« January 2008 | Main | March 2008 »
Change attitudes toward women
Sexism, the belief that the male sex is inherently superior, is alive and thriving in America. Witness the treatment and coverage of Sen. Clinton in her quest to become the first woman elected to the presidency.
The news for Hillary seems to be all bad, so I am turning to articles that explain this bad news in terms of gender bias:
"And if the ample literature on bias shows anything, it is that, for all the difficulties Americans have with race, it may prove that attitudes about women are the hardest to change." -- From a Boston Globe article, Black man vs. white woman. Read the article.
From a Ellen Goodman column: The female style - modeled by a man: "If Hillary Clinton was the tough guy in the race, Barack Obama became the Oprah candidate. He was the quality circle man, the uniter-not-divider, the person who believes we can talk to anyone, even our enemies. He finely honed a language usually associated with women's voices. ...
In a tense courtroom scene in the movie A Few Good Men, Tom Cruise badgers Jack Nicholson, demanding the "truth," which prompts Nicholson to erupt in volcanic fury: "You can't handle the truth!" he thunders at Cruise, the veins throbbing in his neck.
In her latest book, The Terror Dream: Fear and Fantasy in Post 9/11 America, Susan Faludi delivers a similar message.
Panelists: Mayor Duffy, Rev Marlow Washington, DA Mike Green, Dep County Exec Jim Smith, Chief of Police Moore, and Superintendent Brizard. Editorial Board, host of the event, was introduced: Michael Kane, Karen Magnuson and Jim Lawrence. Special recognition to the photographer who memorialized the victims of violence on display at the Dryden Theater. (I'm sorry I can't recall the photographer's name. The Dryden Theater website doesn't seem to have references to this display.)
Mr. Lawrence did not start the panel with opening remarks from each of the panelists, as would be expected. He launched into a question tailored to each of the panelists, some variation of the question, "what will you do differently?"
Continue reading "Report - Forum on Violence - no mention of domestic violence" »
Susan Faludi (remember Backlash?) is the guest speaker at tomorrow's Susan B. Anthony House luncheon. I am listening to her latest book - The Terror Dream. Her premise is that 9/11 produced very few, if any, real heroes. To compensate, the nation brought back the myths of the cavalier male rescuing the woman victim. Publishers Weekly stated in its review, "The intrusions of September 11, she [Faludi] observes, broke the dead bolt on our protective myth, the illusion that... our might makes our homeland impregnable... and women and children safe in the arms of their men."
Very interesting reading. I am looking forward to hearing her speak.
Those boys on MSNBC's Hardball love to go after Hillary, belittling and backbiting her any chance they get. At one point it got so bad, Chris Mathews, the host of the show, was forced to apologize on camera for all the foul, misogynist things he's been saying about the Democratic presidential candidate from NY State. Now one of Mathews' homeboys, David Shuster, who appears regularly on Hardball, has gotten himself in deep doo-doo for the same thing: unfairly bashing Hillary, this time on the MSNBC show Tucker.
Memo to you guys over at rochesterturning.com. Love your blog, but stop with that calling Maggie Brooks "Saggy" Brooks. It may be cute to some guys. Not so much to us womenfolks. Stop it, right now, you hear! Besides, nicknames are so passe. Bushy gave them a bad name.
When you watch the Super Bowl tomorrow pay close attention to how women are portrayed in the commercials. If the commercials are like previous years, women's bodies will be used to sell all sorts of products. This lack of respect for women and under-representation of positive female role models permeates so much of our media that most people think nothing of it.
Is it no wonder we are being asked over and over if we are ready for a woman president?
James Lawrence, the editorial page editor down at the Democrat & Chronicle, has made it his mission in life to stamp out gangsta rap music, but the Obama campaign is not yet with the program. You'll see what I mean after reading the following letter to the editor, which the D&C published on January 21. After reading the letter, take a peek at the video which follows.
