Slog
News & ArtsTuesday, September 30, 2008
2008 Re: Palin Abortion In Seattle
Posted by Erica C. Barnett on Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Unlike Michelle Malkin, I'm not worked up about the "abort Palin" stencil art Jen linked below. I am, however, endlessly annoyed about this ad, which is currently running on dozens of lefty blogs (I grabbed this one from Horse's Ass):
Seriously--of all the zillions of things wrong with this woman, from her absolute ignorance of foreign policy to her insane religious beliefs, the best Vote for Dems could come up with was "yuk, yuk, don't vote for her cuz she has a bush"? Implying (via the brilliant Bush/bush double entendre) that Palin isn't qualified because she has ladyparts constitutes an implicit a dig at all female candidates. And as much as I loathe Palin and everything she stands for, I feel it's my job to point crap like this out--because a sexist dig is a sexist dig, whatever you think of the intended target.
7
Erica:
If I say McCain is "yet another man we can't trust," would I be implying that all men are untrustworthy?
Since "bush" is being used here as a metonym for "woman," I think the above question is entirely analogous to this scenario.
8
Perhaps they mean that she is a resident of the bush? The back-woods of Alaska? It's not anti-woman, it's anti-Alaskan!
9
Erica, I probably wouldn't have thought much of this on seeing it, other than thinking, what a tired pun. But you're right, it is sexist. There is something in us that accepts these sorts of slams, as long as it slams the right people.
For example, look at all the ageist slams that McCain gets. So far I've seen no one get upset about those (McAncient etcetc, Things older than JM ). Both racial and age discrimination are supposedly wrong, but no one gets called on the carpet for ageist remarks.
10
mislogynists, would any of these be acceptable? of course they aren't punny but pretend they are.
mccain: another SHRIV we can't trust
obama: another DARKY we can't trust
biden: another JEW we can't trust (also pretend biden is a jew)
11
How do they know she has a bush? She could be a Brazilian kind of gal...
Sorry. I'm a traitor to my ovaries, I know.
14
It's not saying don't trust her because she has a bush, it's just using a silly pun based on the fact that the word for lady parts is also the name of the Shittiest President Ever to connect the Repuglican VP candidate (a lady) with said Shitty President.
17
@6:
It may not be funny, but it doesn't imply what ECB says it does. Accusing people (who may--or may not--be sexist) of sexism based on a logical misinterpretation of their statements undermines ECB's credibility.
The ad simply doesn't say what she thinks it says. It calls Palin a "bush" and says not to vote for her. It doesn't say not to vote for her because of her bush. Even though ECB tells us it says that.
I, like @9, never would have thought this was sexist upon seeing it. Because it isn't.
18
I had to stare at the ad for a long time before I realized what you were all worked up about.
"Bush," not the sitting president, but your psycho the world is out to get me because I have female pubic hair "bush." Men can't be bushy?
Mmmm hum.
20
Right on. This type of sexist ad adds fuel to the fire of those who wish to obscure the issues by saying Palin is being opposed because she is female.
21
Erica's right. This reduces Palin to her lady parts. It's like the old days when some men referred to a woman as a "skirt", meaning there's nothing more to her than that.
22
Yeah, where ARE the Clintons? I thought they were going to do everything they could to get Obama elected?
26
Are you serious ECB? I didn't get my shit twisted during the 2000 or 2004 election because Democrats equated Dick Cheney with a penis. Why is anatomy off limits - especially when the thing that turns people off isn't that anatomical feature?
27
Erica's right. Trying to spin the ad any other way is kind of like McCain trying to claim Palin is qualified. Lame.
28
¿sexist dig?
that sarah palin is even more like gw bush than john mccain (naomi kline made the point on politically incorrect 9.19.08) should be the centerpiece of the campaign against her.
far from sexism, it's the most legitimate, appropriate, and frightening reason to vote against palin-mccain!
29
Erica, you are the poster who consistently gets the most comments in the shortest amount of time. Your haters make you a winner.
BTW I agree the pun is sexist and not useful.
30
The slogan doesn't imply in any way that she isn't qualified because she has a bush. It DOES associate her with the Bush clan in a pretty tenuous and unfunny way, but it is not sexist. It doesn't imply that all bush-havers are incompetent.
But, of course, a mind looking desperately everywhere for sexism will find it. Cry wolf again...
31
@21 is absolutely right. The ad is sexist because it reduces her to her bush. The "skirt" analogy is a great one... "Another Skirt We Can't Trust" would be equally as bad if the current President's name was Skirt.
32
I'm with Erica, this is sexist. It's clever, but you can be clever and still be a bigot. I dislike Palin on so many levels, but I'm uncomfortable with the constant jokes about her femininity, from both sides of the political spectrum, but particularly the left. I mean, I know WHY the jokes are mostly coming from the left; as a certified lefty, tree-hugging, queer-loving, socialist nutjob, I fear and loathe Palin with all of my godless heart and soul. But jokes like this taint my pure, unadulterated liberal disdain for Palin.
33
I have to reluctantly agree, it's sexist and essentially synonymous with "yet another female we can't trust". Nobody ever refers to a dude's guyparts as his "bush". Analogous situation would be if McCain's VP pick was a guy named Richard, a poster saying "yet another dick we can't trust". And that would be sexist as well.
34
unless you shave it all off, everyone has a pubic bush...men just have a piece of yard art planted in the middle of the garden.
36
@10, my point is that none of those would be acceptable even if they were puns (ie, if our current president's name was george darky).
37
Since when are the nutterings of every internet kook now to be considered the gospel truth of the campaigns? Did Obama make this sign? No. Did some powerful and representative liberal organization make it? No. Did some pig-ignorant fool make it? Yes. What does that have to do with Obama, or Democrats, or liberals, or me?
Fuck all, that's what.
Trolling the sewers of the internet for obscure idiocies to be outraged about is Malkinism at its worst. Don't do it.
Fuck all, that's what.
Trolling the sewers of the internet for obscure idiocies to be outraged about is Malkinism at its worst. Don't do it.
38
I'm sorry, but I agree with 17 here, you're being purposefully ignorant. This is no different than those people who shave their pubic hair and say "No Bush!" It's a bad pun, but it's not saying that you shouldn't trust her BECAUSE she's a woman. It's saying she's a woman, and you shouldn't trust her because she's Sarah Palin (or, if anything, because she's like W). Or like a McCain ad saying "Yet another Dick we can't trust!" comparing him to Cheney or something, not saying we can't trust him because of his penis.
39
"Yet another dick we can't trust" absolutely is sexist. Not exactly the same as saying we can't trust him because of his penis, but exactly the same as saying we can't trust him because of his maleness. Lots of things that make a guy male besides his junk.
40
I think it is sexist. People who are opposed to McCain should try to take the high ground if we are to have credibility in opposing the racist attacks on the Obama campaign. As the election draws closer look for the crude campaign against Obama to bcome much worse and more widespread especially if McCain keeps falling in the polls.
41
@ 1 & 3: Coitus?
Also, I'm with 11 & 23. We need to find out how she grooms before we can accurately assess the level of sexism here. I really want to know.
I mean, I really wanna know (I imagine totally shaved, with a nice big sand dollar sized nips)...
42
Are you people fucking *kidding* me? You actually equate this ad as an indictment of women in general?
While I agree that it's ribald and not exactly constructive, it has literally nothing to do with linking Palin's incompetance with her gender.
Are we really going to do away with slang? Seriously? Is that our new crusade?
Quit gazing longingly into your fucking navels, people, and focus on the work at hand.
43
@39 But it's NOT saying that. It's not AT ALL saying that we can't trust Palin because of her Bush. It's a bad pun connecting her to Bush. Saying we can't trust Bush, we can't trust Palin either. It's not saying we can't trust her because she's a woman. There was a campaign not too long ago where women shaved their pubic hair and said "No Bush!" Is that sexist against women with pubic hair? No! It's a stupid pun that has no ill intent against women, only against GW Bush and in this cast Palin (because we can't trust her, like we can't trust Bush, not because she's a woman).
44
if the word johnson is confusing for dick - you have a stunted childhood for a guy
if we try - there are forty words along the same vein, so to speak
Erica is 100 per cent correct. That shit is total sexist garbage, but, it seems kinda hip to some of the younger guys who do Slog.
Have to go deal with my pipe. Or is it a joint today, or a rod? Or?
45
Erica is right, again. Just because sexism is used against a horrible woman doesn't make it right. I'm getting so sick of "liberal" sexism. Is it still the 1970s?
46
Totally sexist. If someone was trying to get this woman elected - this is a good way to do it. Turn her into a victim and garner a sympathy vote. Not very bright, IMO.
49
As much as you want to deny it, hate&sexism&racism work. Just because some of us can look at a person and see a person does not mean that the rest of the country can or will. Sadly, there is a time when playing by the rules, crass as they are, works. I am not saying we should do this or that it makes us better people when we do, but in some cases it is what it is. When we live in a country where an African American candidate can be characterized as a monkey, I don't have sympathy when a white woman is being equated to her vaj-j. Rising above the crap is good. Is it effective?
50
Sexist or no, ECB is still right. SP's completely unqualified, but slogans like this will not change one single vote, and we need to stop pretending we're striking blows by relying on them. "No Bush" might or might not have been sexist, but it wasn't effective either.
51
sexist jokes/comments against woman are worse than those against men at this point in time (because who has power right now).
while this might not be the best example, there have been sexist remarks made against palin, and we should really strive to be above that.
at the same time, being critical of policy etc... is no more sexist when used against palin then when it was used against clinton.
52
In the fourth grade - my class had a hated teacher - hated.
She was getting married at the end of the school year - to a DICK.
Many miles out of that grubby little association. Even today, it is funny.
Signed, Way past The Fourth Grade, or am I?
53
men...have a piece of yard art planted in the middle of the garden
Ok, that is the comment of the year.
54
I agree it's sexist. I hated the jokes about "Barbara's Bush" back in the day as well. And I'm not a fan of Ms P or Barbara B either. I would ask some libs, you hated sexism directed at Hillary, why don't you mind it directed at Sarah? Is it just the target that's important to you, not the sexism? But it'd be pointless. I never understood why making jokes about someone's "bush" or "dick" is funny in the first place.
56
Sexism in this case is in the eye of the beholder.
I look forward to the inevitable day when tedious issues like this are obsolete.
58
It's your job to point this out? No no ECB, it's your job to write.
It's your forceful feminist ways that make you point this out.
59
Offensive Yes, Sexist No.
I put forth THE TEST for (an -ist as in, race-ist, sex-ist), as all college educated folks learned in their humanities-intercultral studies classes, is to merely substitute one group with another and see if the meaning changes. If the meaning changes, then test failed and it is an (-ist). If the meaning does not change, test passed, it is not an (-ist)
Offensive is a matter of personal taste. Not everything offensive is demonstrating hatred, ya know?
So, a republican, who is a woman, is being compared to an another person, who is a man. Is that comparision prima facie sexist? I say no. The double entendre, the second meaning, the sexism charge, is that a woman, in being compared in the manner which assumes that the man's name is a slur for vagina, thereby sluring the woman.
Put a picture of men, repulican men, such as Mccain, Gonzales, Giuliani, Rossi, Cheney, Santorum on that image (removing the female politican image) and the (first) comparison meaning does not change. the double entendre, (the second meaning) for example, using cheney with cheney being compared to a vagina is not a slur of sexism. (if the word was pussy and not bush, then the results would vary. But the word was BUSH and not PUSSY, so that doesn't matter right now.)
I put forth that the image posted by ECB is offensive to ECB and others, but does not rise to the level of commonly held sexism.
60
Erica Darling, I think you're taking simple vulgarity a step too far. I don't read a blanket condemnation of all women in it, and there were similar ads about Dick Cheney, playing on the vulgar parlance for the male reproductive organ.
62
ms @34 has given me a new and delightful addition to the penis nicknames list: "yard art". and by logical extension, "lawn" for female pubes. see, it's possible to have fun with this stuff, erica. and i agree with those who think the stencil is the work of irrelevant, vulgar fools who don't warrant your attentions.
63
Sorry, Erica, I disagree. Criticizing Sarah Palin in no way implies anything about any other woman.
Palin dragged her skanky bush -- not to mention her white trash family -- into the public arena, with no reasonable justification (as you point out). ANY comment about this freaky woman is FAIR GAME.
64
If I could get my hands on a "Clean-Shaven Palin" meets Britney Spears video, I wouldn't leave the house for at least a week.
65
59, what are you talking about? it is obviously referring to palin's vagina. the meaning completely changes whether they're talking about a man or a woman. anyway, by your definition, calling her "mrs palin" would be sexist. get a refund for those 5 college credits.
67
Just reminds me of those Good Bush, Bad Bush t-shirts lesbians and straight men wore around the time of the last two elections. I don't see the harm at all, and I kinda like it (and I've got a bush -- and a Hillary yard sign.)
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