Sexism and the Media
The media has focused on racism, but sexism has been ignored in this campaign.
by Nancy Kivlen
In it the author, a psychologist, examines the media's reaction towards Hillary Clinton and the role sexism is playing.
She suggests that much of the negativity by the media towards Hillary is unconscious behavior based on fear and anger towards powerful women.
Journalists comment frequently on Clinton's "likeability", but in dissecting it they are commenting on her emotions: Is she too cold or calculating? Is her voice too shrill, will she do or say anything to win?
Yet when a man is shrewd or calculating, or plays to win - it is acceptable within the framework of our society. A man's laugh or physical appearance is not dissected to the extent that Clinton has had her laugh, looks, clothes, hair, and emotions taken apart by the media.
The author states "sexism is embedded in what is not being said." She uses the example of Obama and Edwards supporting each other at one of the debates, while going after Clinton and the news commentators never addressing these dynamics.
Another article that appeared in American Chronicle, link here:
Talks about the fact that racial comments or slurs are unacceptable and the media pounces on these quickly. However, sexist slurs against women, and in particular Hillary Clinton, are routinely heard and go unchallenged because it is an acceptable form of behavior in America.
I would use the example of the man holding the sign that stated "Iron my Shirt" when Hillary campaigned in Iowa. This is an unacceptable comment when put in the context of prejudice of any kind. Had the man held up a sign that had racist remarks, there would have been an outcry from the media.
Women are forced into defined roles sanctioned by our society. When women move outside these roles, they are often criticized as they are perceived as a threat.
When some of the "Good ole boys" of the Democratic Party got together and demanded that Hillary Clinton withdraw from the race, this was met with a flood of angry letters from women in the Democratic Party that believed Hillary was a target. After all, did Ted Kennedy care if he hurt the party when he took his nomination fight against Jimmy Carter all the way to the Convention Floor in 1988? Here is what Senator Patrick Leahy said:
"There is no way that Senator Clinton is going to win enough delegates to get the nomination. She ought to withdraw and she ought to be backing Senator Obama. Now, obviously that's a decision that only she can make. Frankly I feel that she would have a tremendous career in the Senate."
"Frankly I feel that she would have a tremendous career in the Senate"! She already has a tremendous career in the Senate!!
Lou Dobbs, on his show, pointed out that the Center for Media and Public Affairs has found that since last December, 83% of the reporting on Barack Obama has been positive compared with only 53% on Hillary Clinton. That is a 30% gap in positive media reporting.
In an NPR (National Public Radio) interview with Hillary Clinton, the interviewer once again turns the tables on Clinton suggesting it is she that is harming the Democratic Party. Here is how the interview played out:
NPR: Senator, I want you to react to something that I keep hearing among voters, and increasingly among people who cover the campaign - both those who are reporters and those who speak about the campaign on television, on radio - the statement that the only way that Hillary Clinton can win is if she's willing to win ugly. When you hear that, what does that mean to you? How do you react to that?
HRC: Well, I don't' know what it means because there is no way for Senator Obama to win unless he also obtains a significant number of superdelegates. I understand that there has been, throughout this campaign, something of a double standard. I accept it; I live with it.
NPR: What is the double standard?
HRC: Well, I think that it's pretty obvious to anybody who has followed it.
NPR: Just in case it's not clear to someone, I don't want to assume. I just want you to tell me what you think the double standard is because I don't' want to assume.
HRC: No, but you know - for example, why is the question directed at me? I mean, neither of us has the number of delegates to win. It is a problem for both of us. And Senator Obama's supporters refuse to support a revote in Michigan, which I thought was rather odd for the Democratic Party to be against another vote. Senator Obama's supporters wanted to end this contest and short circuit it so that the votes of the people in the next upcoming contest wouldn't count because he has a slight lead. And it's by no means definitive. It would have been like calling the championship game last night with two minutes left to go because somebody was ahead. And that's not how it turned out.
So I mean, the question is often directed at me or my supporters because obviously the other campaign has done a very good job of framing it that way. But the question can equally go to the other side. Where will he get the delegates to win?"
Lou Dobbs echoes Clinton's reasoning. Watch his video here. Even Bill Schnieder agrees that he has never seen anything like the media bias against Senator Clinton. Lou Dobbs states,
"As an Independent and I've got no view one way or the other, but stating she can't win the nomination - neither can Senator Obama!" Dobbs goes on to say "she's leading in Super Delegate votes so why in the world is there this compulsion, this absolute insistence in the national media to talk about the fact she can't win the nomination? I have never seen in my career greater favoritism being applied in the national media broadly speaking than in this campaign on behalf of Senator Obama and against Senator Clinton."
Neither have I! Where else does such bias exist against a candidate running for President who happens to be a woman?The misogyny in the media about Hillary Clinton continues to go unchecked. Yet the slightest perceived comment of racism can bring people to their knees (Bill Clinton "fairytale", Geraldine Ferraro, a Congressman calling Obama "boy").
The media has modeled our own inequities through double standards and by using demeaning language. Some obvious examples are:
David Shuster saying Chelsea Clinton was being "pimped out".
Michelle Obama stating "If (Hillary) can't clean up her own house, how can she clean up the White House?"
Here's a video of Obama stating that Hillary "periodically attacks" him when she's "feeling down". (this was shortly after the media overplayed her "crying" moment).
Some of the attacks have consequences, Chris Matthews was forced to apologize for his sexist remarks towards Hillary. Randi Rhodes, a former progressive female talk radio host from Air America and an avid Obama supporter was forced to resign her position for saying (and I quote) "Hillary Clinton is a fucking whore!".
The media has decided that strong, intelligent women are unlikable. Women that identify with male centered values are often denigrated by men who feel threatened or who wish to dominate them.
A recent Washington Post news poll shows that Clinton is perceived to be "dishonest and untrustworthy" by 60% of men and over 50% of the country view Clinton unfavorably.
While the poll points to Clinton's recent story about her trip to Bosnia as being one reason people mistrust her, she has apologized and said that she "mis-spoke" about the incident. Yet her opponent, Barack Obama, has fabricated many stories that have not been scrutinized in the same manner:
Obama claimed to an audience in Alabama that his parents conceived him during a march in Selma. Turns out the march was in 1965, Obama was born in 1961. He claimed the Kennedy family helped airlift his father out of Kenya, this too turned out to be false. There have been misstatements about his involvement with indicted criminal Tony Rezko, and his pastor.
Can you imagine if even one of these false statements were made by Hillary Clinton? She would be out of the race.
There is a double standard as to how the misstatements are framed. Hillary's Bosnia trip is framed by the media as a "lie" and therefore she cannot be trusted. Obama's misstatements are framed by the media as memory lapses.
Hillary Clinton has been viewed as the "fighter" in this race. A woman who must claw, attack, and bring down her opponent in order to win the nomination. Barack Obama has been viewed by the media as new, hopeful, and simply responding to questions he's asked when he says something negative about Hillary. He need only not mess up in order to win the nomination.
By framing Clinton as an attacker, a woman who will do anything to win including take down her own party, the media sets up the framework to view her through hostile eyes.
Men and Women both must step outside their comfort zone when examining Hillary Clinton's historic Presidential run. When she is strong and points out Obama's weaknesses, her unfavorable numbers go up and her poll numbers go down.
People are more comfortable viewing Hillary through our traditional framework of what a woman is suppose to be. When she is perceived as vulnerable or a victim, her unfavorable numbers go down and her poll numbers go up.
The best example of this is New Hampshire. The media potrayed her win because she "cried" and because Obama/Edwards ganged up on her (Obama to Hillary: "You're likeable enough").
In fact most of the undecided voters in NH said they voted for her because she did the best job in the debate.
The sad part if Hillary loses the nomination is that women, both in America and around the world will lose a champion.
Her comprehensive plans to deal with women's healthcare, combating breast cancer, extending family medical leave, providing assistance to families caring for elderly parents, ensuring women's reproductive rights are protected, reducing teen pregnancies are unmatched and have never been a major focus of a campaign. Hillary is an advocate for equal pay for women who currently earn on average .77 cents for every dollar a man earns.
It is ironic that a woman whose experience, knowledge, background and achievements can be overlooked for a younger, charming, less qualified male. Perhaps some things will never change.
Or, to paraphrase the author of the article, the message that the media is sending to women is not only should you not bother to run for President, but don't try to break through traditional roles held by men. "If you do we will chew you up and spit you out."
And American society will accept this.
If you are tired of the media bias, make a statement, stand up and be heard:
MSNBC:
Mr. Phil Griffin – Senior Vice President, NBC News - phil.griffin@nbc.com
Steve Capus – President, NBC News - steve.capus@nbc.com
MSNBC - letters@msnbc.com
CNN:
Mr. Sam Feist - Political News Director - Sam.feist@cnn.com
Let the Democratic Party know that it is unacceptable not to count the votes in Michigan and Florida. Let them know why Hillary Clinton should stay in this race and become our next President:
Nancy Pelosi:
AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov
(415) 556-4862
(202) 225-4965
Howard Dean:
http://www.democrats.org/page/petition/c hairman
202-863-8000Patrick Leahy:
senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
(202) 224-4242
1-800-642-3193Chris Dodd:
http://chrisdodd.com/contact
Phone (DC): (202) 737-DODD (3633)
Phone (CT): (860) 244-2008Bill Richardson:
http://www.governor.state.nm.us/email.ph p?mm=6&type=opinion
505-828-2455
Nancy, I was sent a link to your blog by another Hillary supporter here in San Diego.
I am furious and heart-broken at the way this campaign is being run. I read on some blog last fall that there is one person running to be president, and that's Hillary. Everyone else is running to beat Hillary, and any tactic they use is A-OK as long as they beat that b*tch. I thought the writer was over the top at the time. I don't think so any more.
It's not enough to go after our candidate. They are now attacking Hillary supporters. I am angry beyond civil words to express the depth of my outrage at being branded a “racist b*tch” and “Republican-lite” because I voted for Hillary. I have voted a straight Democratic ticket since I was 18. That’s 26 years of party loyalty. That’s 26 years of voting for the Dem, regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, etc. I am not some bitter rube.
In November, I am voting for Hillary, even if I have to write her name in on the ballot. If Howard Dean continues to disenfranchise FL and MI to throw the nomination to Obama, she is the ONLY Democrat I'll be voting for. If Dean cleans up his act and make Obama earn that nomination, I'll consider voting the rest of the ticket.
I read the news and I feel depressed at how the party is setting itself up for another loss in November. The party leaders are laboring under the delusion that party loyalists will just fall into line after months of misogyny and disenfranchisement. You are hearing me, but I am also speaking for my mother, my mother-in-law, my sister-in-law, and *15* women in my husband’s family, all of whom supported Hillary, all of whom were, in January, willing to vote for Sen. Obama should their candidate not prevail, and who are now declaring they will not bother to show up at all if Obama heads the ticket. That’s almost 20 people I personally know who won’t vote.
The party leaders have talked themselve into believing that no one wants Hillary and so it's OK to ignore the MILLIONS of us who support her. Fine. If you don't think we're worth listening to now, we'll save you the problem of hearing from us in November.
The Party's call - treat us and Hillary with respect, or pay the electoral price in the fall.
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I totally agree. So do tons of women around the country supporting Hillary. thanks for your comments. Let Howard Dean know.
It feels like Hillary country here in PA....hope so.
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I love your article and totally agree. What the media has done to her is unacceptable.
We need to yell and scream from the mountain top that we won't take it anymore!!
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Your article is very well written and points to the double standards that exist in the media and their views on powerful women.
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Yes. Finally, it is discussed in detail the lack of fairness in the media and even the Democratic Party leaders in Washington. It is ashame to see the hidden and accepted undertones of sexism that exists still today. Racism is totally forbidden as it should be but sexism is still too apparently allowed and invisible except to those who have experienced it themselves. Fight on to the end Hillary!
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