Thursday, June 19, 2008

Can We Really Be Surprised?

Can we really be surprised that a media that is overwhelmingly dominated by men has examined complaints of its own sexism and found themselves innocent?

Even when one of their own, Katie Couric, joined the ranks of those women who are complaining about sexist attitudes and remarks; they respond by attacking her. Keith Olbermann named her the worst person in the world for "her promulgation of the nonsense that Senator Clinton was a victim of pronounced sexism." I would have named her the worst person in the world for her interview on 60 minutes with Hillary where she asked the Presidential Candidate why she was called Frigidaire in college, while Obama was asked substantive questions.

Even after Hillary had suspended her campaign Leno continued his sexist attacks in the guise of a Jeopardy skit with Clinton and Obama. Can we really be surprised that a media that is overwhelmingly dominated by men has examined compliants of its own sexism and found themselves innocent?
Even when one of their own, Katie Couric, has joined the ranks of those women who are complianing about sexist attitudes and remarks; they respond by attacking her. Keith Olbermann named her the worst person in the world for "her promulgation of the nonsense that Senator Clinton was a victim of pronounced sexism." I would have named her the worst perosn in the world for her interview on 60 minutes with Hillary where she asked the Presidential Candidate why she was called frigidare in college, while Obama was asked substantive questions.
Even after Hillary had suspended her campaign Leno continued his sexist attacks in the guise of a Jeopardy skit with Clinton and obama.In response to the word lapdance-Hillary begins gyrating against Obama and answers "what I would do to be Vice-President."http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/video/episodes.shtml. (This skit is around 17:30 in the video).

Can they really be so blind that they can't see the sexism there? Obviously there is a problem here. We need gender parity in the media and a whole lot of sensitivity training. Apparently the men can't even see it.

The sexism has relentless in this campaign. I haven't even scratched the surface. Please share the events of media sexism that you have observed with us by commenting to this email.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

One Good Idea in a Generation

After the Civil War there was an opportunity to pass an amendment to give suffrage to African-American men. Women who had been working for decades for suffrage asked that their fellow abolitionists not settle for suffrage only for men, but push for universal suffrage. Women were rebuffed with the claim that there was one good idea in a generation and this was not our turn.

To men who had the vote, to men who had all the rights in our society: it was a merely good idea. Would they have been so cavalier if men were the disenfranchised class? It wouldn't have been a good idea, it would have been an urgent necessity. Left unaddressed, it would have been a critical threat to our democracy. It would have been cause for Civil War.

Less than a year ago, women were poised to make history. It was almost certain that Hillary would be the Democratic nominee and easily beat any potential Republican challenger. Finally after 200 years, we would have a woman President. While many women were rejoicing at the realization of our hopes and dreams (yes--women have hopes and dreams too), many male leaders in the Party were working to sabotage her.
To them it was a good idea easily supplanted by another good idea.

They bring out Obama. He is young and inexperienced, but a good idea to supplant our good idea. Obama could have and should have waited. He should have rejoiced at this opportunity for women to make history. Instead he stole from us the greatest opportunity of our generation.

Now they expect us to rejoice with Obama that he is making history. I will rejoice with Obama and his supporters as much as he rejoiced with me when women were poised to make history and were once again told: Sorry one good idea in a generation.