven his incompetence and Sarah Palin has proven her competence.
Joe Biden has almost permanent foot-in-mouth trouble, has had two brain aneurysms, garnered almost NO support for his presidential run in the primaries, has been wrong about the last 15 international crisis issues, and voted WRONG (according to Barack Obama) on the Iraq war resolution — yet, the media goons are applauding Biden’s elevation to the vice-presidency, and he is first in line to be president.
Why do you suppose this is?
People point to Palin’s interviews with Katie Couric and Charles Gibson as “proof” she is not informed, but they forget how badly Obama did in his early interviews and how deer-in-the-headlights he appeared at the early Democratic debates. Media people were shaking their heads in stunned disbelief after Obama’s poor performance in those early debates and speculating that maybe Joe Biden was right and Obama was NOT READY for the big time yet.
I would also point out that what most people saw of those two early Palin TV interviews were the heavily EDITED and CUT versions, and they had been cut is a way that left out key parts and made Palin look as bad as the editors could make her.
Well, as I said up top, I think misogyny is the WRONG word here; I think what we are dealing with here is obliviousness: people are oblivious to the harm they do by disrespecting women and trivializing their achievements. I do NOT believe this disrespect is attributable to hatred of women but to habit.
Mocking women is a national pastime in America culture. Disparaging women’s accomplishments is a sick, sick American habit.
It is a habit that we must think about and then re-think.
It is time to measure women’s achievements with factual “yardsticks” — and it is time to CHANGE OUR WAYS of looking at women.
It is time — past time — to kick the habit of humiliating and disparaging women.
–
“SHADOW” now . . . and “SHADOW” forever!
“Stop Humiliation And Disparagement Of Women”
Yes! Matthews plans to run for Dem Senator in PA — keep the spotlight on him please! Imagine how awful it would be for PA women to have to choose between Santorum or Matthews to represent them in the senate, when our other senator is pro-life Dem Casey. Ack!
Hmm, lightacandle, it’s not really hatred of women, it’s just “a habit”? There’s some truth to that, sometimes people just kind of brainlessly repeat talking points with no awareness of what they are actually doing and saying. It is fashionable to attack women in this culture, look at Paris Hilton or Britney Spears. The media spent more time bashing them then they did George Bush. Bush invaded a couple of countries versus Spears shaved her head. But in the court of public opinion, who was the biggest criminal?
Again we have that tragic case of the 23 yr old mom and her missing and presumed dead child. The media is obsessing over the case, let’s stone the woman. (which may well be justified) But in the meantime, they don’t even mention all the women and children killed in domestic violence incidents just in the past week. Male criminals don’t get the same gleeful, obsessive kind of reporting. It’s like, “I told you so, see women are evil”.
Ultimately, I’m going to have to have to still name it misogyny. It may be a habit, it may be so inbedded in our culture that people aren’t even aware of it, but underneath it all the roots are still about the hatred and fear of women.
Well, I have many smart women friends who are bashing Palin, and I do not accept that they do it out of hatred toward women — they all have many smart women friends.
Do you think Katie Couric hates women? I don’t.
I think it is, in many cases, simply a tradition, a habit, part of the culture, the sick part..
I’m not 100% of the woman bashing HIllary – there were so many – but you might mean Maureen Dowd of the NYT?
The thing of it is that Dowd and others can bash and trash women knowing they will be praised by most readers and get very little mail castigating them.
Whereas, if they trash and bash Obama (for instance), they know they will have to fend off armies of angry, raging, energetic hate-mail senders.
–
“SHADOW” now . . . and “SHADOW” forever!
“Stop Humiliation And Disparagement Of Women”
I don’t think it covers the topic to attribute the disparagement of women to men’s fear of strong women.
Chris Matthews (one of the worst offenders), for instance, is married to a strong and accomplished woman.
So, what’s the explanation for Matthews?
I don’t know, but I think part of the problem is that it is okay and “fun” to trash women. It’s part of our culture.
~ ~
This is a very bad example, but years ago, zoos kept elephants isolated and in small, barred cages. Zoo officials didn’t do that out of hatred toward elephants but because they were oblivious regarding the family ties among elephants and the elephants’ need to have large spaces within which to roam. It is now widely understood that elephants that had been so isolated from other elephants suffered from depression and even a form of mental stress.
Not everything bad we do comes from hate; sometimes it just comes from habit and lack of understanding of the evil we are doing with our obliviousness.
–
“SHADOW” now . . . and “SHADOW” forever!
“Stop Humiliation And Disparagement Of Women”
Please consider the producers of those trashy reality shows – the ones that pit women against women in competition for some POS man.
There are too many people making too much money out of the degradation of women. The result is that its more mainstream than ever.
I think goesh had a great idea about getting an awards ceremony on youtube. Shaming/humiliating these scumbags is key.
Bill Maher-Now there’s a real misogynist.
And of course, Keith Olberman-another true misogynist.
Castration videos would seem a fair response to me.
I agree with some of what “lightacandle” says. Not all woman bashing is misogyny. Just like racism wasn’t all hatred of blacks. Some people just go along to get along and do what is popular to be included in the group. To not go along is too difficult and painful.
Someone else wrote we should call “-ism”s” what they are-bigotry, which is intolerance, prejudice and hatred of that which is different from one’s self or one’s group, characterized by abuse in one form or another. There are many ways this abuse is acted out.
I think most “-ism” behavior is really based in a fear of power of some kind.
I think our “isms” are based on a fear of losing power.
Women are just fine as long as they toe the line and conform. Nobody hates the good girls that don’t threaten the power structure.
I believe women can participate in misogyny and hate women. We all grow up in this culture, we all absorb the messages. I know plenty of smart, well educated women who make disaparaging remarks about themselves, pointing out how stupid they are. I know women who tell jokes about women drivers. You can internalize misogyny no matter what your gender is.
Gynophobes?
Chris Matthews is a perfect candidate for misogynist of the year. His remark about Hillary being elected senator because her husband cheated on her puts him in first place for the award.
Also Matthews’ recent comment to Joe Scarborough proves he is nothing but a hack, not a journalist. I am talking about the comment he made that his job is to help the Obama presidency be successful. MSNBC is now nothing more than the propaganda arm of the Obama administration, as Fox was for the Bush.
“Imagine how awful it would be for PA women to have to choose between Santorum or Matthews to represent them in the senate, when our other senator is pro-life Dem Casey. Ack!”
I’d like to add Paul Begala, Roland Martin, and Anderson Cooper..they made very disparaging remarks about Gov. Palin upon her selection.
And definitely Spitting Matthews and Ohlberman.
I have already emailed Valerie Jarrett about Summers potential selection.
What about the women who have bashed her??? Are we going to focus on them as well?
Kathleen Parker,M. Dowd for a start.
Sorry, that posted before I added my comment to the former quote.
I thought we were going to support candidates who would respect, uphold and honor women PERIOD.
I believe we’ll be the same OLD agenda if we begin to also be against politicians who are pro-life or those who have an agenda of solving illegal immigration. Isn’t that what we’re getting away from?
I don’t care where women or men are different than me on any of those other issues. My only problem is the treatment of women in the flesh or in the media.
That traitor & “obama fellator”, arianna huffington is another good possibility.
BTW- I don’t know which PUMA came up with the phrase “obama fellator” – but I love it.
I think we should all use it more liberally.
I used the phrase on a guy who was harrassing me about supporting Palin – you should’ve seen his face. LOL
It shut him up immediately.
Try it, you’ll like it!
Annie,
The New Agenda is inclusive for all regardless of your view on choice. We will be promoting a platform of women’s rights issues (see Goals) on this website. There are plenty of wonderful organizations centered on choice – we are not taking this issue on.
Chris Matthews is allowed to get away with bashing women over and over. My question is why?
Keith Olberman is my kind of turn the channel guy. I can’t watch him. He is allowed to say thing about women. Why?
I am so thankful that this group is going to help all women take their rightful place in the job market and salary. These men that think its funny to call hard working women like Hillary and Sarah names and put them down need to be stopped . I have 2 daughters and a granddaughter that I want to see do whatever they want in life. It’s like we have gone backwards these last few years.
I want to make sure everybody had a chance to hear what sarah palin said about the media:
“I want to make sure that Americans do understand that there is a little bit of disappointment in my heart about the world of journalism today. And I don’t want any individual journalist to take it personally but–I have such great respect for the role of the media in our democracy, it is a cornerstone, it allows the checks and balances. But only when there is fairness and objectivity in the reporting. And I want to make sure that Americans can have great faith in that aspect of our society, the media. So whatever I can do there to help and to be able to allow credence to be given to the media, I want to help in that respect. That’s where I would start.
As a journalist, receiving a journalism degree, my foundation is again, with great respect for what the vocation is all about. I want to help restore some credibility there.”
How about doing a calendar of those in media who contributed
to sexism in this election? Photo/statement/date! We want to watch these people in 2009……………I’d buy a calendar, wouldn’t you?
Carl Cameran at Fox News
I love the calendar idea!
I LOVE the calendar too! Great idea!
And I want to say that I am more fearful than I was before this campaign and election. By sitting on their hands (among other things), as two strong public women were eviscerated and savaged, the Obama campaign, the media and women’s groups have made life a great deal more dangerous and unsafe for ordinary women. I think we will be staying home and staying in more. I hate that idea and do not wish to be defined by others and don’t want to be scared, BUT I think this aggression-approval has given license to thosee who would hurt us.
Maybe “staying in” will hurt the tourist and bar/restaurant businesses. Maybe there’s a boycott in there somewhere?
I’m grateful for this site.
I’m with RealChange—Bill Maher. He constantly objectifies, demeans and tries to dumb-down women.
Sorry to be a sour-puss here, but I do NOT like the calendar idea. In show business (which TV “journalism” really is now), the mantra is that all publicity is good publicity — there is no such thing as bad publicity.
I do NOT want to look at the faces of these creeps and I surely do not wish to make them more well-known pr get them any publicity. Most of them would consider it a “badge of honor” to be on such a calendar.
–
“SHADOW” now . . . and “SHADOW” forever!
“Stop Humiliation And Disparagement Of Women”
pacific-cali, Obama fluffer would perhaps be a better term. It would only be understood as vulgar by those who need to understand it, but others would still get the idea.
I also wouldn’t want to look at the hideous faces of the male media pundits. But I would think a “media butthead” section on this site, complete with the offending quote/s and contact info would be useful. Then we could link others to that URL to increase the numbers of complaints.
Media Butthead of the Week?
And, yes, we could include some of the bloggerboyz, why not?
We’d need a section for suggestions, too, and maybe a place to vote on who the biggest butthead was that week.
yttik, thanks for the Palin quote. That was pretty brilliant for such a “stupid” woman, huh?
“I have many smart women friends who are bashing Palin, and I do not accept that they do it out of hatred toward women..”
They have absorbed the media drumbeat of bashing, which is disgraceful. It was bad enough during the campaign for the media to have hyped every last false rumor about Palin instead of covering her accomplishments (banning books smear, etc) but now they are running with anonymous lies!
“They have absorbed the media drumbeat of bashing, which is disgraceful.”
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -
That’s my point exactly.
Disparaging women’s accomplishments and insulting women is the “in” thing to do … it’s a habit … a tradition in America.
That is exactly what I am hoping to call attention to .. and raise awareness about.
Many good and strong women join in the “fun” out of habit. They have to be brought to understand that, and recognize that what they are doing is harmful and needs to stop.
–
“SHADOW” now . . . and “SHADOW” forever!
“Stop Humiliation And Disparagement Of Women”
I like your idea,
I really like the idea of the calendar of those in media who contributed to sexism in this election? Photo/statement/date! We want to watch these people in 2009. It could be sold as a fundraiser on the site as a way to raise money to forward our issues.
Dart boards would be nice also. LOL Bill Maher’s face comes to mind.
Carl Cameran at Fox is a real gossip king. No facts just gossip. We need to demand where he got his facts. McCain should put an end to this back stabbing.
I can’t see it matters what Sarah spent on cloths. They will bring twice that much at a charity auction.
Frankly I think Sarah and Hillary had more courage than all the men running. We need about 1,000 of these women running for office.
If every women that is eligible to vote in this country would have voted we could have had 54% of the vote. Maybe we need a 3rd party, “Women’s Party” The issues are well defined on this site.
I am sending the link to this site to every woman I know and asking them to join. So far everyone is positive and telling me they are joining. Numbers carry strength.
OK, how about this idea for a calendar?
A “push them out” effort.
Show HALF of the ugly mug of the gender bigot-spigots. So, say, on one edge of the calendar picture is half of the face of Matthews, or Maher, or whoever it is that month. On the other side of the picture is an American woman we should know, revere and champion. The history books, also, dedicate only about 2% to women.
The two halves could be related or not. For instance, on the Matthews month, if the quote was about Hillary only getting where she is because Bill cheated and people felt sorry for her, the other half doesn’t have to feature Hillary, it could simply feature another woman legislator or historical figure, and an inspiring quote from her, or inspiring brief bio.
Ha…maybe Annie Oakley!
Anyway, the idea being showing women who achieved success, and who still succeed, despite the gender-oppressive society still in place today.
It would be too depressing to stare only at the gynophobes’ faces
month after month.
In yin-yang fashion, it could be called something to represent the opposite poles. Win-Wang calendar? Winner-Wanker?
This is a little belated but I think Rachel Maddow is an important one to focus on. Throughout this election (and now) she has been condescending and mocking toward our female candidates (both Hillary and Palin) and has consistently denied sexism. I fear her viewpoints may carry particular weight with liberal women as she is 1. gay 2. young 3. very hip looking. For these superficial reasons many young women may identify her as “feminist”. She is also a woman surrounded by male colleagues and mocking our female candidates certainly has given her power.
I just watched this – “Sarah Palin Annotated” and I am revolted.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a47uIZ32gRQ
Let me just add, I think going after those “hip” pundits, anchors, websites and blogs that have a great influence on young(er) women is very important. Young women have been particularly manipulated during this election, so much so that mocking Hillary and Sarah has been perceived as “feminist” in their eyes.
People have been discussing an advertiser boycott with regards to Chris Matthews and MSNBC. How about a GE boycott (the parent company of NBC)? Boycott appliances, lighting, even medical devices if you are in a position to purchase those things. I know that each arm of the GE company is a separate entity, but perhaps pressure from the top would be successful.
This is definitely a man to speak to. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.co.....it_wi.html
Wow fleur! I am so pi**ed off I can’t type. What a condescending ***hole. And from the entertainment guy no less. I mean seriously! When did it become okay to openly mock people of faith? I mean you don’t have to agree with them but how about a little respect just for another human being. And “handmaiden?” I mean seriously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the “popular culture” reporter is criticizing other reporters? Seriously????????????????
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