Gallery: Summer News Slump an Excuse for Sexism?
August 1, 2009
by The New Agenda
|If this gallery shows what reporters & bloggers dredged up to write about in July, how much worse will things be during the congressional recess and presidential vacations of August?
Let’s start with the “Mouthpiece Theater” video by Washington Post columnists Dana Milbank and Chris Ciliza (whom we treated as a credible journalist earlier this week). WaPo employees on the official WaPo website and WaPo YouTube channel effectively called our Secretary of State a mad bitch. As satirie of the Obama-Gates-Crowley happy hour, the columnists joked about what would be appropriate beers for various politicians. Milbank said that he wouldn’t tell who would get Mad Bitch beer, and then the video flashed a photo of Secretary Clinton. Washington Post removed the video, but not before we captured the first two images in the following gallery of July’s sexism-as-substitute-for-news. (click to enlarge; use browser’s back button to return here.) UPDATE: Media Matters grabbed the WaPo video, and it’s embedded below the gallery. The relevant portion starts at 2:35.
-
- Milbank and Mad Bitch label
-
- Clinton
-
- Bachman Shortcake
-
- Obama Pregnant?
-
- Clinton’s Cankles
-
- Sotomayor’s Spanx
-
- Boxer Bitch
-
- Pelosi Meltdown
There is an easy explanation for this. Obama is slipping in the polls. Time to play the race card and dump on the wimmins. Think it will work?
I don’t think we should shove off the sexism in these examples on summer slump. The fact is, many media outlets report this way all year long. We know better than to excuse it. It’s just not excusable – any time of the year. If the seed of sexism wasn’t in them in the first place, then they’d be taking slump time and writing more about Michael Jackson or the Gosselins. Why not continue to hit on John Ensign or Mark Sanford and their crowd – their stories are salacious enough for summer reading.
Why not? Because these reporters and editors either do not see what they’re doing as sexist or we haven’t made them realize enough of a negative return yet to deter and eliminate the behavior.
It’s no summer slump – and we do know that.
“Obama is slipping in the polls. Time to play the race card and dump on the wimmins. ”
Amen to that!
Will it work? Sure it will. Cuz the people who watch this stuff are idiots who will but anything… and I do mean anything… the talkers tell them.
SYD
First, some admissions: I am an African American female. I supported HRC in the primaries and Obama in the election. I have voted for Republicans and Democrats for President.
Second, some of these galleries are clearly sexist – about Clinton, Boxer, Pelosi – and some I am not sure of – about Bachmann and Michelle.
Third, I must admit there is an air of bigotry, or racial insensitive that I feel from some bloggers on this web site. With nearly 50% of Republicans believing Obama was not born in Hawaii, Gates being called a Jungle Monkey, no one “needs to play a race card,” racism exists whenever this country. If many of you do not choose to notice that the use of racially charged code words have increased just when an African American is in the Presidency, you are naive at best or prejudice at worst.
Fourth, I support women’s rights and women’s rights advocates but I do not exchange one “ism” for another – as some of you do.
Please, let’s be better and more thoughtful and make women’s right about being pro-women and not anti-Obama.
LVJ, if you know of any black female politicians, please tell me so that I can have the opportunity to write about them, hm?
LVJ,
I was and still am a big fan of former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. She stood up to the bush administration and asked questions no one else had the courage to ask and it got her into trouble and all but destroyed her political career.
Women, in general, who dare speak up to power are systematically undermined and their credibility taken from them by a corrupt media and a corrupt government, predominantly run by men who do not wish to give up their power, especially to women.
Also, I am old enough to remember when Shirley Chisolm ran for president – which was only one of her first. She was also the first female AA to run for the U.S. Congress. After her run for president she stated: “being female put many more obstacles in my path than being black.”
As bad as racism still is, sexism is worse and more accepted in the mainstream and we have yet to have a national discussion about it, as we did when Obama gave a speech about racism during democratic primary and on prime time TV.
I’ve always wondered why, since Hillary and Sarah Palin were the recipients of the most recent egregious, in your face misogyny during the primary and the General Election and even AFTER, they have yet to be asked to participate in a national discussion on the evils of sexism in the U.S. on prime time TV.
Why not?
LVL,
One of the several objections that I had to the Obama campaign was all of the talk about “Post Racial America” even as other segments of the campaign were almost continuously playing the “Race Card”. The racism is real and it is detrimental to our society as a whole, not just devastating to the individuals who personally suffer. Meanwhile, people do play the race card and the gender card and sometimes the religion or national origin card, etc.
My primary conflict with this administration is my perception that they quite properly identify racism as a real problem but generally will not even acknowledge that sexism exists. When it is politically expedient to acknowledge sexism, it seems to always be expressed as being exclusively a “minority women” issue.
It is my belief that every day in this country some number of “majority women” are denied their right to life, or to liberty, or to the pursuit of happiness. When a “majority woman” has her rights taken away because of her gender I think that is every bit as wrong as when a minority man has his rights taken away because of his race.
Jennifer Morgan,
The New Agenda does speak out for all women or any party.
We were the first women’s group to speak out for then Gov. Palin last Sept. Check our press releases and media section.
John,
I generally agree with you but one of your perceptions is terribly wrong. Within the Obama Administration, minority women have representation greater than their proportionate number in society and definitely much higher than what would be the proportionate representation of majority women. The lack of majority women in the Obama administration is apalling. However, in every – every – other walk of life, business ownership, wealth, politics, etc., minority women are the last recipients of jobs and opportunities. Your perception is that majority women are hit harder by sexism is because at least they are viewed as having some sort of power base in this country, minority women are not.
Again, I am agreeing with about 90% of your comment but please do not make the mistake of assuming the level of representation of minority women in the Obama administration, nor how Obama couches the “women’s issue,” as any where near the status quo in America. Minority women are generally treated like dirt and many times, it is majority women who do the shoveling. My hope is that TNA can aid minority and majority women to come together under the platform of women’s rights. It will not get their by being mostly anti-Obama, understating the racial code words used by both the HRC and Palin campaigns (and again, I was a HRC supported) or by arbitrary throwing around the phrase “playing the race card” (which you did not).
Kathleen,
I agree with you. I am amazed that with all the female journalist and television commentators, no one has given thought to a series on “The state of women in America.” Just goes to show you that men control the budgets and agenda at the major networks and believe that talking about race in all its dimensions gets ratings but talking about gender will not.
I fault Palin a little more here than HRC (and yes I am biased) because HRC has talked a little about women’s rights in her role as SOS but Palin – with all the freedom and political motive to hold on forum on women’s rights – has not. She would have everything to gain and nothing to lose, especially since the media is going to attack her one way or another.
LVL,
I am married to a minority woman, American Indian from an Indian Reservation who has to deal with cultural differences as well. I am well aware that minority women experience relatively more discrimination and violence than majority women do. However, the difference is relative, not absolute.
My point was that this administration, from my perspective, refuses to acknowledge sexism in general and when it is politically expedient for them to acknowledge sexism it seems to always be expressed as being exclusively a “minority women” issue.
In my judgment, the second part of the above is an intentional move to (1) drive a wedge between “minority women” and “majority women”, and (2) to subtly deny sexism as an issue by redefining it as a subset of racism.
Absolutely disgusting.
John,
Okay, I understand but do not agree with your two points:
1) Obama not wanting to acknowledge sexism and then only expediently as a “minority women” issue and
2) driving a wedge between minority women and majority women and redefining sexism as a subset of racism
On #1, I don’t think Obama wants to go down either the racism or sexism road, he generally avoids them both because he does not want to divide a segment of the electorate. He wants to advance both issues too covertly and passively- and this is the fault I have with him. You hear him address racism more because he – personally – is being hit with veiled bigotry (e.g., birthers) and coded words always applied to African American men such they are too arrogant, aggressive, slick, don’t know their place and angry.
On #2, I don’t think Obama wants to drive a wedge between majority and minority women – if he would, he would lose the next election. He is, however, trying to drive a wedge, or gain affinity, with a certain segment of women, minority or majority, – younger, single, professional, liberal, etc. And, again, I fault him for this strategy.
I don’t see Obama as a sexist or misogynist – as many who comment to this site do. He is a very calculating politician who is playing it much too safe on women’s right.
LVL
Yep. It’s working.
Just checking in to watch.
SYD
Another one:
http://www.conservatives4palin.....ulous.html
“Palin’s Divorce.”
LVL –
I was incommunicado for a couple of days but did read your very first comment. I happen to think you are spot-on re: we have to give up this -ism hierarchy notion. Michelle Obama Watch does a great job of catching the racism and sexism that hits FLOTUS and it’s ALL wrong.
There’s no such thing as “wronger” as far as I’m concerned and I know I get particularly peeved when people try to convince me that because one instance of any -ism isn’t as bad as it could be or in comparison to another, then it’s okay (I’ve also been told that since I don’t have to live in a concentration camp anymore – I’m Jewish – I should also be grateful and not complain about anti-Semitism – that’s a real winning argument, huh? /not.)
So – you are definitely not alone in your sentiment – thanks for writing that comment.
Karen – are you serious re: asking for black female politicians to be named? I’m in Ohio, which is not a particularly progressive state overall and I can think of five in Ohio right off the top of my head:
Former Lt. Governor w/Bob Taft and a Republican – Jeannette Bradley
Cincy Councilwoman Laketa Cole (if you want to learn about a colorful politician, check her out!)
Dayton Mayor – Rhine McLin
First ever African-American Euclid city councilwoman: Kandace Jones
Here in Ohio we elect judges and so they run in political races:
Judge Lillian Greene
Here’s an article about black women in the Obama administration:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....03744.html
I know the White House Project actively recruits minority women for its training programs. I’m sure that there is a lot more out there about black women and political ambition, if you look, if not in your community or region, Karen, definitely in many others, I’m sure.
One of my problems with “feminists” is their tendency to get distracted from women’s issues and start to worry about racisim or discrimination against gay people. I don’t see gay groups worrying women’s issues or race based groups worrying about women’s issues. So is it too much to ask that women’s groups focus on women’s issues? There are plenty of them that affect all women regardless of race or sexual orientation. Maybe we could start with images of women in corporate media, equal pay for equal work, equality for women in medical research and health care and equal representation of women by Government.
Just an update for those who weren’t sure there are any female black politicians who have to face sexism and racism issues: The Congressional Black Caucus – I knew there had to be some good sources out there for starters:
http://thecongressionalblackcaucus.lee.house.gov/
Bes,
I am in total agreement with your statement:
“Maybe we could start with images of women in corporate media, equal pay for equal work, equality for women in medical research and health care and equal representation of women by Government.”
The platform should be clear and candidates, men and women should commit to it.
UPDATE on “Mad Bitch” for Hillary: Just browsed your blog entries and didn’t see one on this but the AP covered the Washington Post’s apology and steps taken, as described in this piece by Howard Kurtz of the WaPo. Now it’s being covered by ABC, Editory & Publisher and many other outlets:
http://bit.ly/9ZA5o
Chris Cillizza wrote his own very specific apology here:
http://voices.washingtonpost.c.....eater.html
And Dana Milbank? Well – he still needs How To Apologize 101.
Not a complete win, but also far preferable to what had been left as supposedly adequate attention and apology before – which was simply more snark and blame on bloggers.
Leave your Response Want an avatar? Get a gravatar!
Community Room
February 6, 2012 at 4:25 pm
January 30, 2012 at 2:36 pm
January 26, 2012 at 4:38 pm
January 23, 2012 at 1:04 pm
January 15, 2012 at 11:37 am
January 9, 2012 at 6:36 pm
January 7, 2012 at 10:10 pm
January 5, 2012 at 9:31 am
BUILD your NETWORK
Our Network of College Women
Protecting our Teenage Girls
We’re in the Media »
Click to see our latest stories in the media
More Stories »Recent Comments
The Latest from our Blog
Archives
Pioneer Mentors
Blogroll
Find us Online
Subscribe Entries (RSS) | Comments (RSS)
The New Agenda is a 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls by bringing about systemic change in the media, at the workplace, at school and at home. More...