“…The only trouble with this one is, it almost feels as if all these women winning are kind of a blow to feminism.” – Tina Brown
It’s cleavage Friday! Again. This time because Sarah Palin is the target, not Hillary. Let me explain…. Then we’ll get to Tina Brown’s blast against Tuesday’s ladies’ night winners.
This was a regular feature back when Hillary was running for president, inaugurated because of a July 2007 C-SPAN cleavage column by Robin Givhan which was a turning point in my relationship with Clinton. When I began shifting away from being a primary agnostic. It was also beginning of the ramp up of an assault on Clinton that didn’t stop until the primaries were over. Clinton knew what it was and sent out a fundraising letter on it. Sarah should do the same. After Givhan’s cleavage column, “cleavage Fridays” became a regular de-stressing event around here.
So, Sarah, Hillary (and many of us) can feel your frustration.
It hardly matters if this cleavage kerfuffle about Sarah has any factual basis. It’s simply nobody’s business and if it wasn’t for Sarah’s incredible popularity and power no one would be noticing. Obviously, the attack on Sarah is also a lot different. It’s interesting that it’s women that are doing the attacking, just like what happened to Hillary, at least at the beginning; though no one will ever have to endure what Hillary went through again. But I’m having none of it except to say, if you’ve got ‘em and know how to flaunt ‘em, then bring out those bad girls, ladies. Don’t let the political peanut gallery make you think twice.
As for Tina Brown’s charge that the winners on Tuesday are a “blow to feminism,” well, you have to be a feminist before that could be true. Any woman not supporting women’s individual freedoms is not a feminist. I’ve been writing this long before other websites and newspapers started picking this theme up. Sarah Palin and her “mama grizzlies,” including the talented women who won Tuesday night are professional women with a lot to say, but they are not feminists.
The reality and point Ms. Brown doesn’t deal with is that their rise is because they unapologetically defend their views and never and I mean never sell them out. That’s why they’re rising.
Unlike many progressives, especially those in Congress today, the women who are supposed to stand up for women’s individual freedoms have instead, for instance, made it more difficult for women in the health care bill. Instead of a star female standing up for women during the health care debate, we had Speaker Pelosi making back room deals with the help of Catholic bishop representatives and Bart Stupak to sell us out. Remember the House “pro choice progressive caucus” and how they fell silent when Stupak was rising? That would never happen with Sarah Palin and the conservative women who won on Tuesday. Though I will say this latest news on behalf of military women is a sign that someone gets it.
So, though I appreciate Tina Brown’s stance, it only skims the problem that progressive women have today. The first being that the women on the right will not be silenced. While progressive women in Congress are willing to compromise on the most fundamental woman’s right, individual freedom.
In light of this, a discussion about who’s a feminist and who isn’t hardly matters, because the women who actually support women’s individual freedoms won’t stand up for them.
No progressive Congressman or woman is addressing the ultrasound bills popping up in the states across this country, which is a direct assault on women’s individual freedoms and privacy. Reproductive freedom is the basic tenet of feminism, so anyone demanding a woman get an ultrasound, because a state thinks she’s too stupid when she makes a private decision about her life, doesn’t get it. You can’t be a feminist, then demand to interject the state in a private decision of individual freedom. But nice try, Tina. At least you stood up.
The conservative women who won on Tuesday may be smart, capable, business women (though this has minuses to match pluses), politicians and legislators who know their stuff, but they are not feminists. They are new breed of conservative anti-feminists who are rising, because even though their message is against women’s individual freedoms, they are strong-willed women who know what they want and are articulating it, because strong and wrong always beats weak and right.
I decided more than a decade ago that there is a need for a basic definition of “feminist” — the uses / misuses of the term range from “emasculating” to “victim,” and are accompanied by a “women have equal rights and so feminist work is no longer needed” mentality.
I know there are still women, and men, who are “strong” feminists, but unfortunately there seem to be fewer of them; or maybe they are simply drowned out by the consistent, noisy and prevailing voices of men and women who don’t want to hear it.
I’m encouraged that you keep addressing the problem / issue.
For me, I keep it very simple.
There is one foundational feminist tenet that must be “passed” before any discussion is worth engaging: Do you support women’s full individual freedoms?
If someone does not they cannot be a feminist.
Agreed, and you consistently make that clear in your writing.
Taylor, I’ve posted in the past about Sarah Palin receiving some form of sexist attacks just like Hillary Clinton suffered. However, the attacks on her has been mild compared to what Hillary had to endure for eight years. The right went out of their way to dehumanize Hillary. What I find curious is why no big name “feminist” have taken up the cause in defending the First Lady Michelle Obama.
The First Lady has had to face daily “sexist” attacks by the media. Heck, Huffington post has a section devoted to the way Mrs. Obama looks. It is sickening reading comments about her legs, arms and yes, they even had an article about Mrs. Obama breast. Yet, I see no huge articles by “feminist” speaking up for Mrs. Obama. Its almost like she is invisible to certain well known feminist. Somehow a little article asking about Sarah Palin breast size is an outrage and a call to arms for women.
While Mrs. Obama being compared to a monkey, called a whore, has articles written about her legs, arms, breast is alright for feminist. Is Mrs. Obama not a high profiled strong woman, just like Sarah Palin?…
Guilty pleasure admission: I LOVE HuffPost’s section on First Lady Michelle Obama’s fashion. It’s one of my guilty pleasures, as is fashion. To me that’s quite different from what Givhan did to Clinton, as well as the “DD” storyline now circulating the web.
As for the your last paragraph on Mrs. Obama, that’s just RACISM. Period.
I didn’t cover Laura Bush, and I didn’t cover Hillary as first lady either, that is until the impeachment thing began. However, I did talk about the Jennifer Flowers event on radio across the country as a guest. (That’s going way back into the beginnings of my “politics of sex” coverage!) I’ve said a couple of things about Mrs. Obama’s fitness, garden, but also bee keeping first. But on the whole I just don’t find the First Lady role interesting. Hey, but that’s just me.
“As for the your last paragraph on Mrs. Obama, that’s just RACISM. Period.”- Taylor
I have to disagree with you here…there has actually been sexist articles written about Mrs. Obama that had nothing to do with her race but sex. The only racist attack on her has been the monkey picture. Outside of that disgusting image, I have seen far to many disparaging pieces directed at Mrs. Obama. The point I was trying to make is that certain people are trying to dehumanize her like they did with Former First Lady Hillary Clinton. As for Sarah Palin a “Private Citizen” that chooses to stay in the spot light for monetary gain does face sexism but it will never be the level of what Mrs. Obama faces. After all no one cares about sexism against a minority woman….its just written off as plain racism. As if to say let Rev. Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton take up her plight…she has no place with feminist sympathies…lol
I am ashamed to admit that I never notice the vicious sexist attacks on Mrs. Obama until I read about them on a minority feminist blog. I wonder if Mrs. Obama had been born with Red hair, Blue eyes and pale skin like my French great grandmother would sexism against her be taken more serious?!…oh, well that is life here in the United States.
I don’t like when women are called names and picked on for what they look like or what they might have done to their body. I can’t wait until the day people will not have to deal with this crap, but it seems to be sticking around. Marie205, I agree that Hillary was treated aweful not only by the republicans but alot of democrats also. But Sarah Palin has had to deal with alot of crap also, and yes even first lady Michelle Obama has had to deal with it, what we need to do just like Taylor Marsh did with this great piece is to defend these women like were doing !!! There’s a limit and people on all sides are crossing it. You can disagree with a person’s point of view, but to degrade people and call them names is wrong !!!
Seen on twitter: the tweet, “Did Sarah get new boobs?” The answer back, “No, they’re the same followers that she’s always had.” Put me in the column for supporting ” women’s full individual freedom.” Peace
Yes…yes…Yes…”Cleavage Friday”…My favorite topic…Where are all the pics…Wait a minute, I’m surround by words not cleavage…No, No, No…Cleavage & Hillary…No…No…No…
1st of all, lets face it, how many young women even know who Gloria was…That said, Feminism like civil rights served its purpose and now becomes history…All people are the playing equally on the same field…Sorry Taylor…
There’s a New Sheriff in town…She is Women…The New Breed of Bold women that unfortunately right are now enduring attacks from the so called feminist of the past…Its no different today then what the women of the feminist movement went through in their day…Change has a price…But I do find it appalling that women do not support…You may disagree and fight over the issues, but dam it, when you start attacking another woman on the way she dresses, her kids etc, you’ve crossed the line and womens groups have failed in that context to be supportive…And if any woman does not support all women’s full individual freedoms & rights, then she is not a woman…You better check her DNA…
But lets go even beyond that…I am a Catholic…I have plenty of olive branches of which are not to be given through force…In that case, why has abortion even been a political football tossed around for years by Old Men…Hello…Its an issue between a doctor and a woman…With more women representatives, maybe finally this issue will be put to rest…
You mean like Carly attacking Boxers hair style? And if you can inject abortion into the debate—–I wonder how women got an abortion when they were living in caves?—–one can inject the sex drive and the need to procreate—-perhaps that’s why cleavage is so important?— into the debate. Peace
That said, Feminism like civil rights served its purpose and now becomes history…All people are the playing equally on the same field
Tell that to a woman in Afghanistan… in the Congo… in… .. …
You are incredibly naive. It’s dangerous.
You tricked me the first time with cleavage…Are you luring me into a trap…
And what has Feminism done for women around the world Taylor up to this point…In fact what have they done for young girls in this country…Did they educate young girls to get educations and stand on their own 2 feet, build their character, tear down those strip joints and adult factories that exploit young girls for easy money…I fully understand feminism and civil rights but they did more for those at the top then those at the bottom…People at the top don’t need help but as politics go, its protectionism for those at the top with the trickle down for those at the bottom…Hell, they look out after corporations, lawyers, feminist etc before they do those they represent as you are well aware of…Don’t boast to me of what you Did, show me what you are doing…You don’t want to go there Taylor…
Me naive…LOL…never been called that…
The Spirit in which you do things is the Spirit in which they will be received…