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

[joebiz]

Good post.

Let's take the argument one step further and back. I will argue that the major reason Palin was elected to the Alaska governorship was because of her sex..

In a state with few voters, it's not a great electoral feat to get elected from a mayorship of a small Klondike grotto called Wasilla, pop 9,000 to Alaska governor, pop 600,000.

If one assumes that she received about 2/3 of the elctoral vote, she received about 2,000 votes from Wasilla voters (not all residents are voting age nor vote nor voted for her). She won the governoship with about 114,600 votes. out of 227,000 votes available or about 48% (Alaska is 47th in voters. North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming have less)

Alaska has about 103 males per 100 females, the highest male to female ratio in the US. It's not a leap of faith to conclude that in a state where low electoral population and "male skewed." One can conclude that her "telegenic" image and her gender, she was elected in large because of her sex.

Now she claims it's being used against her. It's ok to use sex to get elected but not to be question.

Quite the double-standard.

[angryjim]

Something struck me as ironic when watching the Palin interview on ABC. When asked for her opinion on outlawing semi-automatic assuaut rifles she stated without hesitation that she could not support such an initiative. These type of weapons are primarily designed for the taking of human life.

In the same interview she was asked on her position on the abortion/stem cell debate. She opposes the practice of both. How does she reconcile her views on the right to own semi-automatic assualt weapons (designed to kill people) with respect to her rigid no compromise stance on abortion and stem cell research? It seems she has a rather narrow and comparmentalized view on the value of human life.

This woman totally lacks the ability to think critically about any issue. Without a rehearsed speech projected onto a teleprompter what comes out of her mouth is the verbal equivalent of a train wreck. There is no amount of backroom coaching or crash schooling that can imrpove this woman. She is both dense and shallow and should absolutely not be running for such a critical office. Both America and the world deserve far better.

[LeftRight]

Not to mention the fact that she supports the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a potential war in Iran, and another one with Russia over Georgia, and.....

[PumaAnn]

And O's position?

[rolyat]

"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."

I'm a progressive democrat.
I wouldn't give up or regret expressing my feelings of entitlement or righteousness
for all the electoral victories in the world.

[justmeinAz]

so he's not entitled to his opinions, or his freedom of speech? You're hypersensitivity to criticism is no one's problem but your own. That goes for all the republican sheep going along with this ridiculous narrative. My right to free speech is constitutionally protected, as is yours. Your right to control statements made by others that you don't like is nonexistent. You're entitled to become offended if you wish, but I reserve my right to not give a s**t.

[gblair]

You go girl.

[TriniGirl]

Why won't somebody just say it? Palin is not qualified because she's not intelligent enough. She may be politically adept, but intellect is not her forte. She's demonstrated no aptitude for analysis and synthesis - the combination is critical to leadership. I could literally see her wheels turning during her interiews with Gibson, and it was obvious that she doesn't have the grey matter muscle for the job. If you think she can fill the role because she's likeable, then go ahead and make that argument. Me - I ran that gauntlet with Georgie. Don't think I want to go that route again. Hasn't worked out for me or my country. I'm just sayin'...

[toochie50]

The John McCain campaign is sending out
FAULTY ABSENTEE VOTER REGISTRATION FORMS.

So far voters in Ohio, Virginia, and New Mexico have received them.

They may be trying to have you dropped from the voter registration list (i.e. "caging"),
but they are definitely trying to cause confusion with Democratic voters.

There is no evidence that the McCain campaign is sending absentee ballots to Republican voters.

If you get one...
DON'T USE IT!

YOU SHOULD HANG ON TO IT,
IT MAY BE USABLE AS EVIDENCE of ELECTION FRAUD

tell everyone you know!

[ChangingmynamefromSarah]

Great points! But let's face it, here at HuffPost we're all pretty much preaching to the choir (and I don't mean preaching about Alaska being a safe haven when the Apocalypse comes or about asking parishioners to pray for a pipeline). We need, I mean NEED, to get these messages out to the general public. That is, the ignorant, misguided, and uniformed. We've got to get people to bury this ridiculous concept of identity politics. And quash the ludicrous notion that intellect and insight are liabilities for a candidate. I don't want someone like myself to be VP; I want someone smarter and more knowledgeable. WE NEED TO DRIVE THIS MESSAGE HOME!! And we need to convey to people how vehemently the McCain camp is trying to manipulate us with smear and fear and outright lies. So, please, I implore you to send your post to battleground state newspapers and other media outlets. We need to do all we can to win this election. And with 52 days left, I'm starting to get really, really scared.

[Yermammy]

Agreed. It's just us and the trolls (who must get bored over at their hating blogs). Let's get out the vote! Go Barack!

[Emmett22]

The Obama ad on sexism I want to see:

[voice-over]

The McCain campaign tries to smear Barack Obama as a sexist...

...Really?

John McCain has consistently voted in favor of men getting prescription coverage for Viagara...­but votes against women getting coverage for birth control prescriptions from their doctors.

McCain advisor Carly Fiorina knows sex discrimination when she sees it.
[cut to Fiorina soundbite on this topic earlier this year, saying it’s wrong]

But John McCain doesn’t get it.
[cut to clip of McCain stammering when asked about Fiorina’s statement and his past votes].

Barack Obama has a proven record of respecting women and their continuing struggles for equity.
[cut to image of Obama next to a smiling but strong-looking Michelle Obama and their two girls or, perhaps better, the Obama family with Hillary Clinton]

“As your president, I won’t just talk about gender equality. Together we will correct injustices and make this great nation an even better land of opportunity for women and men, girls and boys.”

I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this message.

[readytsf]

That argument flies as long as you guys stand by it as well. But you don't. And you won't. For the last 9 months anyone that has the truth about Obama has been labeled racist....­..........­.

[LiberalProfessor]

Great post, but I disagree with you on one thing... sex.

For me, sex with Palin is out of the question. No desire. Someone must have some brains (intellectual curves per se) for their physical curves to be attractive to me; however, my wife and I would LOVE to know where you got the Obama sheets.

[CindyWV]

But what would you do for a Klondike bar?

[AxelDC]

Palin was a sexist pick. A similar man with her credentials would have not been on McCain's top 100 list, let alone his final selection.

Republicans deride Affirmative Action for putting unqualified candidates ahead of qualified ones for reasons of race and gender, yet they adore the practice of tokenism to make themselves look less bigoted.

Alberto Gonzales, Condaleeze Rice, Clarence Thomas, Harriet Meiers, Alan Keyes, Monica Goodling, and Sarah Palin all top the list of token selections chosen for their race or gender despite their severely underperforming resumes.

Meanwhile, Obama selected the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former Chair of the Judiciary Committee for his running over Clinton because Biden's experience and expertise trumps both Clinton's and McCain's. You didn't see Georgia inviting McCain or Clinton to advise them during the recent crisis, did you?

McCain claims he puts his country first, but on his most important decision, he put sexism and cynicism first.

[Jaid]

Every time McSame/Palin tells a lie, it should be enough to get every opposition voter to register 5 more people to vote in November. You can fight the opposition with words yes but also through advocacy and action.

[Wilson201]

Women with a clue thank you.

[Whinger]

Sarah Palin was a Karl Rove knee jerk reaction to the resounding success of the Democrat Convention. She was fast track vetted and her considerable baggage and lack of knowledge concerning national issues were considerd secondary to the fact she was a woman!
She was seen as political advantage in a skirt, how's that for sexism!
The fact that she is a woman does not give her a free pass from attending a job interview, and she has been found not to have her finger on the pulse in key areas!
Sarah Palin is not fit to be veep, not because she is a woman, but because she has no comprehension of the complex issues concerning everyday life in America, she lacks diplomatic skills resorting to McCain style blustering rhetoric concerning having to possibly invade Russia, a nation with one of the strongest toughest military in the world bar none!
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin said, "At a minimum, a head of state should have a head" how true is that.

[abigail1]

bravo!