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.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
She is the worst case of tokenism since Clarence Thomas. It is a slap in the face of American women.
I had forgotten the buttone at the RNC about hottest Governer-coldest state. Wher isthe outrage from the RNC at their own party? They are laughable. They continue to floow the mantra what is good for the gooses is NOT good for the gander! Excellent Post!
Palin was picked to rally the conservative right and their voice and their money. When that bang dies down and reality sets in, the poor decision by McC will be more evident. McC doesn't care, he's 72 and can retire to riches anytime. Enemies don't matter because this is certainly his last harrah. McC is duppping the public as well as his party. His objective is not to win, but to inflict as much damage as possible on his way out the door.
When this over and Republicans can really speak their minds we will have some interesting reading...
Excellent article.
Enough with the absurd and contrived politically correct talk and the ridiculous sensitivity.
Michael ..You read my mind. .
Great article and also on Palin, people continue to say that it is unfair to bring her children into this race, however, she continues to bring up that her son is going to be in Iraq.
As a mother of two children who had no special needs, I am concerned that we are not looking at the picture correctly. She wants praises for a son who entering a military commitment because she wants to take credit for this. I say that if she wants credit for Track going into service, she should also take credit in her underage daughter's pregnancy. I also remember reading where Track was given options because he had destroyed some property and vandalized some things. These things give us an idea or some insight intof how she governs her own home.
How could anyone who takes the responsibility of such a position accept it at a moment's notice and without blinking? As Sarah said, one "wired" like her. SCARY!
Your last 2 paragraphs are spot on, Michael Seitzman.
For those of u who need a reread:
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.
LMAO! Excellent Michaels!
It's what everybody knows to be true but has no balls to say. Rush himself swoons daily about her calling her a "hot babe", so the door's been opened wide by them. They can play the gender card "from the bottom of deck", but they've dealt it to everyone too.
This is so true-- it made me laugh. Palin, and McCain's choice of her as VP candidate, IS an insult to all of us-- I must say, especially women-- and many of us, Americans and women-- are simply too dumb to see that. Which scares me a hell of a lot!
Excellent article, Mr. Seitzman.
roflmao
Sarah is not ready to run this country.
Sarah is silly - very silly if she refuses to blink.
Killing millions of people should never be an option for anyone.
Speaking of not blinking..
Great blog. Satirizing politicians goes with the territory. How is it that joking about wanting to have sex with Palin is sexist, but buttons that say, "Hottest Governor from the Coolest State" is not?
The rethugs are using Palin. McCain is using Palin. Problem is, I have NO USE for Palin whatsoever. I'm not an ultra-extremist, super-evangelical, gay-bashing, take from the poor and give to the rich kind of gal. I don't want creation mythology taught in schools. I'm not trying to bring about "the rapture." I don't want more war. I don't want the environment trashed -- and I don't want Gov. Palin to shoot anymore wolves from airplanes.
Mr. Seitzman:
First things first, I do not like Sarah Palin for a whole host of reasons, mostly for her scary worldview and her apparent hostility and ham-handedness toward those she "manages."
As to your most recent assertions, you may not have commented on Hillary's gender, but by including the lines about having sex with Sarah, while your wife watched, you did bring gender into it.
You say "Never cut funny." How about creepy? Do you believe in cutting that?
it's called a joke, gramma, look into it.
I'm against women being treated as sex objects, but the McCain camp are the ones who brought gender into the equation. Palin was chosed for no other reason than she has a vagina and she's attractive, then republicans cry foul when people see her in those terms. I don't know about the rest of the women in this country, but I am tired of a woman's worth being decided because of her attractiveness. I don't believe that Sarah Palin is qualified to be VP or Prez. I also believe that if she were a he, or if she were unattractive, she would not have been chosen. So, I think that says more about McCain being sexist than it does about this writer.
What is really sad about this country right now, is that a good portion of the population of this country have grave concerns about McCain and Palin. Their flat out, fact checked lies, lies, and more lies. The fact that McCain doesn't really know Palin and then their opposite views shows she was not vetted and her interview with "Charlie" showed that fact. How can they work together? Why did she cc her husband on all emails regarding Alaska government affairs (think about that one if she is in the WH).
I am an Obama supporter, I have donated to Obama, DNC, NARAL, and now the wild life society to protect the wolves that SP is shooting from a plane with buckshot to watch them suffer....
But my point is, sadly there are many women in this country that want to see a Woman in the WH and it doesn't matter that she lies and lies; it doesn't matter that the 9/11 speech she gave in Alaska was a sham as those soldiers are not being deployed for a month, so another opportunity to use the worse day in this country as a way to try to pull the womens vote;
I know there volumes of women in this country that see through this sham of the GOP and the lies, I just hope that they realize that will get 4 more years of Bush, ONLY WORSE.
OBAMA/BIDEN 08/12
I don't think you are sexist at all...she introduced herself as a hockeymom, a pitbull in lipstick, I don't care about either of those in my VP candidate, I care about how you are going to do presiding over the senate and other VP duties. Her having 5 children is not the reason I think she will make a lousy VP, if Hilary Clinton had 5 children I would say it was her judgement, not mine, whether she could handle the job.
I care about her policies and from what I know of her, she has a lot of personal beliefs that I deeply disagree with, and she says that her personal beliefs do not necessarily dictate what she will do in power, but we have already seen that she can't even be the mayor of a small town/governor of a sparse state without letting power get to her head. What would she be capable of as 2nd in command of the country?
Most women are not fooled by her and she does not represent most of us.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
