Was Clinton victim to a sexist media? This question has been debated, analyzed and parsed. I don’t mean to be arrogant, but the answer is glaringly obvious. Yes, yes and yes! Clinton fell victim to a sexist media within a sexist society.
Is that a reason to vote for her? No, of course not. So don’t get your underwear up in a bunch—there is no underlying “Vote for Clinton!” or “Boycott the election!” propaganda in this post. It is possible to be an Obama or McCain supporter and still admit to yourself that sexism infiltrates the media just as it infiltrates all of our public and private realms.
The Women’s Media Center (WMC) produced a short video “Sexism sells, but we’re not buying it”, which is made up of clips from sexist media moments during the primaries. It’s worth taking a look at. The WMC also started an online petition calling on all major news networks “to stop treating women as a joke; to stop using inherently gendered language as an insult or criticism; and to ensure that women’s voices are present and accounted for in the national political dialogue.
Despite overt sexism in the media, many reporters avoid referring to it as “overt” and many news networks deny it. The charge that sexism exists in the media is seen as exactly that—a charge, an opinion, especially one held by bitter and angry women (worst feminists). The New York Times refers to it as a “perception” increasingly expressed on “internet postings and in conversations among women”. Washington Post refers to it as a “sense” held by female Clinton supporters. But few reporters attempt to explore that perception, sense or opinion—to investigate its legitimacy, and why some women feel so strongly about this matter. Is it because it’s that time of the month? Is it just about identity politics? Is it because when ever they see the media taking a swing at Clinton they are reminded of deeply personal moments in their own lives when opportunities have been missed and dreams deferred all because of their gender? In this matter, reporters seem to be doing more assuming than questioning.
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Nicholas Kristof published an interesting opinion piece calling on Obama to make “the sex speech”.
