Sexist? Not So Fast

Sexism: (noun) discrimination, chauvinism, gender prejudice, gender bias. (i.e. "Your hiring practices have generated numerous complaints about sexism.")

The Republican party handed out buttons at their convention that said "Hottest Governor from the Coolest State." On almost every TV courtroom drama ever made there's a moment when a lawyer utters the phrase, "The witness opened the door, Your Honor."

I wrote something that a few people call offensive in a post of mine today. Granted, it's pretty offensive. But if you think I'm going to apologize for it, you're out of your mind. In case you missed it, the offending line is, "I want to have sex with her [Palin] on my Barack Obama sheets while my wife reads aloud from the Constitution." In my business there's an old expression, "Never cut funny." And, excuse me, but that one's kinda funny. The debate over whether I'm sexist is somewhat more serious.

"Sexism" is discrimination or unfairly diminishing someone based on gender. I haven't discriminated against Sarah Palin based on her gender and I haven't diminished her based on it. She's diminished based on her intellect and experience and hubris and because they're using her gender in such a crass and cynical manner. I'm discriminating against her based on that fact and that she has as much business on the national political stage as Alice from the Brady Bunch.

I don't give a damn whether Palin has a penis or a vagina. When I wrote about Hillary Clinton during the primary I didn't comment on her gender. I don't care about her gender. Let me point out that I wrote an entire movie about sexual harassment (North Country -- click on the link over there on the right side of your screen). Don't you get it? I'm not insulting Sarah Palin, SHE IS INSULTING ME.

In the first part of her debut interview, she has let us in to a very small, ignorant and reckless mind. If she is going to tell me that the reason she's qualified to follow up on her threats of war with Russia and its thousands of nuclear warheads (that's n-u-c-l-e-a-r, by the way), is because on a clear day she can actually see Russia from her igloo window, then we have every right to take her on in both a serious manner and in the form of boundless ridicule. And, yes, even commenting on her appearance. Frankly, it's all she offers.

Imagine for a moment that McCain had picked the latest winner of The Bachelor as his running mate. Would we be sexist if we commented on her looks? Of course not. Sorry if you don't like it, but in my mind, there's not much that separates Sarah Palin from the attractive yet vapid winner of a reality show. As far as I'm concerned, she IS the attractive yet vapid winner of a reality show.

I'm not required to take her seriously simply because she's a woman and I might offend some people by tearing her down with irony and satire. I'm not required to take her seriously simply because this crotchety old man has insulted all of us, women and men, by smugly assuring us that he is the arbiter of experience and readiness. I'm not required to take her seriously when she actually was chosen, not because of her experience, but because of her appearance.

This is a woman chosen because of her attractiveness, both physically and ideologically, to a particular type of person. That person is not looking for depth. Not remotely. That person is looking for things that are just plain wrong. Not different, wrong. And one of those things is a padlock on your uterus. Now let's talk about sexism.

Comments

[Gwytherinn]

Sexism isn't a zero sum game. The sexism illustrated in the McCain pick and its insult to women doesn't mean that you are NOT being sexist with comments that reduce her to her fuckability. I also appreciate that you, as a man, have taken the time to clear up where the "real" sexism is and holding Roe over my head.

[NevadaDem]

I am a female voter.. and I agree with you, Michael. You are not required to take Sarah Palin seriously simply because she is a woman. She wasn't picked for the thing (brain) between her ears. Since she is a card-carrying member of the Vagina Club...John McCain and the Republican Party gave her a free pass when it came to the intelligence department. If Sarah Palin was a MAN...we would not even be talking about her right now...since she wouldn't be on the ticket.

[mamadeb]

Sexism has nothing to do with this election. Does it exist in this country? Of course. It lives next door to racism and that is a neighborhood I have no desire to live in. or talk about. Instead, lets look at the facts. The fact of the matter is Sarah Palin is casting. Anyone with any knowledge of Hollywood knows how that is done. Casting requires the "right actor" for the job that will pull in the box office bucks. The box office bucks in politics are the right wing fundamentalist christians. McCain didn't have their hearts or purse strings and his campaign bowed to the pressure to win the mega church middle of the country votes. I find it remarkable that this "maverick" John McCain pandered to that hard right side. How do you in good conscience do that? Knowing that this serious lack of experience, lack of understanding of economics, global policy, hell....lack of understanding of ANY culture outside your own and still acting as if the American people will buy it because it comes wrapped in a nice neat package. And what scares me most is they are buying it. For all those folks who believe Hollywood is evil, guess what, you've just been bamboozled by the oldest hollywood trick in the books. Casting.

[Alashimself]

"Don't you get it? I'm not insulting Sarah Palin, SHE IS INSULTING ME."

"Sorry if you don't like it, but in my mind, there's not much that separates Sarah Palin from the attractive yet vapid winner of a reality show. As far as I'm concerned, she IS the attractive yet vapid winner of a reality show."

Classic..
had me chuckling all day

[Jamchinadian]

What I don't get is how the fawning media were so taken by her speech - a speech in which her "achievement" was that she could read disgraceful lies from a teleprompter. Good God above - is that how low we've set our standards?

BTW - THAT is a rhetorical question; her question to the Librarian was not - it was a hypothetical question. Another idiocy that the media let go.

[flippinheck]

Thank you for the clarification, and I loved "North Country."

[PoliticalPartyGirl]

No one is asking anyone to "take her seriously" just because she's a woman. This is not an argument for favoritism, this is an argument for fairness. Palin was not chosen solely because of her gender OR her looks. If that were the case, the Republicans could have chosen Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Olympia Snowe, or Christine Todd Whitman. Palin was chosen because she's a young Washington outsider whom they can paint as a "reformer" and "maverick" to fit with McCain's campaign theme. She exemplifies Republicans' ideas of "family values" (pregnant teenage daughter and all) and does a damn good job giving a campaign speech. She has a "relatable" quality to her -- that je ne sais quois that says, "You can sit down and have a beer with me." She hunts and has a son in the military. Palin didn't become governor of Alaska on a fluke. Clearly she is reasonably intelligent and a savvy enough politician. (Just look at how much she got Alaskans and Wassillans in earmarks during her tenure as governor and mayor.) All of these things create an image that has worked very well for Republicans in the past two elections, and none of the reasons I just mentioned have anything to do with her gender.

[arachne646]

Sarah Palin is running as everything Hilary is not--new and improved, glam, dowm home, have-it-all, no serious baggage (we hope), right-wing christian family values in lipstick. And what a beautiful family!! Now it is true that every woman running for office has more attention paid to her appearance and the customary family displays than the male candidates do; this is sexist, and when Hilary Clinton was routinely attacked during her primary campaign, I don't know if Sarah Palin was objecting, or laughing.

Palin has been picked by McCain because of her super-right-wing stance, her pro-life camera-ready family, and her attractive appearance and voice. She was the choice over many Republican women in the Senate and Congress. She and the Republican Party and Sen. McCain have made much of her family and her decisons about Bristols pregnancy and marriage, and also about how attractive Gov. Palin is, and , within reasonable limits, I think it's not sexist to discuss topics that a candidate has already brought into the subject of their campaign.

[CTtransplant]

You are right - Hillary has a ton of experience...Palin does not.

[CTtransplant]

You are so right! Hillary was qualified....Palin is not!

[CTtransplant]

You are right - Hillary was qualified...Palin is not.

[AmandaSo]

I agree with Michael Seitzman. After what went on with the GOP pundits and Hillary Clinton, my "sexism-dar" is pretty finely tuned, and I have yet to find much in the way of it (Photoshopped bikini shots notwithstanding) going on with Palin. What is offensive and dangerous is the suggestion that we're "sexist" because we'd like to know why her talking game on ethics, earmarks and the economy doesnt' match up with what little record we can find on her.

If she's going to be a candidate in this election, she'd better "man up" and get over herself. The only person that's treating Sarah Palin as less because she's female is Sarah Palin.

~A~

[LeftRight]

Actually, I've seen quite a bit of sexism around since Palin was nominated. Of course, it's all been from the RIGHT WING who are not only coming out and claiming sexism where there isn't any (which is sexist since it claims that women aren't strong enough to handle criticism) but also carried many signs at the convention reading "hot babe for vice president" or some other such drivel.

[skr358]

I agree with Seitzman, too, and I'm a female and a feminist. However, I wouldn't say that Palin should "man up" because that's precisely what she does. She totes her gun (ie, she's endowed) while still appearing girlish--what she needs to be is RIGHT for the VP position and, heaven forbid, for President and she's NOT. Basically unknown until McCain "tapped her," the GOP campaign has treated her as a "girl who is being quickly tutored" while at the same time, using her as a tool on the campaign trail. That tool uses seduction, sassy cutesy remarks. She isn't giving serious interviews regularly--the American people are NOT getting to know her. They only "imagine" her. That's the truly dangerous and scary part.
She's stands as the "acceptable" female template for the patriarchal status quo--ie, SHE is being used and will use also. She is using feminism in the service of the patriarchal macho, bombs away, control over women establishment. To me, she is very anti-female.
But she's put on show and parrots the same lines over and over. Like a beauty queen. And we know that beauty queens are objectified. They set themselves up for that completely.

[Azita-ET]

This is from another ardent feminist. I think Michael's sincere and inttelectual and insightful commentary about Sarah Palin was completely just and of sound judgement. I felt no tinge of sexism in his article at all! Interesting how 100's of us read the same thing, and walk away with completely different conclusions! Maybe we each need to examine our own hidden biases...
I commend you Michael for a great article and great sense of humor. Palin is a joke as the VP of the most powerful nation on earth...a scary, nightmarish joke...

[CTtransplant]

Couldn't agree any more with your assessment! Consider myself an ardent feminist, too! And I felt no tinge of sexism, either. His article is sincerely, openly insightful!

[darcylu]

No comment other than I didn't think your original post was sexist in the least, and to quote my comment to it:

"Funniest post ever! I agree with every thing you said. Everything!!!! It is so true!

Funny, but kinda sad.

This whole spectacle is just outrageous. Again, and again, and again, and again, and ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"

[CatoTheCensor]

I'm as ardent a feminist as they come, and I laughed my ass off. Great post, and anyone who's offended that easily needs to be offended more often, and develop a thicker hide.

Personally, I'd take being in a Barack and Michelle sandwich over nailing Sarah Palin, but I can definitely see the appeal.

[TJWombat]

Yes, Yes, YES! I am so f**cking sick of this phony debate about what is or is NOT off-limits in regard to Ms Palin and her lame Frontier Barbie profile. She deserved to be grilled ruthlessly and repeatedly on every news show . Of course they make THAT sound like gang rape. No one gets a free pass in this situation and in a saner time when pundits and politicians alike had not lowered the bar, (and themselves and their dignity and self-respect in the process), SO low that they can no longer call a spade a spade, she would be toast. Her interview with Charlie Gibson alone would have disqualified her. They are allready screaming "foul" about his harsh interrogation style?!! OMIGOD, but how far we've fallen as a nation!
The family angle also bothers me. As a parent I was truly disgusted at the parading around of her downs syndrome baby like a stage prop, turning in order to get the best camera angle when she was on stage. " Oh, and by the way, all of you who look down on mothers who don't abort special needs children, there is going to be a champion for your cause in the White House now!"
Call me crazy, but since when has that specific constituency ever been part of a party platform? I had no idea they were so maligned! BullShit is Bullshit and Mr. Seitzman addressed it well.

[Mikeatle]

You forgot the part about the "tranny makeup." I loved that part!

[betabeta]

Good blog, I raise my glass to you!