The “Bitch”, The “Ditz” and The “Turncoat”
November 17, 2008
by Murphy
|Add to the roster of journalists and editors who are happy to reap the advertising and circulation benefits of woman-bashing the reputable and widely read New York Magazine.
Author Amanda Fortini seems to be unaware of her own participation in making stereotypes permanent in her article, “The ‘Bitch’ and the ‘Ditz’.” While I assume that Fortini is not responsible for the obnoxious title, it couldn’t have been too difficult for the headline writers to reach such a height of clever insight if they read the article. Actually, maybe the editors decided on the title beforehand and merely gave Fortini the assignment of filling up some column inches to occupy the space under the headline and photos of Hillary and Palin.
This was particularly galling:
[B]ecause so few women are present at the highest levels of government, they carry the burden of representing their gender more so than men. In politics as in business, an unqualified woman does more damage than no women at all. She serves to fortify the stereotypes that the next woman will have to surmount.
In the end, women can take pride in the fact that we helped break another set of retrograde stereotypes and prejudices with the election of Barack Obama. Harvard sociologist Orlando Patterson notes that “for the first time since enfranchisement, [women] voted in greater numbers, and more progressively, than men,” favoring Obama by a 13 percent margin, while men were almost evenly split. In doing so, we selected a candidate whose views on issues like health care and equal pay and reproductive rights align with our interests.
But among the darker revelations of this election is the fact that the vice-grip of female stereotypes remains suffocatingly tight.
Gee, Amanda, I wonder why?! If I recoil in fear from a young black kid on the sidewalk for no reason other than that he is wearing baggy jeans and a hooded sweatshirt I am the one who is perpetuating the vice-grip of stereotypes, not the kid. For crying out loud Amanda, when YOU write an article in which you label decisive women bitches and pretty women ditzes YOU are the one who is tightening the vice-grip.
ARE THERE ANY EDITORS OUT THERE? HELLO??
The mindless regurgitation of unchecked conventional wisdom notwithstanding, it’s important to point out that 16% of McCain voters were Hillary supporters who told pollsters they would have preferred to vote for her than EITHER of the two major party candidates— that’s 9.8 MILLION VOTERS, presumably Democrats and some Independents. I would guess that most of those 10 million were women, and the vast majority of them told pollsters race was NOT a factor in their decision. So whatever Fortini says, I don’t believe the election of a man less qualified than Hillary Clinton, Democrat though he may be, is a source of enduring pride for most American women this month. That he is also the man who presided over a campaign that silently and enormously benefitted from two of the most vicious, gender-based media assaults ever mounted, against both a woman on the left AND a woman on the right, makes us even less proud.
And, Amanda Fortini’s willingness to assist the president-elect by playing dumb about the sexism that helped put him in office, at the same time that she presents poor research and shallow thinking in a sorry attempt to speak to and for American women is nothing short of shameful.
[...] Is This “Journalist” a Bitchy Ditz or a Ditzy Bitch?” So whatever Fortini says, I don’t believe the election of a man less qualified than Hillary Clinton, Democrat though he may be, is a source of enduring pride for most American women this month. That he is also the man who presided over … [...]
[...] Another Female Journalist Turns on Women… So whatever Fortini says, I don’t believe the election of a man less qualified than Hillary Clinton, Democrat though he may be, is a source of enduring pride for most American women this month. That he is also the man who presided over … [...]
I had not heard of the number 16% of McCain voters were Hillary voters, are these exit polls? which poll?
Murphy, I am so excited to see you article here at The New Agenda. I read it on PUMA as well. This is yet another example of women bashing women. We need to rise above this and demand better from the media. Its shameful to refer to HRC as a bitch and SP as a ditz. This article says more about Ms. Fortini than either HRC or SP.
I am 1 in 18 million that voted for McCain Palin (proudly voted I might add).
It would be great to also post Muphy’s article on Re-Writing History and Eliza Pinckney. Brillant post.
I forget how many million votes Hillary got in the primaries – 18 million, something like that? That is hardly fortifying stereotypes. What absurd logic and this is journalism? What utterly assinine assumptions and insult to the millions who cast their primary votes for Hillary. Surely to God people are just smart enough to realize their lives can’t help but improve by never again buying this rag of yellow journalism. What a mat she is for men to wipe their feet on.
Come y’all over to Chewing The Fat with Ophelia…
Oh, darn!!! I forgot about chewing the fat w/ Orphelia…that, and I couldn’t get my mom off the phone!
Great to see Murphy here!!!
omfg
Hillary is accepting SOS
Of course she was going to accept. I’m surprised it was actually offered. Obama shocked me on that one. I still think he’s a snake but….
I’m tired of the faux feminists. These women have nothing better to do than try and placate themselves in such a hostile world. If they don’t get it now- they never will.
Isn’t it a step down for Hillary?
It might be hard for her to have to go back to the Senate and face all those turncoats that betrayed her.
The poor woman – she has got to be mentally and physically exhausted. At least this is a healthy change and challenge. If anyone can restore our country’s place in the world, its Hillary!
Good point, Amy
And if it annoys Kerry, all the better.
I don’t understand what this appointment means, or encompasses. I hope some article will explain.
Thank you to Murphy and The New Agenda for bringing this blatantly misogynist article to our attention. Would you please set up a link or post contact information so we can communicate our outrage directly to the magazine? This would be helpful anytime you post examples like this. I think the media should be interested in knowing just how many people out here they are upsetting. Anytime they engage in such coverage, they should receive a barrage of communication to send our message clearly. It is unacceptable.
from the post at pumapac, in case Murphy isn’t back for awhile:
New York Magazine
Editor-in-Chief Adam Moss
Executive Editor John Homans
Phone Number: 212-508-0700
I sent an email from their”contact us” link at the mag site.
At one time in this country, people did not flinch from saying, “mic” for Irish people, “wop” for Italian people and “nigger” for black people.
Mercifully, that sort of insulting talk is NO longer acceptable in America.
It is time — it is long past time — to make “bitch” and “cunt” EQUALLY unacceptable, so that ANYONE who uses those terms will be FIRED from his or her job or, if unemployed, such a person would be told immediately by anyone within earshot that such language is UN-acceptable.
Too many people, including women, smile and shrug off such insulting language — but the time is now for all of us to get in the face of ANYONE who does.
–
“SHADOW” now . . . and “SHADOW” forever!
“Stop Humiliation And Disparagement Of Women”
anna5 – Not sure where those stats came from either, but Lynette Long had a break down of Dems who voted for McCain, broken out into various groups on her web site recently. The type face is so tiny I didn’t have the patience to slog through it all. But, I think Lynette is very very credible, as a thinker, a feminist, and being a mathematician does hurt either:
“Who were those McCain – Clinton Cross Over Voters?”
http://www.lynettelong.com/my_.....index.html
Amy – I wouldn’t say “that poor woman”. I’ve read this sort of sentiment about her for months on various blogs. Ironically, it’s often stated in the same context that hold her up as a great, strong, leader and role model for women. So, it seems a bit of a contradiction to then paint her as some sort of victim or femme fatale. She has been the boss of herself and has made choices accordingly. In my view, she deserves no pity. She is a woman of power and wealth. Perhaps not the level of power we has all hoped for and worked so hard for, but none-the-less, compared to most women in the world, she’s doing just fine in my view.
Also, as a political aside, I hope The New Agenda isn’t going to join the ranks of other sites that place “restoring out standing in the world” as one of the top priorities. We were attacked not so long ago and we are at war. There are many in the world who wouldn’t mind destroying the United States. Like it or not, this is how it is. I’m a feminist who has a history of leaning very far to the left. But, I also believe that national security is paramount and that the US needn’t place what others think of us above our need to defend ourselves.
Men know women aren’t ditzes…which is why they have to continually keep the stereotype alive.
anna5 – FYI – Just took a look at Lynette’s numbers and the ultimate total appears to be the same as Murphy’s. Not sure if Murphy got her stat from Lynette or if they both got it from some other source…
False. Should read, “Because the patriarchy considers men the default, anything any woman is, says or does is held to represent all women.”
“Amy – I wouldn’t say “that poor woman”. I’ve read this sort of sentiment about her for months on various blogs. Ironically, it’s often stated in the same context that hold her up as a great, strong, leader and role model for women.”
Sorry, I disagree she CAN and HAS been BOTH. It’s no contradiction. And no matter the status any woman deserves compassion, not “pity” as you put it. The circumstances she’s been put in are to say the least “trying”
I am constantly amazed at women who the second another woman is imperfect in their eyes so viciously tear down or completely refuse to show common understanding to another woman. Especially one who not only before Beijing, but most especially after has done so much for other women. Just because she chose not to throw away all thirty five years of her career on the alter of your belief system does NOT mean she doesn’t have the best interests of most Americans at heart as she has for the previous thirty five years.
I’m SICK of the Hillary bashing, starting with the media, the blogger boyz, the men involved in this, the D.N.C. and now from quarters of other women who don’t happen to agree with her not getting out of politics. She would have been totally forced out had she stood up and said what many were wanting her to say…I’m sure she was threatened with that along with all the OTHER back stabbing that has gone on.
Witness all this and learn. Should you ever stick your head up in politics be sure you never, ever make any mis step. You’ll be destroyed for it and no one will have any “pity” for you either.
“16% of McCain voters were Hillary supporters”. Not exactly true in the presumption of this post. The pollster article lumped non-Democrats in this number. Only 26% of these people were Democrats.
From the article:
“Interestingly, 16 percent of McCain voters said they would have voted for Clinton, the Democrat, if she had been her party’s nominee.
So who were these potential cross-over voters?
43% of these voters who supported McCain but would have backed Clinton if she were in the race described themselves as Independents. 31% were Republicans; while 26% were Democrats.”
Alice Paul – You are right. Feeling compassion for someone and viewing them as strong are not mutually exclusive. That said, I don’t consider what I wrote as “Hillary bashing”, a term that has been overused in my view. But, I appreciated the opening idea of your post, albeit posted with a level of anger that has become tiresome this year. The shouting and the sarcasm were not appreciated, especially from someone who claims to be tired of women (which I presume you are) bashing other women.
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