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

[athenasword]

"a pretty face to deliver an ugly message" Well said!

[fuguewriter]

I saw a clip today of Palin struggling with a written speech she was reading while out on the stump. It was a different Palin. I could imagine her going home to Alaska and realizing that she really didn't want to be used like this. That she really wanted to help her daughter with the pregnancy and wedding. That she wanted to be there for her youngest daughter and her disabled infant. And I even imagined her husband loving her enough to say "Is this what you really want?"

Then the moment passed ...

She is truly being used by these people, and they won't care at all about her and what they are doing to her and her family.

But then, most of the time, it looks like she likes it.

[aofh]

Women aren't necessarily victims in these matters. They, too, have ambition and can be as haughty and arrogant as men. They just go about it in a different way.

[PristineLady]

The link the film BTW is http://www.comingsoon.cz. Sorry for the typo in the previous post :-)

[PristineLady]

Beautifully written and true!

What bothers me most, however, is how their using her (with her compliance, of course) to resuscitate the old Family-Values war. McCain couldn't do it with his marital record, so they take this fanatic. It is ONLY in this sense that I appreciate the Bristol's "scandal" since it highlight's the absurdity of their own platform. Poor girl, but her mother could have saved her from it. That's where I see the poor parenting.

Their whole Family-Values platform is so outdated anyhow. I recently saw this this insane film called COMING SOON (streaming for free at http://www.cominjgsoon.cz) which pushes the boundaries so much farther that hearing this woman still talking about withholding sex-education etc. is utterly mind-boggling!!!

[Tracy Saunders - Huffpost Blogger]

Rachel, Agreed.

You might enjoy this..

Palin: The Republican’s Pin-Up Girl and How We Are Being Manipulated
http://beyondthepretty.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/palin-the-republicans-pin-up-girl-how-we-are-being-manipulated/

http://beyondthepretty.wordpress.com

[musicka]

Palin is willing to overlook anything she dislikes of McCain for her own personal ambition. I doubt there is much, because if you just read the transcripts of her speech, she had the delivery and sarcasm of Dick Cheney. In fact she reminds me of Dick Cheney with lipstick, a skirt, and an updo. Her selection was for horny males and the base, nothing more. I was surprised she didn't field dress a moose and make moose stew on stage, stirring it with a hockey stick she bought at Walmart. She is a typical partisan bully, whos appeal is to those who were already leaning McCain anyway. The media needs to calm down and stop being star-struck and actually investigate this woman HARD. The Obama team needs to keep doing what they are doing. Ignore Palin and chase McCain out from behind her skirt.

[PAposter]

"I was surprised she didn't field dress a moose and make moose stew on stage, stirring it with a hockey stick she bought at Walmart."

That's priceless!

Brilliant post.

[gman1232]

I'd like to ad this:
What kind of person can willing tell lies about another person to an entire country in front of her 5 children? She's already sold her soul for political gain...

[smark]

But then again, lying is nothing new to the Repubs--it is their MO.

[txbyrd]

There it is.

In your words.

The fury at watching this. The disgust at seeing the Republican party with the audacity to pretend it is the party for change, for women.

And that a lot of people are falling for it.