In the above photo, the man with “authority over [Obama’s] own words” expresses profound disrespect toward Secretary of State-designate Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Jon Favreau was the chief speechwriter for Obama’s presidential campaign, and he has been named as Director of Speechwriting in Obama’s Whitehouse.
Al Kamen wrote in the Washington Post yesterday that some “interesting photos” had surfaced of Jon Favreau at “a recent party he attended.” In one of the photos, Favreau is seen “dancing with a life-sized cardboard cut-out of secretary of state-designate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.” In another, Favreau has “placed his hand on the cardboard former first lady’s chest while a friend is offering her lips a beer.”
In the latter photo, Favreau and his friend (the unnamed man on the right, wearing the “Obama Staff” t-shirt) are aping the sort of frat-boy antics that might be considered sexual assault, were it a real woman in the picture and not a cardboard cutout of Sen. Clinton.
David Axelrod, senior adviser to Barack Obama, said of Favreau, “Barack trusts him…and Barack doesn’t trust too many folks with … the notion of surrendering that much authority over his own words.”
If Favreau is charged with “authority over [Obama’s] own words”, is Obama not alarmed by what Favreau is expressing in this photograph?
These antics ought to be summarily condemned by president-elect Obama. He ought to fire Jon Favreau. If he does not fire Favreau, he risks fostering the perception that he condones Favreau’s disrespect toward Sen. Clinton. He also risks encouraging this sort of behavior in other young men toward women who are not merely cardboard cutouts.
Drinking and sexual assault are a pernicious and persistent problem on college campuses.
Amy Siskind, co-founder of The New Agenda, responds, “Favreau’s mix of alcohol and groping are hardly a laughing matter. It is a national catastrophe that 32% of our college women are victims of domestic violence. Every mother and father should be appalled by Favreau’s actions which would seem to be encouraging degradation and sexualization of women.”
Of course, it’s common practice to try to diminish the status of powerful women by invoking their sexuality in a demeaning manner, but is this what we should expect will occur in Whitehouse staff meetings?
According to the Washington Post article, “Clinton senior adviser Philippe Reines cast the photos as evidence of increased bonhomie between the formerly rival camps.”
‘Senator Clinton is pleased to learn of Jon’s obvious interest in the State Department, and is currently reviewing his application,’ he said in an e-mail.
While Sen. Clinton may be prepared to brush the incident off, American women cannot—not when every young woman who goes to a club or a party where there are young men and alcohol must consider the risk of sexual assault. If Obama does not react strongly to this incident, some who see it will take it as a cue for how they ought to treat women—because this is how the big boys do it, after all.
Ironically, other famous alumni of Jon Favreau’s alma mater, the College of the Holy Cross, are Clarence Thomas and Chris Matthews, also noted for their less-than-respectful attitudes toward women.
—o—o—o—
The New Agenda member Anna drafted the following letter. We imagine Obama’s team will get many such letters in the coming days.
Dear President-elect Obama:
As I am sure you are well aware, it has come to the public’s attention that your top speech writer, Jon Favreau, has posed with a life-sized cut out of Hillary Clinton, groping her breast as one of his friends simulates getting her drunk. I wonder if the first response that you and your incoming administration had was one of embarrassment and a desire to get this out of the news as quickly as possible. However, I have no way of knowing since you have not uttered a word about it, so I can only guess.
Either way, it is not the fact of whether it remains in the news that is the issue. What is deeply concerning is that you would employ an individual who would so brazenly express disrespect toward women. Surely you realize that countless women across America are date-raped. Frequently this occurs when a man purposefully gets a woman drunk or otherwise incapacitated in order to rape her. These crimes are countless because many women don’t report them; women are often told that this behavior is “normal” and acceptable. After all, we are told, boys will be boys, and they are just trying to have a good time.
In looking at this objectively, there is simply no way around my deducing that you find it acceptable to have as part of your administration’s culture the continuation of an old boys club mentality, where men chuckle, jeer at, disrespect, and degrade women, including the woman who will be your Secretary of State.
I am well aware that sub-cultures exist behind closed doors and the public is not privy to a great deal of what goes on. However, in light of the fact that Mr. Favreau’s actions have come to light, I would urge you to fire him immediately and to make a public statement as to why. In this way, you will be taking an unequivocal stance regarding your lack of tolerance for behavior demeaning to women. Would you hire a person who posted photographs of himself engaging in racist pantomime? I should expect not – and rightly so!
Senator Obama, you have promised hope and change. As a woman, I would assume this includes the obvious: sexism will not be tolerated in an Obama administration.
Sincerely,
—o—o—o—
From the comments ~ ER provided contact info and suggestions:
1. Email Valerie Jarrett, who is part of Obama’s Transition Team at vjarrett@barackobama.com
2. Send your email to info@barackobama.com
3. Copy your email to your Senators and Representatives:
* find your elected officials’ contact information here: http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
4. Leave your comments on Obama’s transition website. There are three places you can leave your message:
http://change.gov/page/content/contact/
http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory
http://change.gov/page/s/yourvision
5. Talk with your press contacts. Write a letter to the editor of your newspaper. Write editorials and commentary. Involve your friends and colleagues.
What I want to know is, did Favreau write this:
RE: Last two paragraphs of the letter:
Dawn, or someone at TNA inserted the second half of the next-to-the last paragraph. I think it’s great. However, with this addition, my original final paragraph is redundant. I would suggest reworking the last paragraph so it does not reitterate what Dawn has already added (and said so much better than I!) in the preceeding paragraph.
Also, I would not say anything about “condemnation”. After suggesting that Favreau be fired, condemnation is less. I’d leave that out and stick with the request to fire Favreau.
Dawn -
Just caught the video link you just posted. Not sure how this relates to the issue of Favreau. Obama said so many obnoxious things and Favreau apparently wrote quite a bit of his stuff. But, I don’t get the connection with this specific clip and Favreau’s recent behaviors. What am I missing?
Oh and BTW, Campbell Brown has recently discovered the word “sexism” and rather than speak out against Obama and his speechwriter, she has found yet another angle to attack Hillary:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITI.....index.html
You have got to be kidding me!!!
That part about Clinton “periodically, when she’s feeling down launches attacks to boost her appeal” really ticked a lot of women off. I wonder if Favreau wrote it. I wonder if he wrote the comment about lipstick on a pig, too.
I’ll make the changes to your letter.
Amy, the only thing I have to say to Campbell Brown is, “What took you so long?”
I like the idea of holding women accountable when they don’t speak up, but Clinton is in a terrible position here. I don’t know whether I want her to speak up about it or not.
Of course, any woman in this position would do the same thing – chuckle and brush it off, or risk being called a bunch of names that, come to think of it, she’s already been called.
Why is there no outrage? by Obama, by his campaign, by HRC . . . this will never end, it just gets worse and I feel so helpless.
Dawn, and Amy,
of course dealing with this picture as future secretory of state is no fun. But, I cannot accept have spokesman Reines call this ‘good natured fun” . I think what Campbell Brown points out is on target.
Since he apologized, a possibility would be to accept the apology with conditions: something like community work for rape crisis victims in th eform of paying 20% of income for a year to a shelter or rape crisis center or toward education courses in sensitivity training for sexism. I suggest preparing a curriculum for sensitivity training to recognize sexism and avoid participation.
Here’s a parallel. Let’s say Sen. Clinton had won the election instead of Obama, and she’d designated him to some important cabinet post, and her head speechwriter had photoshopped the following image and posted it to his or her Facebook page:
Should that person be fired?
Yah, I was a bit suprised that Clinton sanctioned the response statement by Reines. If was a cutting remark that was meant to put the boy in his place, but it doesn’t address the problem.
Thank you Dawn for posting this. I think regardless of whether Clinton chooes to let it go, it is offensive and reinforces the acceptance of disrespecting and degrading women.
Campball Brown’s remarks are right on target, but Brown herself joined in with sexist banter through both the primaries and the general election. I’m puzzled and disappointed in Senator Clinton’s spokesman’s response to the photo.
Amy,
Campbell Brown is a hypocrite and big time Obama fallator. Her hatred of Hillary Clinton was made clear during the primary and she completely discredited CNN for me early on. Notice how her anger over Hillary actually takes her breath away! Did Campbell display this kind of outrage when Sarah Palin was hanged in effigy from the home of some West Hollywood residents? Of course not. Campbell not only remained complacent during the stoning of Hillary Clinton, but was an active participant in it and still is.
Having said this, I remain disappointed with the Clintons for not standing up against the miscarriage of democracy that gave us President Elect Obama. Not enough was said by them about the misogyny, the caucus fraud and illegal donations. Instead, they jumped on the Obama band wagon and helped hand him the presidency. My party has become a band of sycophants. We constituents and democracy are less important than the power of Obama’s celebrity and fundraising abilities. All may be forgiven as far as the for the Clintons are concerned, but I remain stuned by what my party has become. I lost my democray and did not even receive a presidential appoinment.
What does TNA think about Ludacrous campaigning for dem. Jim Martin in Georgia? It all makes me sick!
Juliette,
I think Ludacris hurt Jim Martin in Georgia a lot. I live in Atlanta and there are not a lot of voting age people that I know who would approve of his lyrics. It was all over the news here with clips of Palin campaigning for the Repubs and Ludacris for the Dems. No matter what party you are in that is not a contrast that benefited Martin. He would have lost anyway according to the previous results but who knows how many Dem women saw the Ludacris lyrics on TV, saw him campaigning for Martin, and just stayed home.
They talked about the frat boys on Fox this morning so at least it’s getting some attention.
The gleeful portrayal of sexual assault by an Obama aide should immediately result in his removal from any position in the new administration. And that it was directed against our incoming Secretary of State is relevant, but no more offensive than directed at any female.
Mr. Obama, is this the image that your incoming administration wishes to be associated with? If so, you have only telegraphed how closely you must be watched and how little trust you have earned.
And by the way, Campbell Brown – please do not further harrass the victims of sexist portrayals with your version of “she asked for it!” Call out the perpetrators – Obama and his sexist band of Boy Scouts.
Keep up the great work, New Agenda.
We need to take action and to take it now! I understand Amy is working on a press release/letter regarding the Favreau. We can all add to that by blanketing the Obama people with emails and letters ASKING THAT FAVREAU BE FIRED. Each of us can devise a short letter (there are lots of wonderful words to use in this thread from Anna and others). So, create your email, and send it to the following:
1. Email Valerie Jarrett, who is part of Obama’s Transition Team at vjarrett@barackobama.com
2. Send your email to info@barackobama.com
3. Copy your email to your Senators and Representatives:
* find your elected officials’ contact information here: http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
4. Leave your comments on Obama’s transition website. There are three places you can leave your message:
http://change.gov/page/content/contact/
http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory
http://change.gov/page/s/yourvision
5. Talk with your press contacts. Write a letter to the editor of your newspaper. Write editorials and commentary. Involve your friends and colleagues.
Write soon before the Favreau incident fades! We can only move forward if we all work together.
Campbell Brown gives faux feminism a bad name. I remember her giving some monologue about how “sexist” it was that the McCain campaign wasn’t giving the press as much access to Sarah Palin as she would like. At least the third-wavers really believed that nominating a conservative woman like Palin was some kind of sexist tokenism. Brown’s “outrage” was utterly cynical and phony.
My email to Campbell Brown:
You have got to be kidding me – talk about sexism – seems to me, you are engaging in it during your story about Hillary Clinton. Your commentary was just a new twist of the same, good ole boy’s; “let’s blame, or find fault with the victim”.
Let’s see what Obama’s response to this picture will be. We will expect to hear criticism of him, from you, if Favreau isn’t fired.
Argh.
1. ER, thanks for posting all those helpful links. I didn’t have Valerie Jarrett’s, so I’ll add that to my personal resource contacts.
2. Robin, I agree. Ms. Brown has engaged in the classic blame the victim mentality. And, while I’ll agree that Clinton’s response was disappointing (puzzling, even), that is not the main point and distracts from the main point. (That is why I left out Clinton’s response entirely in what I’ve written). We need to keep our eyes on the prize, which is Flaveau’s actions and what Obama will do about it.
3. Anyone got a link to Campbell Brown’s e-mail and CNN power brokers? (Sorry, I’ve got a splitting headache. If not one posts, I’ll google, or go over to PUMApac to their Resource Center.)
4. Oh, and if anyone wants to integrate some of Obama’s lofty words about women’s rights, specifically about the need to reduce rape, etc, in the U.S., just click on “women” over at change.gov and you can calll him out now on putting his money where his mouth is. Obama doesn’t seem to do a great job on his home turf, payiny his female staffers 78 cents on the dollar to his male staffers, and now, while pointificating about the horror of rape, he remains silent about Flaveau.
5. BTW, whenever I send letters to political contacts, I usually cc major media outlets. It’s one way to try to get more bang for the buck. When I contact Obama, I’m a complete cynic and figure my voice will be ignored, so I usually try to find a way to have my voice heard beyond the confines of his e-mail where I assume my views will be summarily overlooked.
It matters who a president surrounds himself with and takes advice from. The people who have the president’s “ear” have tremendous power. They can funnel to him the information they want him to have and spin the information that would contradict their personal point of view. A top speechwriter wields enormous influence on a president’s staff, so it matters greatly the sort of JUDGMENT this person has and demonstrates. So far, Jon Favreau has demonstrated that he has the mentality and judgment of a ten-year old. I cannot imagine that even a college-age person would think this behavior funny — it is so immature.
I find it hard to fathom that Obama has not already sacked this jerk.
I also want a magnifying glass put over everything James Carville, Sandy Berger, Mark Penn, Howard Wolfson, and Terry MacCauliffe ever said about Obama. Those “gentlemen” are more rough and tumble than Favreau, and I want to know specifically whether any of them are following her to State before I support confirmation of her nomination, not that it’s going to matter.
I think the above letter is far too oblique. I also think it’s dangerous not to show anger when it’s warranted. It needs to be much stronger. If not now, when?
Men use threat of rape to keep women in their place, remind them, no matter how prominent they may become, they can still be raped.
Other notable frat type rapes: the dancer at the Duke party; the young woman found with someone else’s vomit in her mouth after being raped and having several men masturbate on her unconscious body at a campus party.
You see, you see what they are saying? Don’t get too uppity because we can still take you down, you’re just a woman.
We need to take action with evidence-based commentary, editorials, and press releases–positive, reasoned, hit them with the data about the implications of their behavior for future generations– and to keep this information in the media on a regular basis. How about press releases / articles with titles like:
Favreau episode has broader implications
What will the future look like for Obama’s daughters?
Change can happen: it starts with Obama
(and so on).
On Obama’s change.gov website, it states:
“Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.” – President-elect Barack Obama”
That statement would be a great start for press release / editorial / emails following up on the Favreau incident, and calling Obama to task toa back his words with action, and showing Zero Tolerance for Favreau’s behavior, etc.
At any rate, that’s my two cents.
That approach didn’t work with Summers. Trying to show you are one of the? Talking to them as though you are one of them? This picture makes it clear, you, we, are not.
I think you’re inviting the reader, viewer, to miss the point, which is women-hating, threat of rape and violence, treating highly accomplished women as porn/sex objects no matter what their achievment, and the surety you are not behaving out of line because you’ve been given the message it’s not only ok, but encouraged–that was the message in that photograph.
How do we know Jon Favreau isn’t the “speechwriter” who created Obama’s statement about Hillary — that Hillary attacks when she’s “periodically feeling down”?
How do we know this isn’t EXACTLY how Obama wants Hillary to be treated and “respected” in his administration?
Appointing Hillary as his Sec. of State removes Hillary from her own power base and puts her at Obama’s mercy.
As soon as she is confirmed as Sec. of State and resigns from the senate, she is vulnerable to Obama’s whims and PREJUDICES.
Obama was always yapping about people saying “racist” things about him (or had his staffers do the yapping), but we have zero evidence that Obama as ANY respect for women in general or Hillary in particular.
Maybe this appointment was just Obama’s way of removing any power Hillary had in the senate to thwart him.
I think Obama does NOT respect women in general and that Jon Favreau is EXACTLY who Obama wants writing his speeches.
Remember when Obama used the rapper song “I got 99 problems but a bitch ain’t one” as his theme?
Remember the “typical white woman” comment Obama made about his white grandmother? That sounds like PREJUDICE to me.
I think Barack Obama — and especially Michelle Obama — are filled with prejudices.
lightacandle,
First, I advocate John being fired – period.
Second, why are you not angry that HRC is not making a big deal of it? In this instance, isn’t HRC the co-dependent with Obama if John isn’t fire? HRC readily spoke up on the campaign trail when she thought she was the victim of sexist behavior, why not know?
How many smart, reasonable, and just, people got thrown under the bus? And this immature little boy follows Barrogant to the WH? Barrogant has no judgement! (No surprise)
Anita,
John should definitely go and Larry Summer should have never gotten the top economic job ( a role actually more powerful than the Treasure Secretary).
Kevin
Kevin,
I don’t know why Hillary has not made a bigger issue of this but I would assume that — given the fact she was treated this way DAILY for the past year — maybe she has concluded that if she responds to every sexist attack on her she won’t have time to do anything else.
Actually, Hillary has been treated to this sort of sexist attack ever since she and Bill first came to Washington, 15 years ago. So, maybe she thinks her responses to these attacks are not enough and that unless and until at least the various so-called women’s organizations rise up and complain loudly, nothing will change.
You see, these attacks against Hillary are NOT just directed at Hillary; they send a message to ALL women: don’t try to reach too high or we’ll take you down the easiest way we know how to do — by insulting you sexually.
It’s NOT up to Hillary … it’s up to ALL decent people to object to this evil.
P.S. Next time you set out to provide a Hillary quote, don’t use an ellipsis to persuade us Hillary said something that she didn’t say. That last quote in the other comment section was a CITATION from an Associated Press ARTICLE.
ER – I really liked your press release titles. I thought they were provocative and well founded without sounding wacky. And I agree that using Obama’s own words as an intro and/or integrated into a press release is an excellent idea. Meanwhile, none of us has to sit around and wait for someone at TNA to come up with a press release to speak for us. We are all free agents to write as often as and as boldly as we wish. I say to all: Go for it!
*esus *hrist! I’ve been away for a while and this caught my eye first thing. I can’t really believe this – I guess sort of like the efficy of Sarah Palin handing on the front porch of that jerk, I’m just shocked. The lack of collective alarm is really scary.
If he doesn’t fire Favreau, every time Obama gives a speech, whether it’s his inaugural address, a “fireside chat”, or the state of the union, I will be thinking that those are the words of a twenty-something jackass who gets his kicks by groping cardboard cut-outs of women. Somehow I don’t think his speeches will have much impact if I’m not alone.
The YouTubes of his speeches must have comment sections, as will many of the media columns and articles reporting on them.. Never let them forget where his words and thoughts come from.
“In the latter photo, Favreau and his friend (the unnamed man on the right, wearing the “Obama Staff” t-shirt) are aping the sort of frat-boy antics that might be considered sexual assault, were it a real woman in the picture and not a cardboard cutout of Sen. Clinton.”
Sorry, Democrats can’t be guilty of sexual assault. See Bill Clinton, 1992 to present.
Is anyone really surprised that Obama allows this sort of behavior towards women, and by thus remaining silent, condones it?
After all, his followers sported, “Sarah Palin is a cunt” T-shirts, and nary a word of concern was uttered.
I have noticed that in almost all of these comments none of you enlightened women were Barack Obama supporters to begin with. It’s hard to take anything you say about this issue seriously with that in mind. Come on now really, it’s very transparent in all of your replies the disdain you have for our new president elect.
And to the poster elaine at 4:34 pm:
‘Obama’s supporters’ did not wear those offensive t-shirts. I think the picture had 3 or 4 people wearing those shirts and I read that they apologized. That’s hardly all Obama supporters.
This was a grossly insensitive thing to do, but I don’t understand at all why insensitivity is such a fanastically heinous moral act–that Favreau deserves a public humiliation and an end to his career. Frankly, I have to suspect that you are calling for Favreau’s firing as a publicity stunt–a stunt that worked, obviously enough.
I can’t believe that anyone, including the writer’s at the New Agenda, would want to live in a world where a thoughtless breach of sensitivity risked one’s career. In fact, you don’t believe this, and so you fabricate a very suspect and unverified pop-sociological theory according to which small acts of insensitivity are causally responsible for gross acts of domestic violence and abuse against women. No serious sociology supports this. No serious criminology supports this. No serious psychology supports this. It is either a false or confused idea.
I think it’s just shameful to be calling for Favreau’s fire. He’s a young kid. He’s immensely talented. You’ve already tainted his career. You’ve already done enough damage. Be kind. Be forgiving. Let it go.
Oh that was very good “Napolean”. Wink wink nudge nudge say no more, say no more.
You’re from The Onion, right.?
A note though, a tad less chide if you want it to be really tops.
Napoleon,
In any major corporation Favreau would already be in the unemployment line. If he’s “immensely talented”, he’ll find other work. However, he does not belong in the chief speech writer for the President of the United States position. If Obama was his supervisor in that major corporation and failed to take action against him, Obama, too, would be subject to disciplinary action for not doing something about the “hostile work environment” that this behavior creates for women. If the women in the corporation decided to sue, both Favreau’s actions and Obama’s inaction would be evidence in the case. Obama appears to believe that he is above the laws that govern other workplaces. Hillary won’t sue, of course, but should Favreau step over the line with a female coworker in the White House, this could probably be used by her if she wanted to pursue a legal remedy. If he gets away with this, I bet Favreau will sexually harass someone at work, and I hope she gets a million bucks.
I’m surprised that no one here has asked this salient question:
What if it was a cardboard cutout of Michelle?
To take it further, what if, in 15 years, it’s cutouts of Sasha or Malia?
See The Confluence blog, Gabe. I don’t agree with the tactic of putting some other woman’s picture in Hillary’s place to hit the point home. But some do. To me, it’s misogyny no matter what woman is depicted and to me, that’s the pont here: the sanctioned women-hating in the Obama camp. One word from him would shut this all down. Would have shut it down long ago. He’s not motivated to do so.
Great point samanthasmom. I hope you’ll post it to Obama’s website, or the WaPo blog. I know this TNA is popular, but nothing like those two places to speak it.
Gabe – I’m pretty sure that when Dawn adapted a letter I had written she did, indeed, insert a very pointed addition that was right on target regarding what you posted, i.e., what if the cut-out had been Michelle Obama? I think this is a legitimate question in the climate we’ve seen this year since the media has tripped all over itself not to appear racist, while allowing misogyny to slide right on by. Glad you brought it up though. If you write a letter to the office of the President-elect regarding his silence on the matter and/or a letter to the media, I hope you’ll include the very salient question you raised.
Great comments samanthasmom. Yes, please do post it to Obama’s sites and media outlets.
Re: Question No 63 – NY Times blog –I’d like to recommend that everyone go to http://opinionator.blogs.nytim.....ion-no-63/ and leave your opinions. The NY Times is widely read, and this is another chance to be heard, and to counter some of the sophomoric, sexist responses that have been posted.
samanthasmom:
This is pure hyperbole: “Obama appears to believe that he is above the laws that govern other workplaces.” Now Obama’s an outlaw? A misogynist? What, exactly, does one have to do to NOT be a misogynist? I would never want to live in a state or culture where there was a serious answer to this. I don’t think you would either. But what you do enjoy, it seems, is rightful indignation. I get it: indignation is fun, because it let’s one get away with aggression. It’s fun to be angry. But it’s also dangerous. Again,I’m in complete sympathy with the general direction of the New Agenda, but this is over the top.
And as for this: “If he gets away with this, I bet Favreau will sexually harass someone at work”…if you believe that this makes sense, or is in any remote world plausible, well, you probably have a lot more in common with religious fundamentalists than you might be able to admit.
I don’t watch CNN anymore, but I did see the you tube of Carville’s comments on Favreau, which included an attack on the New Agenda. To get fired up against Carville, check out the you tube, which is in the latest post at www.pumapac.org’s blog.
Carville says anyone who puts this pic up to spread the word on what a pig Favreau is should check themselves into the psych unit.
Has anyone seen Changeling? It is a film based on a true story. Eastwood directed it. Fine film, but very depressing and disturbing. Carville’s attitude reminds me of the attitude of the LAPD officer in the film who has a woman committed to a mental institution because she dared to challenge his authority.
Keep up the good work, New Agenda. Challenge the authority of the patriarchal men in the patriarchy.
And add Carville to your list of hopeless sexist pigs if you don’t have him there yet.
And why shouldn’t women be indignant about this behavior? It is not just sexist, it is stupid and boorish. Interestingly enough, there is a word in this culture for people who hate women, misogynist, but when a women is is perceived to dislike men, i.e., she does not agree with everything they say, she is a “man-hater.” It is not that I advocate hate, but look at the difference–hating women is standard operating procedure; hating men is an aberration and so there is no label for it. I would argue that haterd of anyone is an aberration and speaks to the larger issue of how you feel about yourself. What does a person have to do to not be considered a misogynist? How about judging people on the content of their character instead of the status of their plumbing? How about simple human decency?
AnneE:
A couple points: the emphasis seems to be the opposite of what you express, as far as I can tell: the more strident among here want to say that Favreau’s action is not just stupid and boorish, but sexist. I agree that its stupid and boorish, but I disgree that it’s much else besides.
As to why there is no label for man-hating: misogyny came to be a common word because many feminists were interested in pointing the phenomenon out and giving it a name. There might well be a lot of man-hating, but there are very few masculinists who are out there to defend men against it. But if you want a name, we could call it ‘Misophallism.’
About human decency, that’s exactly what I’ve been recommending: Favreau did a disrespectful thing. Sure. But it’s not THAT big a deal. Let’s show some human decency, and stop putting the man’s career and reputation on the line for it. Whatever he did, it does not deserve that.
Thank you for explaining reality to me, but I know a pig when I see one. And as far as his reputation goes, he put it on the line himself when he posted it. A cautionary tale perhaps? This country started going down hill when the stocks were abolished.
Here’s an interesting post from CA NOW about feminism and sexism and the Obama team:
http://www.canow.org/canoworg/.....exist.html
Anne? What in tarnation? This country started going downhill when the stocks were abolished? I mean, I realize it’s fun to vent on a blog, but really, this is crazy. I just can’t believe this.
If women’s rights advocates hope for a better future, there needs to be reasoned debate. This is not reasonable debate. This is blind outrage. If we sanction blind outrage, why expect real misogynists and real pigs to listen, reflect, and change. If Favreau is a pig, just who are the good guys?
Some people don’t “get” it regarding the sick Jon Favreau photograph, which he not only posed for but later posted on Facebook where the world could view it.
( photo at: http://voices.washingtonpost.c.....stion.html )
I have heard that colleges and potential employers routinely scrutinize Facebook and other websites to see if applicants have posted anything they (the employers and admissions officers) deem crass, lacking in respect for fellow human beings, or lacking in common sense.
Jon Favreau’s photo of himself and an Obama staffer friend portraying the date-rape of Hillary Clinton is all three of the above.
Any respectable and responsible workplace would NOT allow someone at the management level to post such a picture of a workplace colleague … and would, in FACT, consider the Favreau photo degrading to a fellow employee and creating a “hostile work environment” for the female co-workers … and would FIRE the perpetrator (Jon Favreau, in this case).
Jon Favreau SHOULD be FIRED.
He lacks good judgment.
He lacks common courtesy.
He lacks common sense.
And he lacks a respectful attitude toward an Obama administration colleague … Favreau and Clinton are SUPPOSED to be on the same team.
Jon Favreau is clearly NOT on the same team with Sen. Clinton and is clearly creating a HOSTILE work situation.
The ones who don’t “get” this and think this is “just” the stupid prank of a drunk frat-boy have a serious problem and should seek counseling.
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“SHADOW” now . . . and “SHADOW” forever!
“Stop Humiliation And Disparagement Of Women”
Amy and All,
One of the reasons I feel that our work ahead is so challenging is that it is apparent that neither Messrs. Obama and Favreau nor any other members of that staff exhibit even the slightest interest in acknowledging or changing the current sexist status quo. He is considerably behind Bush in appointments to women and has never demonstrated any desire to be anything other than condescending and misogynistic toward women [\'you\'re likeable enough, Hillary\']
This does not mean that we have not already made an impact or that we are not doing well–in the short time since our incarnation, we have made some great strides and become a recognizeable force in the fight for women’s rights. It simply means that we have a lot more work to do, and that we cannot depend upon “the kindness of strangers”, especially when they come in the persons of Favreau and Obama etal. We need to remember that people like these are not allies in the fight for women’s and human rights, and they will not be inclined to assist us willingly in any way.
That being said, I congratulate everyone for what we have been able to accomplish thus far, and I have strong faith in our capabilities in terms of attaining our goals.
I am not a lawyer, but a scientist and mother. However, if this is a country of for and by the people, isn’t Favreau sexually harrassing the whole country. Seriously, if we hired Obama and he works for us, and we can document the hostile work place. Another female speechwriter is in the photograph, and thousands of women have personally responded in disgust. They clearly know they are in violation of the law. So, why exactly can’t we title 9 them or something? Lawyers, please? They are never going to let us be free. We have to take it. Otherwise, mental midgets like Napolean above, will always be there to push us back down on our knees. We must help each other. Obama has a voting block now of misogynists, homophobes, and right wing xians. These little digs of his against all things feminine serve to solidify his base, we must protect each other in this scary new day. The boys are back. Watch out environment. Watch out democracy. Howard Dean is in the House.