We don’t have cable at our house, and only watch news shows around the political season, or if there is an issue, bill or story I am following. But when I saw this video montage by the Women’s Media Center of the political coverage of Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president, I was reminded why I left much of mega corporate media behind. While Hillary Clinton in many ways elevated America’s comfort and perspective about of having a woman as the commander in chief, she did so while being throttled by many folks in the mainstream media for her pant suits, her husband’s indiscretions, and her dogged determination.
Judith Warner of the Washington Post parallels Hillary’s exit out of the presidential campaign with our country’s obsession with the new movie, Sex in the City. While women have made great strides in expressing their sexual experiences and needs (as the show and movie have showed us-), it seems finding love, avoiding the dreaded pooch (gut), and going shopping are the pinnacle of the female experience.
Enter Hillary Clinton’s campaign and it is apparent that we indeed have a long way to go in the area of gender equality. In Judith’s article, she shares the ugly ways in which television shows like South Park, fringe women hating groups , and even many mainstream media commentators like Tucker Carlson and Chris Matthews have used Hillary’s gender as a tool for hate, stereotyping and rampant sexism. As many journalists have pointed out, and as Judith pointed out, if people made racist comments about Obama as much as the sexism as Hillary has faced, our nation would be outraged and ashamed. But since this about women, since we have come a long way but have so far to go, it is made out to be humorous. Women who take this seriously are pitted as uptight, witchy, and aggressive.
Well, call me uptight, call me what you will, but we all need to call the media on their hateful, sexist speech and hold them to a higher standard. As the mother of two daughters, I have their future to consider. And I certainly want all options for them on the table.
