Thursday, November 13, 2008

Feminism's Palin Problem

I've written before about the double standard so prevalent among feminists when it comes to the treatment of women they like and women they don't like.

Hillary Clinton treated in a sexist manner? Up in arms!

Sarah Palin treated in a sexist manner? Well, she deserves it!

It's amusing, and a bit sad, watching women eating their own this way, particularly since it plays into some of the worst stereotypes about women (think: catfight), which is why Echidne's defense of Palin was rather refreshing.

The question has zero to do with Sarah Palin as a person. The question has everything to do with Sarah Palin as a spoonful of that amorphous mass called womanhood. When sexist commentary is acceptably used with Palin it allows sexist commentary to be used on all other uppity women, then on all women who are not-so uppity, then on the women who have been made into doormats.

The comments get particularly amusing, especially when one man tries to defend the use of "Caribou Barbie" as a "rhetorical flourish," as opposed to a sexist stereotype that demeans all women.

Way too much of the criticism of Sarah Palin has centered on things other than her qualifications for the vice presidency, which were as good as Barack Obama's. No one criticized Obama for not being home to take care of his kids. We haven't been treated to numerous pictures of him conducting interviews while making cheesedogs for his children. And no one asked Obama to explain his foreign policy experience, his understanding of the Bush doctrine, intricacies of abortion law (although, as an attorney, he should have a built in advantage here), which newspapers he reads, etc., etc. No, we weren't treated to Obama getting hoist on his own petard because the MSM didn't want Obama to be shown as an empty suit. But portraying Sarah Palin as a bobbleheaded slut best suited for porn movies was just political mischief-making.

I'm glad to see Echidne point out that it hurts all women when these stereotypes are used. I wish more of her commenters could bring themselves to acknowledge that.