A word from the fashion police
Without starting this blog down the political road, I cannot further repress my feelings regarding Hillary. The Rodham Clinton one, that is. At the gym today I noticed Fox News doing a really great job informing the American public once again. After hours of coverage of Anna Nicole Smith's recent demise, they shifted gears. Off to the Presidential races, with Ms. R-C in the lead. And what, dear 24-hour-new-channel-that-informs-too-many-people-in-this-country, did you focus on? Her clothes. ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Seriously. They took their investigative reporting skills to the street and asked people what they thought of her current state of fashion. (Refresh my memory, did anyone give two hoots if Bill was wearing a hip tie or a turtleneck under his sportcoat during his races?) This educational segment was done because, of course, it's Fashion Week in NYC. What a great segue, talking to designers and regular folks about politics, and wrapping politics into fashion. Makes me nauseous.
Watch this space, because I guarantee you, many people will say, "I'd be completely 100% fine with a female president if I felt like she was the right one." They are lying. Instead of looking at her policies and abilities, they spend hours of their lives focused on whether or not she should give up the pantsuit. If there were two white dudes looking to be neck and neck in a political race, there would be no discussion about their suits. None. As there shouldn't be.
I'm going to go ahead and shimmy on out the limb I'm so often on and draw a comparison. If it's that important to education the public about a woman dresses, what will ever be said about Barak Obama? Is it important to educate us on his ability to shoot hoops? No WAY would even Fox News make a segment about whether Obama should work on his inside shot or his 3-pointer, because everyone knows that's not only ridiculous, it's demeaning, not to mention stereotypical and a lot of other things.
But for some reason, it's fine to do that with regard to a woman. She looks like your average professional woman who doesn't have a lot of discretion in how she dresses just like most professional suit-wearing men. But why, in the midst of people signing up for the presidential race, are we focusing on that?
And don't come at me with the whole "It's just Hillary, people want to talk about her because she's so polarizing." Not true. Look what happened when Condoleeza Rice wore high heeled boots and a black knee length skirt in Germany. The press went crazy. And you know what? She looked great. But in the end, I have no idea what that German meeting was for. I do know that being a woman and in a place of power, it must be assumed that you are eye candy. And if you aren't, you should be. There's no other word, it's ridiculous.
We are increasingly a nation of contradictions. This weeks' Newsweek has a whole article about how pre-teens idolize Britney and Paris, et al., who are basically scantily clad young women with money and fame. The gist of the article is, "Mommas, don't let your babies grow up to dress (and act) like these ladies." Then over in the adult news, we're completely comfortable criticizing a national leader (who makes important decisions) because of how she dresses. They didn't share one word of a speech Hillary was giving in New Hampshire, not one word of her responses to questions, just a thorough, in-depth conversation about her clothes.
I, for one, am not falling for it. Pro-Hillary or not, women and men of this country should expect more out of the folks who are supposed to provide us with information that helps us make informed decisions. Or maybe that isn't a reporter's job anymore. Maybe that is considered ridiculous.
Seriously. They took their investigative reporting skills to the street and asked people what they thought of her current state of fashion. (Refresh my memory, did anyone give two hoots if Bill was wearing a hip tie or a turtleneck under his sportcoat during his races?) This educational segment was done because, of course, it's Fashion Week in NYC. What a great segue, talking to designers and regular folks about politics, and wrapping politics into fashion. Makes me nauseous.
Watch this space, because I guarantee you, many people will say, "I'd be completely 100% fine with a female president if I felt like she was the right one." They are lying. Instead of looking at her policies and abilities, they spend hours of their lives focused on whether or not she should give up the pantsuit. If there were two white dudes looking to be neck and neck in a political race, there would be no discussion about their suits. None. As there shouldn't be.
I'm going to go ahead and shimmy on out the limb I'm so often on and draw a comparison. If it's that important to education the public about a woman dresses, what will ever be said about Barak Obama? Is it important to educate us on his ability to shoot hoops? No WAY would even Fox News make a segment about whether Obama should work on his inside shot or his 3-pointer, because everyone knows that's not only ridiculous, it's demeaning, not to mention stereotypical and a lot of other things.
But for some reason, it's fine to do that with regard to a woman. She looks like your average professional woman who doesn't have a lot of discretion in how she dresses just like most professional suit-wearing men. But why, in the midst of people signing up for the presidential race, are we focusing on that?
And don't come at me with the whole "It's just Hillary, people want to talk about her because she's so polarizing." Not true. Look what happened when Condoleeza Rice wore high heeled boots and a black knee length skirt in Germany. The press went crazy. And you know what? She looked great. But in the end, I have no idea what that German meeting was for. I do know that being a woman and in a place of power, it must be assumed that you are eye candy. And if you aren't, you should be. There's no other word, it's ridiculous.
We are increasingly a nation of contradictions. This weeks' Newsweek has a whole article about how pre-teens idolize Britney and Paris, et al., who are basically scantily clad young women with money and fame. The gist of the article is, "Mommas, don't let your babies grow up to dress (and act) like these ladies." Then over in the adult news, we're completely comfortable criticizing a national leader (who makes important decisions) because of how she dresses. They didn't share one word of a speech Hillary was giving in New Hampshire, not one word of her responses to questions, just a thorough, in-depth conversation about her clothes.
I, for one, am not falling for it. Pro-Hillary or not, women and men of this country should expect more out of the folks who are supposed to provide us with information that helps us make informed decisions. Or maybe that isn't a reporter's job anymore. Maybe that is considered ridiculous.
posted by Left Coast Sister at 1:56 PM
8 Comments:
What about Hillary on the hardwood? can she bust the 3? Can she do a tomahawk jam? Personally I think Barak is Da Bama. I think He should use that slogan btw.
okay that was NOT prrrof, that was her imposter dh!! Teach her to leave her login current. Sheesh.
You go girl. When you post, you post with a vengeance! I'm with you, and I totally agree. Although that other loser guy that I'm blanking on--the loudmouth who's currently running for the democratic ticket--did say that Obama was surprisingly clean and smart. Or some other enlightened thing like that.
At least racism and sexism no longer exist, which is such a relief.
I loved this post! Maybe YOU should go into reporting! I'd read what you write every day, and it'd be worth my time!! :)
i completely agree with you, but i'm so jaded and cynical i'm just not appalled any more.
i don't like hillary (it's visceral, not logical), but she (and we) deserve a lot more than a discussion of her clothes.
but the news is always 90% about crap that's interesting but doesn't really matter.
To quote someone, they can't tell the difference between WWIII and a bicycle accident (they have to fill the front page with something).
and when they DO air somethign that means something, they provide no context or peripheral information to help us understand it.
From The SHipping News, by Annie Proulx (paraphrased):
Veteran Newsman [pointing at horizon]: What do you see?
Rookie: Um, clouds?
VN: Deadly Storm Threatens Town
R: What if it doesn't hit?
VN: Town Spared From Deadly Storm
and then again, we (the public) are sometimes not necessarily real deep ourselves when we get together.
like they say:
big minds talk about ideas
average minds talk about events
small minds talk about people
or something like that.
I sometimes think he's a loon, but Ralph Nader is dead on when he talks about our news programs...
PS. prrrof, i recognized your DH by the second sentence. :-)
Hear hear!!
Although I will say I saw a nice shot of Da Bama in his bathing suit in People... He looked just fine so I'm thinking of voting for him. ;)
wowie girl
i'm going to stand close to you with some marshmellows
because you are on fire!
I love your way
& your words
you say it like it's meant to be said
(& i am refraining from getting into this conversation)
:)
I was just thinking this very same thing the other day..... I have some issues with HRC...but she is so well spoken...complete sentences and everything....
I read an OP/ED piece the other day talking about how people were impressed with what an "articulate" black man Da Bama was.... one would hope so....
I am not so jaded--but I sound it, sometimes I think that if it is not white and male it is not going to be in the oval office in my life time....why strive for greatness when mediocrity is so comfortable??
How's that for some poo-poo
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