Feminist Leader Robin Morgan: Goodbye to All That (Great essay on HRC, sexism and politics)

[tekisui]

Goodbye To All That (#2) by Robin Morgan

February 2, 2008
“Goodbye To All That” was my (in)famous 1970 essay breaking free from a
politics of accommodation especially affecting women (for an online version, see http://blog.fair-use.org/category/chicago/).

During my decades in civil-rights, anti-war, and contemporary women’s movements, I’ve avoided writing another specific “Goodbye . . .” But not since the suffrage struggle have two communities—joint conscience-keepers of this country—been so set in competition, as the contest between Hillary Rodham Clinton (HRC) and Barack Obama (BO) unfurls. So.


Goodbye to the double standard . . .

—Hillary is too ballsy but too womanly, a Snow Maiden who’s emotional, and so much a politician as to be unfit for politics.

—She’s “ambitious” but he shows “fire in the belly.” (Ever had labor pains?)

—When a sexist idiot screamed “Iron my shirt!” at HRC, it was considered amusing; if a racist idiot shouted “Shine my shoes!” at BO, it would’ve inspired hours of airtime and pages of newsprint analyzing our national dishonor.

—Young political Kennedys—Kathleen, Kerry, and Bobby Jr.—all endorsed Hillary. Senator Ted, age 76, endorsed Obama. If the situation were reversed, pundits would snort “See? Ted and establishment types back her, but the forward-looking generation backs him.” (Personally, I’m unimpressed with Caroline’s longing for the Return of the Fathers. Unlike the rest of the world, Americans have short memories. Me, I still recall Marilyn Monroe’s suicide, and a dead girl named Mary Jo Kopechne in Chappaquiddick.)


Goodbye to the toxic viciousness . . .

Carl Bernstein's disgust at Hillary’s “thick ankles.” Nixon-trickster Roger Stone’s new Hillary-hating 527 group, “Citizens United Not Timid” (check the capital letters). John McCain answering “How do we beat the bitch?" with “Excellent question!” Would he have dared reply similarly to “How do we beat the black bastard?” For shame.


Goodbye to the HRC nutcracker with metal spikes between splayed thighs. If it was a tap-dancing blackface doll, we would be righteously outraged—and they would not be selling it in airports. Shame.

Goodbye to the most intimately violent T-shirts in election history, including one with the murderous slogan “If Only Hillary had married O.J. Instead!” Shame.

Goodbye to Comedy Central’s “Southpark” featuring a storyline in which terrorists secrete a bomb in HRC’s vagina. I refuse to wrench my brain down into the gutter far enough to find a race-based comparison. For shame.

Goodbye to the sick, malicious idea that this is funny. This is not “Clinton hating,” not “Hillary hating.” This is sociopathic woman-hating. If it were about Jews, we would recognize it instantly as anti-Semitic propaganda; if about race, as KKK poison. Hell, PETA would go ballistic if such vomitous spew were directed at animals. Where is our sense of outrage—as citizens, voters, Americans?



Goodbye to the news-coverage target-practice . . .

The women’s movement and Media Matters wrung an apology from MSNBC’s Chris Matthews for relentless misogynistic comments (www.womensmediacenter.com). But what about NBC’s Tim Russert’s continual sexist asides and his all-white-male panels pontificating on race and gender? Or CNN’s Tony Harris chuckling at “the chromosome thing” while interviewing a woman from The White House Project? And that’s not even mentioning Fox News.

more...

Very good read at link: http://www.womensmediacenter.com/ex/020108.html

I post this for the Clinton supporters. This essay states the reasons I will proudly support Hillary Clinton, if she wins the Nominee.

[displacedtexan]

1. Good essay, but not the reason I support Clinton.

For me, it's the issues and her plans.

And the smart people she'll surround herself with.

And her plan to kick some Republican ass.

[griffi94]

4. wasn't there a ripple

sometime last year when a political cartoon showed obama as one of the idols on easter island
with all the natives bowing to it...but the facial features were exaggerated with a big nose and really big lips and ears.

i can't vote for obama but that's only because i have yet to see any substance, just saying we're a nation of hope and change over and over isn't any better than i'm a uniter not a divider. i've had enough of the better leadership through catchy slogans program.
i was for edwards and i guess now im for hillary...altho i think obama will win the nomination....should he complete his excellent odyssey to the white house....how long till his supporters turn on him when he can't bring the troops home....and doesn't start investigations of bushco

[displacedtexan]

6. I adore Obama's ideals.

But I want someone who will stand up to Republican bullies and their pundit puppets.

I'd rather see Obama as head of the UN, not as a "let's all be friends with Repukes" president.

That's just how I feel.

[NashVegas]

9. Not the Reason I Support Clinton, But a Large Part of the Reason I Voted For Her

If that makes sense?

I was going to vote for Edwards before he dropped out. With John gone, I see it as a choice between two candidates who seem to have very similar agendas: one of them was treated with pure hatred and vileness by a national audience, stood her ground and named them for what they are (VRWC), and went on to become a NY senator - a state with plenty of its share of DittoHeads; The other has been treated like a beauty queen while attacking fellow Democrats using RW arguments.

Who, in their right, mind would consider that a tough choice?

The outrageous double standards made the vote even easier.

[Apollo11]

2. The Hillary Nutcracker

My wife is a huge Hillary fan. She thinks the nutcracker is hilarious.

She asked me to get her one for her birthday.

You can interpret that in different ways, I guess.



http://hillarynutcracker.com

[mondo joe]

3. I like it too - though I'm sure for different reasons than many do.

:-)

[Elspeth]

8. I don't know. It could go either way.

The Lorena Bobbitt pocket knife, however, would be really tasteless.
:evilgrin:

[realFedUp]

5. I love this essay.

The LA Times headlines this
morning had large headlines reading:
"Split Decision for Clinton, Obama;
McCain takes Major States Handily:

and then in a much smaller typeface.
"She wins California..."
I doubt that the headlines would have
read that way.

Why is it acceptable to beat up on female candidates,
especially Hillary in demeaning terms. I am really
fed up with the language that pundits use when
speaking of her. It isn't acceptable and I will
be glad if she is our new President.

http://www.womensmediacenter.com/ex/020108.html

[Elspeth]

7. Thanks for posting it. K & R

:kick:

[tandot]

10. Thanks for posting this, tekisui.

Great essay. :hi:

[calmblueocean]

11. Here's what I agree and disagree with.

I agree that a lot of what passes for right wing "humor" about Hillary is really vile, violent misogyny and is being ignored or handwaved away. It should be called out for what it is, and treated as unacceptable.

I don't agree that the Hillary nutcracker is as volatile or offensive as a tapdancing blackface doll of Obama would be. The African-American community has a unique history of personal and psychological destruction in America, and constantly trying to compare sexism to racism in a victimization contest diminishes both.

And most importantly, I don't think sexism has played a significant role at all against Hillary so far in her campaign. Not even the right wing hate screeds attack Hillary with the traditional epithets that "women are too emotional", "too touchy-feely", "not tough enough", etc. There's no sense of public doubt that Hillary lacks the intelligence, guts, determination, or bearing to be president. This victory really ought to be celebrated and publicized by her advocates, and indeed, even people who *aren't* her advocates. It's a powerful example of how far we've come as a nation.

That's one reason why I feel like playing the "victim card" here is unseemly. Hillary is a victor, not a victim. The shadow she casts is bigger and bolder than some silly nutcracker or a stupid sign held up at a rally as a radio prank. Do her supporters not see that? Do *you* not see that? The only way Hillary gets torn down by nonsense like this is when her supporters elevate it to a status it does not merit. The real story here is the defeat of sexism by Hillary, not her victimization by it.

[femrap]

12. Wasn't it Robin Morgan who

in the 1960's at a huge DC protest got up to speak and the guys in the crowd started yelling, 'Take it off, Bitch?'

Sexism is the last 'ism' that the world needs to acknowledge and conquer.

Thx for the post.