Where is the Outrage on Palin Hate?
November 19, 2009
by Amy Siskind
|Well Sarah Palin is back in public life and the hate affair continues. In fact, it might even be gathering steam.
As an avid Hillary Clinton supporter, I thought that I had seen it all in 2008. I was asked after Hillary stepped out of the race what it felt like to watch the sexism directed at this woman. My answer: “it was like watching a slow motion train wreck and being unable to speak.”
The ongoing debate over the Newsweek cover, reminds me of the time that Hillary was accused of “showing cleavage.” As if this was some sort of plot according to the media to have some sex appeal.
Well, I’m thankful that we have The New Agenda and so, yes, we have a voice. But I’m truly disappointed that there are not other voices speaking out in defense of the sexism directed at Sarah Palin.
Our media just seems intent on hating this woman. And many of them should know better. Allowing this sort of treatment of any woman does no good. It discourages women from running for office. And letting this sort of sexism run unabated means that every woman candidate who considers a run for president will endure the same. As I wrote in June, in one of our most widely read articles, Sexism Against Conservative Women is Still Sexism – the message – allowing sexism against any woman hurts us all.
And away from the sexism, the all out hatred is just insipid. Palin is criticized for not talking policy on Oprah and with Barbara Walters. As if. The audiences of these shows are not looking for a policy discussion.
Wait for Palin to talk policy when appropriate. If you disagree on policy, fine, don’t vote for her. But the treatment of this woman will backfire, mark my words. And like it or not, the written word is here forever.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by thenewagenda, Denise Higgins. Denise Higgins said: Amy's right, Sarah hate is gaining steam
RT @StrayYellarDawg Where is the Outrage on Palin Hate? – http://shar.es/azULX [...]
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by thenewagenda: New blog post: Where is the Outrage on Palin Hate? http://thenewagenda.net/2009/1.....te/…
Left-wing women just won’t see it, or will refuse to connect the dots. (So do right-wing women. So do all women.) They’ll fake a little outrage and then join in on it. They’ll pretend to disapprove of what’s being done to her, and then turn around and go, “If only she weren’t such a stupid, brainless, worthless fuckdoll bimbo who has only her looks going for her!” They’ll tsk-tsk a little, and then reveal that the sexism has indeed done its work on them and they swallowed it all whole. Which only encourages the media to continue to use it, because as much as they pretend not to like it, they believe it and it works.
It just galls me that it’s all worth so little to them. Oh, they disapprove. Oh, they’ll “call it out” when they see it — which generally translates to whining a bit while their boyfriend or husband smirks and goes, “oh, I knoooow, honey,” and patiently waits for her to shut up, and then the hatefest just resumes where it left off, and she’ll join in.
But she won’t vote based on it. Unless we put voting muscle behind our disapproval, it won’t count. Tsk-tsk followed by doing what you’re told doesn’t mean anything. That’s the problem here. They vote based on important stuff, male-identified stuff. The nonstop global sexual degradation of a woman based on nothing but the fact that she threatened a powerful male? Ho-hum. Worth whining about over chardonnay, but not worth putting your vote to use for it. They tsk-tsk when it’s all done, but in the midst of it, when they have some power that might help (their vote), they pretend it’s not even happening with the greatest cheerfulness.
Women put everyone else first, and then wonder why-oh-why we always end up in last place. Do women even listen to themselves? Do they realize what they sound like when they wave a hankie with one hand and act faux-sympathetic at how tewwibly Palin is being treated, and then push a knife in with the other? Do they think it proves how empowered they are that they can pretend to care about the sexism while pretending to care about her policy issues at the same time? That they can pretend to disapprove of the sexism while gobbling it up eagerly like gluttons at a pie-eating contest?
The owner of the “feminist” blog Pandagon was on Twitter quoting Thia’s post about the Palin hate affair hysteria and wrote:
It’s perfectly acceptable among these dregs of humanity to employ sexism and misogyny as weapons against political adversaries. They will look at you with a straight face and say it’s fair – even noble – to viciously smear and degrade any woman with a non-liberal political agenda. Today’s feminism is about promoting the progressive agenda. Supporting women has nothing to do with it.
Unlike Janis, I won’t always vote for a woman candidate. I won’t vote for any candidate who demonstrates disrespect for First Amendment rights because without free speech, women are screwed. But I will never join in the despicable hatefest that’s gone from merely acceptable to wholeheartedly encouraged in the last few years.
The good news is the Liberal, and Media women who refuse to see it have just revealed to you who they are and the fact that they are happy to have their own little place in the patriarchy and are not interested in the changes that are needed to include women in federal government or media in a meaningful way. Previously due to their rhetoric you might have considered them sisters. Due to the Palin litmus test you now know they aren’t. The ball is now back in your court. Do new feminists plan to spend time trying to talk them into conversion, or go around them and create and build something without them? I say rehabing old institutions and apparatchiks of patriarchy is a waste of energy.
JQP, they like rape and sexism just fine. It’s a great weapon to keep women they don’t like in line. Susan Brownmiller wrote that book about rape where she said that all men benefit from it because it keeps all women in line.
Now, “feminists” have figured out how to benefit from it by keeping uppity bitches they don’t like in line.
She finds watching some bitch get hers more satisfying than punishing men for sexism. Sure, fighting sexism may be sort of okay sometimes, but it’s not a patch on the visceral joy she gets in watching the right woman get punished by sexism.
” The nonstop global sexual degradation of a woman based on nothing but the fact that she threatened a powerful male”.
You are so right, Janis. We need a Reform-Liberal Movement? Palin and her family and her Church have been subjected to human rights violations at the hands of the “liberal” media and those they influence. As Amy points out, all women suffer along with her, whatever their personal ideology.
” The nonstop global sexual degradation of a woman based on nothing but the fact that she threatened a powerful male”.
You are so right, Janis. We need a Reform-Liberal Movement. Palin and her family and her Church have been subjected to human rights violations at the hands of the “liberal” media and those they influence. As Amy points out, all women suffer along with her, whatever their personal ideology.
It’s all so disingenuous, too. They’ll tell you they aren’t going after her out of sexism but just her policies. But when was the last time you heard any man criticized for his policies by being called a slut, whore, bimbo, airheaded stupid illiterate dumbass who has nothing but his looks going for him look at that bitch I hate him and he has too many kids …
Yes, this has nothing to do with ideology and everything to do with gender and class warfare. Working-class women are being identified as the scapegoats in an economically stressed society (all those expensive mammograms!). Palin is the bellwether for that.
There is no question that part of the reason the Liberals feel fine about their attitude toward Palin is because they are classist as well as sexist.
As Janis said “when was the last time you heard any man criticized for his policies by being called a slut, whore, bimbo, airheaded stupid illiterate dumbass who has nothing but his looks going for him look at that bitch I hate him and he has too many kids …”
And the thing is so many of the men in government and media could be called “slut, whore, bimbo, airheaded stupid illiterate dumbass who has nothing but his looks going for him look at that bitch I hate him and he has too many kids …” But they aren’t.
Really you have to wonder if Liberals and Media people have any idea how intolerant and ignorant they make themselves look to the rest of us.
“Where’s the Outrage on Palin Hate?” I thought this was a joke when I first read this title. Are you people kidding?
Sarah Palin isn’t hated because she’s a woman or because she’s attractive. She’s hated because she’s hateful; because she’s ignorant, obnoxious, petty, and spiteful. She’s hated because of who she is as a person, not because she’s a woman. And not distinguishing between the two (or assuming that any criticism of a woman is automatically sexist) is dangerous, misleading, and self-serving. And lazy.
Ironic, your article…considering Palin is one of the biggest sowers of hatred in this country. She has willingly and gleefully thrown herself in the midst of the nation’s so-called “culture wars” and as such, fairly opens herself up to scrutiny and criticism.
Hate oozes from every pore of Sarah Palin’s being; attacks and lies and slander and hypocrisy are just some of the weapons in her culture war arsenal . She attacks anyone who disagrees with her, challenges her, or asks such benign questions as “what newspapers do you read?” She lies about things she’s said and done (lies, btw, that are easily disproven), and when she’s caught, she cries that she’s “victimized” by the ubiquitous, dreaded LiberalMediaElite.
Was anyone here outraged when she claimed Obama palled around with terrorists? Or when she determined which parts of our country were the “real America?” Anyone outraged when she inflamed her supporters at rallies until they called Obama a “traitor?” Did that outrage anyone here? What about when she laughed at that joke about Lyda Green’s cancer (Green, a Republican WOMAN from Alaska and a former ally of Palin). Was anyone here outraged about that? Anyone, anyone at all?
Yet you expect us to be outraged when she’s attacked? Are you kidding? No, really – are you kidding??!
Since Sarah Palin has made herself such an enormously easy target, people don’t HAVE to resort to sexist attacks. We judge her solely on what she says and does (which is lie compulsively and blame others for everything); on how she conducted herself during the 2008 campaign (as an ignorant, radical ideologue); and on her behavior and actions after the election (quitter, score-settler, money-grubber).
In case I haven’t been clear: Palin is ignorant, parochial, narcissistic, whiny, and opportunistic. She’s made herself out to be a perpetual victim, yet never takes responsibility for ANYTHING she’s done. Everything is always somebody else’s fault. She’s so enamored with her newfound celebrity and fame, all she cares about these days is how she can pimp herself out for more money and more exposure.
And yes, I’m a woman, in case anyone’s wondering.
My last and final question: has anyone here been outraged over the TRULY sexist attacks recently aimed at Nancy Pelosi? Not only by Faux News and their ilk, but by the Republican Establishment itself, by sitting politicians. Now, I’m no great Pelosi fan, but if you wanna start a dialog about the sexism that women in politics face, there’s a much more sound place to start.
I think it’s good to point out sexism in the attitude some people have toward Sarah Palin but I think it’s important to remember that she herself is a sexist, reactionary. I don’t think she supports womens rights and I think it makes The New Agenda look bad to defend her, right or wrong, just because of her gender.
Tough, tenacious, courageous, fighter . . .
I really never thought I was a sexist, yet these words used to bring up only masculine figures in my mind. Now I associate these words more with Palin, Bachmann, and Liz Cheney.
-
I know other men have had my subconscious problem. I wonder if some still do. I think glass ceilings are being shattered not only in the physical structure of society, but also in the mind of simpleton men like me.
Thanks for posting your thoughts Bill589. I don’t think it’s even just men that have that problem but I’m so glad you’ve overcome it
Rebecca, you’d better defend her “just because of her gender,” because that’s why she’s being attacked. Just because of her gender. That’s what sexism IS.
Christ, it’s a good thing Jonas Salk was a man or else we’d still have polio. If he’d been a woman, she’d only have wanted to inoculate her friends, and let her enemies die … And allow the virus to thrive and survive among them. And then wail and whine and write sob books and bad poetry when her kid got laid up in an iron lung. I’m sure there were people in the government and in his neighborhood who resented what he was doing for some stupid reason. Thank fucking GOD he wasn’t stupid and shortsighted enough to say, “They tried to get in the way of my research, so they DESERVE it!” And we’d still have iron lungs in this country because the virus doesn’t fucking care!
Just because this is evidently too complex a concept for some people to grasp: it would have been female-Salk’s own fault had her kid gotten polio because by allowing the virus to continue to thrive in the bodies of people she didn’t like, it would have survived to attack her own kid. By allowing polio a population even of people who she didn’t like, she would have been sentencing her friends to die and suffer as well.
This is why you’d goddamned well better defend women against sexism just because of their gender, you damned shortsighted dumbasses! Because it’ll be you tomorrow! Why is this so hard to understand! Is it so satisfying to you to watch a woman you hate be raped that you’ll sentence yourself or your own children to suffer the same way?! What the hell is WRONG with you people?
I need to go get coffee and crochet a little. This topic makes me sick to my stomach. Women really are stupid.
Jesus Christ. I’m going to go get coffee and crochet a little. This whole topic makes me sick to my stomach. Women really are damned stupid.
Sorry for the ripe sentence at the end. iPods can be a little weird for blogging.
Janis,
Yes, women really are damned stupid. Sarah Palin is smart and strong and successful. MOST men and women would have left the arena never to be heard from again after the attacks, but instead she comes back full force. You won’t hear from Bill Richardson or John Edwards again….I can promise you that.
First point I want to address is why some of you feel that Sarah is not a feminist or pro-women. Name ONE topic other than government intrusion into the topic of abortion (which, for the record, Sarah Palin fully supports women having the right to deal with this medical issue privately and that the government should have NO input positive or negative; in other words, it is a private medical issue between a woman and her doctor which is exactly the same opinion I have and I am a radical feminist) that makes her un-feminist. She is a strong, smart and successful woman who has a loving family and a good job. She speaks her mind and holds her own. She is spiritual. She can shoot a gun. She doesn’t take crap from anyone. She is grounded ethically. What about these qualities is so upsetting or so anti-feminist?
As far as Nancy Pelosi goes, however, she is a liar, a cheater, a hypocrite, and through her lies and bad acts stole a presidency and is killing this country. I don’t care if she is god herself I wouldn’t and couldn’t support her. This is not an issue of women supporting women this is an issue of survival. Feminism is all about changing the power paradigm but we won’t change a thing–in my opinion–supporting evil people even if they have wombs. Criticizing Mrs. Pelosi is the proper thing to do because she is doing bad things. Period. This one was easy.
You didn’t see Obama fondled, dressed in short shorts, made into a movie by Larry Flint and you won’t because that is how sexism works. Even though we have no information about his true educational background other than he went to Occidental College with a C average and somehow got into an ivy league law school (NOT) and he has never been hired or held a job (and a visiting professor part time is not a job give me a fuggin break) he is smart and she is dumb. Even though she held a job, and won an election, and had a 80% positive rating, but somehow he is smarter and better. And she is dumb. This is sexism people. Same way Hillary was mean and Obama was cool. I saw a lying sack of shit and the media told me he was the second coming of christ. This is sexim people.
And while I think Janis is one of the most amazing writers I have read in a long time and I agree with her on almost everything, we part ways on this support every woman thing. I only support people who are good and support women and issues i believe in. Sarah Palin believes that this country should have a balanced budget, that the middle class is getting screwed, the women are getting screwed, and that we should protect our borders and have a strong presence militarily. Versus the idiot bowing and groveling and apologizing to countries whose track records would make Hitler blush. And she’s the idiot. NOT. YOU ARE THE IDIOT if you cannot see what is happening and we do not have time to spoon feed you anymore.
Sarah is good, Obama is bad, and Hillary is great. Nancy and Michelle suck rotten eggs. Get it, good….
You folks shouldn’t bill yourself as “100% non-partisan,” as you claim in your FAQ section, since you’re apparently *incredibly* partisan. I tried to post several comments on this blog (Where is the Outrage on Palin Hate?) but since I’m not a Palin fan, my comments weren’t allowed to post.
Compared to the language in some of the other posts here, my comments were quite tame. But I guess being critical of Palin isn’t allowed on your site, is it? So much for being non-partisan.
If you’re not conservative, anti-Obama, and pro-Palin, there really is no place for you on this site. Which is fine, except when you profess to be “non-partisan.”
A conservative website posing as a “non-partisan organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls….” is more than just disingenuous, it’s an outright lie.
And no, I don’t expect you to post this comment either, but I figured I’d give it a shot. What can I say? I’m persistent like that – after all, I AM a feminist. Just not one that’s allowed to crticize Sarah Palin here.
“Oh Now I get It”, I’m not a conservative and I post on here all the time. There are many folks who disagree with Palin’s views but are outraged by the sexist and inbiased treatment of her. Just because we aren’t jumping on the Democratic hate Palin Bandwagon doesn’t mean we agree with her views. But take away the Newsweek picture and look at some of the things she has done as Governor (especially before she was tapped for VP and everyone out there was working together) and you might be surprised.
I’m not sure if your comments got rejected but when I post it shows up immediately.
Where the HELL did you get the idea that I’m a conservative?
Leave your Response
Supporting women.
Ending sexism.
Finding common ground.
We’re in the Media »
Click to see our latest stories in the media
More Stories »Recent Comments
The Latest from our Blog
Archives
Blogroll
Find the New Agenda Online
Subscribe Entries (RSS) | Comments (RSS)
The New Agenda is a 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls by bringing about systemic change in the media, at the workplace, at school and at home. More...