Republican Pornography

The last time I felt this objectified, there were wolf whistles and halter tops involved. Leave it to the Republican party -- after spending the last eight years taking my money to fund a war I don't agree with, murdering and torturing people in the name of my homeland's "security," and spoon-feeding me lies with my cereal every morning by way of the late Tony Snow -- to now strip from me the last remaining bastion of my pride as an American: the pride of womanhood.

Granted, Bill Clinton popped the proverbial cherry in making women seem weak and sheeplike in the face of power. You want to talk about 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling? There's not a ceiling high or strong enough to convince me that Hillary Clinton doesn't play into the stereotype by Standing By Her Man. She ought to take a baseball bat to that mantra and go it alone -- maybe I would have even been one of those 18 million voters. What would have been so wrong with being Senator Rodham?

But no way, no how, no McCain could even compare to the surreal experience of watching Sarah Palin take the stage and announce on Wednesday night, grinning widely, that she will "accept the call to help our nominee for president to serve and defend America." I half expected her chest to turn into two rifles, like that scene in Austin Powers when the fembot goes into meltdown mode.

Defend America? How about yourself, Sarah? How about giving McCain a swift kick in the pants and saying "By the way, I don't work for people who call women 'trollops' and 'cunts.' I don't intend to shrink wrap my sagging skin around my forehead and color my hair to Playboy bunny blonde." You want to talk about qualifications -- Palin's first lack of judgment was putting on lipstick, taking the role and regurgitating a speech that was probably originally written for a man.

My generation has grown up in the bosom of equal opportunity, or at least on an outward front. On average, men still make more money than women and dominate the political world (not to mention my workplace). But for the most part, I didn't have to ride horses side-saddle, wear stockings or become a nurse or a teacher. All of these things are so easy to take for granted until you turn on the TV and find yourself listening to a woman who is being used. Because she is a woman. Because that's what women are for.

Maureen Dowd wrote about Hillary dampening the dreams of our daughters. Palin's only purpose is to feed the wet dreams of our sons, a pretty face to deliver an ugly message smothering a gruesome eight years of huge mistakes. The Kool-Aid is so much easier to drink when you get to imagine your drinking partner in fishnets. Have another glass, baby.

Follow Rachel Farris on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MeanRachel

Comments

[mema01]

As a woman of 1960s youth, I am extremely amused by this article. Rachel reminds me so of my daughters who seems to understand the objectivication of the 60's woman and how it is playing out in 2008 with Sarah Palin. Too bad that the christian extremist women have not yet learned the lesson.

[unity13]

Last time the election was won by the man men wanted to drink a beer with and this time they're voting for who they want to bed? It's almost funny when you watch the polls, women aren't swallowing the RNC effort to capture the Hillary voters, but men are. Women are smarter than that, we're pretty much all qualified to be president by Republican standards.

[northcan]

I disagree; I thought it was brilliant. Great attempt to showcase Palin's not so wonderous climb up the political ladder. She did it on the backs of others, if you wanna know what I mean. Women don't have to go this route, it's a choice, sort of like Anna Nicole Smith did. Just a well delivered speech with no substance, meat. Many have followed her path in life. Many use the corrupt way and do just fine. Many more have integrity, intellect and values. Sarah Palin does not.

[ZeroBama]

She has no integrity, intellect or values because she operates on conservative ideals? Corrupt way? Have you ever heard of Tony Rezko?

[GaLinaGirl]

Tony Rezko is not on anybody's ticket as VP nominee. What's your point? There are many corrupt people - - Republicans, Democrats, Independents, etc.... Saray Palin is not qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Period. I would agree that she's being used except I once heard an old wise woman say, "you can't rape a willing soul". This nomination feeds her ambitous greed.

[Zetetic One]

This editorial could make good fiction, but realistically it is more like a kindergartner’s attempt at pasting random words on a blank sheet of paper. If this was a man I’d call him a chauvinist pig. So, instead I’ll use sow.

[brijit]

Yesterday, during one of the endless media replays of selected parts of The Speech, I tried purposly not looking at Palin and pictured that voice and those words coming from someone less cutie-poo. Say Janet Reno or Candy Crowley. It's all looks and packaging. If someone less telegenic than Palin gave that speech, we'd be hearing endlessly how snotty and sarcastic it was.

[smed]

Exactly -- I thought the exact same thing.
Snotty sarcastic and unattractive.

[watereddown]

What you say is true, but your views fall on deaf ears out of this progressive zone. I worked in state government for 25 years and women like this Palin are everywhere. They are either drawn to state service or reformulated once they get there- or it could be both. (And I'm in a blue NY) These women are anti intellectuals, but very very savy about systems and where they fit in, and they know actually how far they can go as they savage others to get ahead. They manipulate the present favorable conditions to seek 'greater diversity' (women, etc) and subsequently entrench themselves like viruses, feeding off of others, trashing their underlings, while remaining in the good graces of superiors. People who despise Palin and her ilk cannot even fathom what others see in her; but others are energized, see her as a know- how, effective, bright game changer and they remain ferociously supportive. I continue to make this point - elections are not about issues- dems wish they were- they are about manipulating the emotions and affective mind states of others. Obama looks brain dead the past few days and if he continues to answer her visceral attacks with rational logical arguments he is going to lose. Do not underestimate this woman.

[customgreen]

Well don't sugar coat it, tell us what you really think! Seriously the best and most acurate part of your post is the part about the speech being written for a man. That tells more about the Republicans than just about anything. Insert anything, anybody and as long as they can be nasty and degrading to other people they fit right in. That speech WAS written for a man....Romney? It was probably hobbled together when they had their big barbecue lunch a while back.

[bakingmom]

My sentiments exactly. If Sarah Pale-in is so clueless (and I believe she is) to not understand that she is being used purely for her gender, rather than merit or qualifications or even showing intellectual curiosity (the 6 colleges in 5 years completely floors me! Not to mention the adherence to creationism and abstinence-only lack of thinking) then she truly does "not get it!" She, in one fell swoop, sets the clock BACK to a time when lipstick and legs (have you seen McSame leering at her? Ewwwww!) were the standards by which women were judged.

I do, however, want to assure you that my teenage sons were totally turned off by her sneer, her voice, her sarcasm, her obvious lies. I was so completely proud of them!!!! I did, being a mom after all, get in one diss of my own. I told them, in no uncertain terms, that there would be a lot of soul-searching for me if they ever ever ever bring someone like Pale-in home! Their dad completely reinforced my message saying that substance is always more important than style.

[ToonMoene]

I understand what you want to say, and i fully support it (I'm a white 50+ male who had a subscription for the leading Dutch feminist monthly for three years - I dropped it because I started feeling like a voyeur).

Two words: Naughty Librarian.

[HeavyHitter]

Don't hold back, Rachel. Tell us what you really think.
The Republican Party mirrors the corporate world where tokens get the meaningless jobs (with very few exceptions). How dare they play that game with our safety and the world's safety at stake! Their cynicism and selfishness know no bounds.

[gregdil]

dear ms. farris,
thank you for reminding me "what women are for".
after witnessing only the 2nd women nominated
for VP by one of the major parties, i had forgotten.

[ptillen]

It does seem as thought the Republican thought process in selecting her went thusly:
She's good looking enough, and that mom schtick will play well with the brainless suburban females. She'll make a great cover girl for the ticket, as long as we can keep her from talking.

[suecr]

Women have been given the tools to be equal & qualitified-what they do with those tools are another thing---Only we can do something about it...and its not voting someone in only because they have a vagina!

[bronceye]

She totally takes me back 40 yrs. I guess that it's the hair, I don't know, but she reminds me of the car hops at the local White Castle of my childhood. She just needs roller skates and bubble gum. They worked for tips only back then, you know. Maybe that's why she reminds me of them.

[max08]

Great article.

[DaCoach]

It appears to me that both McCain and Palin have fallen victim to the spell that Rove and Cheney have cast over the GOP these past years. You mix a little of "the end justifies the means" with "power corrupts" and voila, instant willingness to do what it takes to win one more election.

Since moving to Texas I've asked how George Bush, who was an acceptable Governor during his term, suddenly turned into a pompous ass as our President. Tom Delay, while certainly a strong conservative when he began in the state legislature, gave no indication he was Svengali. Certainly even the concept of the Contract with America didn't foretell the race and regional political war that has been unleashed.

Would any of us recognize the 2008 John McCain with the 2000 model. And so it is with the party's latest diversion from the issues, Sarah Palin. She has willingly become to this election what gay rights were in 2004. Together McCain and Palin have been shown the Promised Land. All they have to do to enter is whatever it takes. You see, neither McCain nor Palin are deep thinkers. That's all done by the leadership. So this is now the result. Regrettably, the Republican Party has no thinkers left. The war in Iraq was run by politicians without a vision much as the economy has been.

When will it end? When will this great country elect a thinker rather than an actor with sound bites?

[smed]

Excellent post. Agreed!

[BAVirago]

Most men will never understand why feminists hate women like Palin. Though men hate other men who are suck-ups just as much as we do, that is what women are supposed to do is suck up. Suck-Up Sarah's just following the script, reading her lines, just like a good little girl.

We hate women like Palin because they do things like step in and take credit for all the work we Hillarys have done, from educating ourselves, to fighting for women's rights, to putting our bodies and souls on the line to make sure women will always have freedom of choice.

We need to send this Phyllis Schafly clone back to her cave.