Have We Slipped Backward?
While Hillary Clinton has received praise from people for her willingness to fight and not give up, it’s hard not to wonder whether people are looking at how acceptable it has become to insult women in the press. Surely there will be spillover to the workplace if people who serve as "senior analysts" for once reputable stations like CNN continue refer to Clinton in vile, derogatory ways. I’m not going to write something long about this. It’s just worth wondering whether women will find themselves dealing with more sexism. After all, that’s what went on in election process in the mainstream media. If it does increase at work, it will be difficult for women to call upon the efforts of feminists to support them as in many quarters they’ve been dismissed as humming an old tune — not in touch with the times — still holding on to grudges when their issues no longer exist. Will we wake up soon and see that indeed people in our culture have become comfortable with patronizing, dismissing, and insulting women because of their gender? I hope not. But watching what has been going on, it’s hard not to think it could indeed happen — especially if women are not paying sufficient attention because they’d rather think those days are over or if they let insults pass to avoid appearing oversensitive. More productive, as always, is nipping put-downs in the bud with a well-turned phrase such as "Maybe you’d like to rephrase that."
TAGS: Hillary Clinton, media bias, sexism, Women at Work
I look at what is happening to Hilary as more of a “wake up call” then necessarily slipping backwards. As women, we need to take heed and internalize what has happened. Your advice is right on. Personally, I think women need to withdraw our economic support for newspapers, shows, columnists, networks etc that are acting this way. What we do at the workplace needs to be more subtle but direct as you point out.
Comment by mac — May 26, 2008 @ 4:28 pm
The treatment that Clinton received as a result of her comment that the primary season had lasted into June before was simply over the top.
Keith Olbermann (whom I used to either watch live or at the very least record) summoned up enough outrage to air a “Special Comment” about it, castigating Senator Clinton for referencing RFK’s assassination – and having the audacity not to apologize for it.
He went so far as to include a laundry list of things that “the nation has had to forgive her” despite her “now traditional position of the offended victim.” Not only do I think that Olbermann would not have delivered such a message to a male candidate; I think the words he selected were either consciously “gendered” or merely clueless. It’s Olbermann who should apologize — to Senator Clinton. But I’m not holding my breath because it seems to be okay for the media to “pile up” on the woman who just keeps on going.
I agree with Mac — Olbermann will be counting down without me from here on in.
Comment by Carol Frohlinger, JD — May 29, 2008 @ 9:28 am