Is Misogyny the Last Taboo?

[realFedUp]

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/09/is_misogyny_the_last_taboo/

Is Misogyny the Last Taboo?
By Ruth Rosen - February 9, 2008, 1:07PM

The good news in this campaign is that most Americans, including pundits and political analysts, seem to feel it is socially unacceptable to use overtly racist stereotypes or innuendo against Barack Obama. Though I still believe that racism is pandemic in American society, people appear to keep their beliefs and feelings about the color of Barack Obama's skin to themselves. At least, so far.

Restraint against making sexist comments, by contrast, is not yet apparent. Fortunately, the outcry from both men and women has been loud enough to force Chris Mathews to apologize for implying that Clinton would never be a candidate if her husband hadn't messed around in the White House. I'm also delighted that MSNBC's David Shuster has both apologized and been suspended for asking a guest if Chelsea Clinton was "being pimped out in some weird sort of way" by the Clinton campaign?

snip

I am among those feminists who supported Obama in the primaries. But I'm also outraged by the way Hillary Clinton has been treated by the media, the pundits, even the candidates. Discussions of her poor taste in clothes, her thick ankles, distorted descriptions of her eyes welling up as "crying," and attacks on her "cackling laughter" have made many women feel they want to support her, if only to get even with everyone who has tried to diminish and sabotage her. I share their anger. Many of us know that we are viewed as a "bitch" when we're strong and as an incompetent when we reveal emotion.

continued

[Hydra]

1. Frankly the veneer of enlightened civilization is looking a little thin

Besides, most people hate what they are told to hate...and most people follows those orders quite well.

[realFedUp]

3. I wonder how we moved from the wild west originally?

into somewhat more civilized society or
at least not as rude in public.

I think women took the reins of that.
I hope they do now, whoever they love
or hate as a candidate.

[Hydra]

6. Ask Susan B. Anthony or Elizabeth Cady Stanton about that

I think the sentiments simply are not stated in public, unless in a church settling. It's still there, though, along with any number of bad habits our species has.

Leopards and spots, leopards and spots.

[realFedUp]

9. I'm not hearing it in my church...

Not much talk about sexism and although
I belong to a "progressive and politically
correct" church, there is more discussion
about the rights of LGBTs and African Americans than
of women.

I may be corrected on that one but this
is my POV.

[Hydra]

14. You're in a good church then, relatively speaking

I was raised catholic, and they HAMMER on the "original sin" being "Eve's fault."

Pff. An old book written by a bunch of weird old men. Imagine that they might blame the other gender for why God doesn't show up and make Earth a paradise.

Be aware that such exists, though. Sexism, racism, homophobia...

[realFedUp]

16. Love my church.

same one the IRS was investigating, then said "nevermind"
Wonder if the churches shilling for Huckabee are
being as expensively investigated?

[Fresh_Start]

2. its not a taboo, its firmly embraced around the globe

how do the Muslims treat females?
how do the Chinese treat females?
how do the Indians treat females?

In a world were female fetuses are aborted in preference for male fetuses, Misogyny is not a Taboo: its an accepted practice

[realFedUp]

4. exactly.

I think Ruth was writing about the U.S. but you
are right.

[Fresh_Start]

10. i realize she was writing about the US

but look at who has power in other cultures.
Female leaders are rare, rare, rare.
Given that females are almost 50% of the population of the planet and less than 5% of world or country leaders are female, suggests that maybe the cards are stacked against females.

And many of the female leader were either born to the role (Queen Elizabeth for example, or inherited the mantle from their male predecessors - Gandhi)

[realFedUp]

12. and women are the key to better global economies...

what women learn and earn benefit their
families, especially when they are
heading a family. If Thomas Friedman
really wanted better lives for world's
people's his motto would be:
Teach the women, stupid.

[Fresh_Start]

13. and women are the key to reducing violence

and better education for all people

[laconicsax]

5. Since when is misogyny a taboo?

Last I saw, only the most overt cases of misogyny were sometimes labeled as offensive. By and large, sexist language is wholeheartedly welcomed.

[realFedUp]

7. that's a good question...

Maybe overtly taboo, but in this male dominated
culture and world, it still can be a challenge for
women to keep moving towards better lives for
themselves and their families while dealing with subtle
and not-so-subtle sexism.

If those public voices aren't educated to
the ways they are contributing to any "ism",
then we have to speak up and tell them when
they are doing it. Laws only go so far.

[Captain Hilts]

8. As Nicholas Kristoff said in his column this morning, things like ambition just aren't tolerated ...

in women as they are men.

[realFedUp]

11. Ambition just means being better able to take care of oneself and family

Ambition just translates to more dollars
in a practical way. What person or family
doesn't need more dollars in today's expensive
economy?

Language shouldn't belong to one sex or the other.

[Forrest Greene]

15. It Is Still Perfectly OK

...& in fact, encouraged, to actively & publicly disply prejudice against overweight people. After them, you have the poor, & the eccentric. So, after misogyny, there's still plenty of bigotry to go around.

[realFedUp]

18. You are right....a lot of hatred and bigotry out there...

This culture seems to love keeping us separate
and afraid of the "other".

God knows what would happen if we actually
looked at the individual for who he or she
is.

[Captain Hilts]

26. Yes! Overweight people are THE most discriminated against. And we ALWAYS vote for the taller prez

candidate.

[Turn CO Blue]

17. I think they mean to ask is it the last acceptable form of bigotry?

And to that, I say NO.

There are other forms of acceptable bigotry alive and well and just as sinister and even more overt.

Bigotry against obese people.
Bigotry against very short men.

I have witnessed both of these to the extreme.

I work for an airline, and you would just not believe what very thin or average-sized people call in to say about having to sit next to large, overweight people. They are rabid, mean and nasty with the names and derision they use for "fat people". These people are filled with INTENSE HATRED for obese people. And quite often they say many of these things outloud to the flight attendants, directly in front of the large person they are insulting. They have no qualms about saying these insults in public.

And for the other category -- I am married to a short man (5'5") and my god, we have had people come up and insult him to his face for daring to exist. I have had other women tell me to my face that they don't know what I find attractive about a man who is so short (aren't his legs too short? Doesn't that mean his thing wouldn't be very big?) I've never been in a physical fight in my life, but I can see how that would make me want to tear some woman's hair out. It's pretty ridiculous, because he has a very handsome face and a very fit, defined body. And he's four inches taller than me. Not good enough, apparently.

There are women and men everywhere who feel the need to demean short men (and women) every chance they get. Every romance novel and chick-flick talks about "tall men" and the women snicker about mean not over six feet tall having "short-comings". Ugh. And, even on DU, recall all the "elf" comments about Dennis Kucinich, and all the comments about how a short man could never be president.

I myself am only 5'1" and often hear comments about being a "midget" (I thought we killed that word!) or making jokes about how short people have "no reason to live" and "how's the weather down there?" It's not that these bother me; I have heard them all my whole life. But because I'm a woman, it is sort of "okay" if I'm petite. Not the ideal, certainly, but it is allowed.

But don't expect to be seen on your merits or abilities if you're a short man in this culture. And we can only imagine how painful life must be for any very short, very obese men out there.

---
tcb

[realFedUp]

19. Well maybe short men will be all the rage next year

:-)

Thanks for sharing. I will be kinder to short
men in the future because of you.

[Turn CO Blue]

21. hugs all around! thank you very much for that.

[TankLV]

23. my how quickily everybody wants to ignore the elephant in the room - since gays are so accepted

as part of main stream society and no-one would even consider pandering to gain anti-gay bigots' support for their candidate...hmmmm...

last form of approved bigotry?

please...

[Turn CO Blue]

24. Well, as I said

I work for an airline. On the whole, this is one industry where we're known for being more accepting of gays. So for my part, I wouldn't mean to leave anti-gay discrimination out at all.

I think that many people are bigoted to an extremely large degree against the disabled (especially those with physical deformities)and against those with mental illness.

[Skittles]

25. absolutely yes

homophobia (actually rooted in misogyny) is still widely accepted

[Captain Hilts]

27. The taller candidate ALWAYS wins the prez. popular vote. nt

[SharonAnn]

28. John Kerry might disagree.

[bvar22]

20. No.

The last taboos are Bestiality, Necrophilia, Cannibalism, and stepping on cracks in the sidewalk.

[realFedUp]

22. I've had a change of mind on cannabilism recently....

As long as the body is stone cold dead, it's
fair game.

:-)