Slog

News & Arts

The Stranger Suggests

Critics' Best Bets
Music Arts & Food


Line Out

Music & the City
at Night

Monday, May 18, 2009

The Gender Gap

Posted by on Mon, May 18, 2009 at 5:11 PM

Gee, hard to understand why the GOP has such a difficult time attracting female voters.

Oh.

 

Comments (34) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment
kim in portland 1
It seems only the truly ugly at heart can't find beauty in others. Oh, and way to be superfical asshats, guys.
Posted by kim in portland http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/11/fast-paced_video_provides_a_fu.html on May 18, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Julie in Eugene 2
I truly do not understand the Pelosi hatred and vitriol. A guy I know (Republican-oriented), put her on one of those Facebook "5 People I'd like to Punch in the Face" lists, calling her a bitch. I mean... really... I don't get it. What exactly has Pelosi done that so enrages these people?

She seems pretty innocuous to me. If anything, it seems like it should be the left that's upset with her for not being more active. I find it hard to see why the right hates her so much unless it really is just about a woman in a position of power...
Posted by Julie in Eugene on May 18, 2009 at 5:26 PM
merry 3
What a bunch of pricks.

Yet this makes me very happy -- keep it up, guys: you couldn't be advertising your true (reptilian) colors any better. SHOW the people who you really are, so the people can decide who they want to align themselves with. Keep the patriarchal sexist bullshit coming, please.

Posted by merry on May 18, 2009 at 5:28 PM
Will in Seattle 4
There will come a day when the GOP will be just another question on a History exam, just like the Whig party.

Good riddance.
Posted by Will in Seattle http://www.facebook.com/WillSeattle on May 18, 2009 at 5:31 PM
Jessica 5
@2: She's a strong Democratic woman in power who doesn't give a fuck and isn't interested in looking fuckable for them. That's what seems to drive them batty.
Posted by Jessica on May 18, 2009 at 5:36 PM
Vince 6
She's a symbol for their limp dicks. They are politically impotent and their minds associate that with a female challenge to their crude vulgar masculinity. Pitiful. I just hope she ignores them and continues on as Speaker.
Posted by Vince on May 18, 2009 at 5:39 PM
7
Rasmussen has a poll showing more people support her than the opposing point of view in the did-the-CIA-lie-to-her thing.

You'd have no idea, from watching mainstream media, or MSNBC.
Posted by PC on May 18, 2009 at 5:43 PM
8
@2

she enrages people by not doing anything truly hateful. these pundits attack her image because they can't argue with her politics. its simple bullying. if anything, these sorts of insults prove she's doing a good job.

besides, even when he was oppressing the whole planet, didn't we all smile a little through our tears when g.w. bush stumbled over his words? it almost made the destruction of human rights palatable...
Posted by tina fish on May 18, 2009 at 5:46 PM
Hyzenthlayk9 9
"I find it hard to see why the right hates her so much unless it really is just about a woman in a position of power... "

Julie @2: I think you've answered your own query. It also recalls some of the hostility that was shown to Hillary Clinton when she started to emerge as a woman with the potential for a political life of her own. To a lesser degree, there was some of that toward Elizabeth Dole and if you look at potential and confirmed appointees for the Supreme Court and for Cabinet positions, the hostility for the female candidates tends to have a particularly nasty edge to it that seems to be rooted in misogyny.
Posted by Hyzenthlayk9 http://oystermind.blogspot.com/ on May 18, 2009 at 6:03 PM
10
You can have their model, where they make hilariously inappropriate and unprofessional cracks about Pelosi's hideous Joker face.

Or you can have ours, where we almost always burst into pussified tears over something as marginal as bitch rights.
Posted by Mr. Poe on May 18, 2009 at 6:16 PM
Cracker Jack 11
Please, everyone knows that the women of the GOP don't listen to political broadcasts -- they stay in the kitchen and vote for who their husbands tell them to!
Posted by Cracker Jack on May 18, 2009 at 6:30 PM
12
A kitchen crack? Jesus fucking fail.
Posted by Mr. Poe on May 18, 2009 at 6:40 PM
lizzie 13
Women voters support gay marriage, national health care, leaving Iraq, and pretty much all other progressive issues at an overwhelming majority. Women voters voted for Gore and Kerry at a clear majority; male voters supported Bush both times in a landslide. This is despite more women than men identifying as religious. We need to redefine masculinity away from cruelty and oppression to make any sort of democratic progress.

See Mr. Poe for a prime example.
Posted by lizzie on May 18, 2009 at 6:50 PM
Steven Bradford 14
"I truly do not understand the Pelosi hatred and vitriol."

I know what you mean Julie. We saw similar with Hilary Clinton, and not just from conservatives but from supposed liberals too. Why does anyone think this is an effective way to attract people to their side?
Posted by Steven Bradford http://www.seanet.com/~bradford/ on May 18, 2009 at 7:03 PM
4f...sake 15
I have difficulty listening to Rush fucking Limbaugh. Thank you Jesus that the video doesn't show his face.
Posted by 4f...sake on May 18, 2009 at 7:09 PM
Baconcat 16
You can't pile on Palin or Prejean, but Pelosi is a perfect target?

And what is their preoccupation with women whose names start with "P"?
Posted by Baconcat on May 18, 2009 at 7:31 PM
Cracker Jack 17
@12: I'm sorry, these men are proving me wrong how? They have no respect for women aside from beauty queens. Oh, wait, that's not respect either.

The GOP has no desire for women to have any real power or sway.
Posted by Cracker Jack on May 18, 2009 at 7:42 PM
18
@13

Oh my gosh! I had no idea! About any of that! Thank God you're taking me srsly.

@17

Nobody cares.
Posted by Mr. Poe on May 18, 2009 at 8:09 PM
Max Solomon 19
their job is to throw mud until something sticks. how do you attack a woman? her looks. how do you attack a man? his erections.

see above.
Posted by Max Solomon on May 18, 2009 at 8:10 PM
lizzie 20
Q: What's the difference between a bigoted hatemonger and a bigoted hatemonger who says he's just joking when confronted?

A: Nothing!
Posted by lizzie on May 18, 2009 at 8:21 PM
Cracker Jack 21
@18: No, YOU don't care. You are not everybody. Remember, thou art mortal.
Posted by Cracker Jack on May 18, 2009 at 8:25 PM
22
Apparently you have something to prove. That's cute. I like how this is where you do it.
Posted by Mr. Poe on May 18, 2009 at 8:25 PM
23
@21

I actually confused you with a different commenter. Quick to hate. Hawhoops.
Posted by Mr. Poe on May 18, 2009 at 8:26 PM
this guy I know in Spokane 24
I love it when white, middle-aged male Republicans get their asses kicked by dried-out old Botoxed hags. Go, hags, go!

I can't wait for the 65-year-old Julia Roberts to play her in the biopic.
Posted by this guy I know in Spokane on May 18, 2009 at 9:16 PM
25
@24

She already played her in Pretty Woman.
Posted by Mr. Poe on May 18, 2009 at 9:19 PM
26
I don't know if people can help their reactions to how people look, but the Republicans are way too ready to jump on how the female politicians look, especially when they're threatened by what's coming out of their mouths. I recall a debate in high school that I was winning, and my opponent (a jock) said "Well, you're just UGLY so I don't need to listen to you." He got the required laugh. I won the debate. And high school is about where those boys on TV are at.
Posted by Sarah in Olympia on May 18, 2009 at 9:42 PM
Supreme Ruler Of The Universe 27
I've coined the buzzword of the 2009's

P E L O N E Y !

As in, that guy with the ab roller is full of peloney!

Use it, plagiarize it...but love it, too.
Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe http://yrihf.com on May 18, 2009 at 11:16 PM
JF 28
I'm sorry. Is this not the website that has been calling Prejean a cunt bitch whore for the past two weeks? Give me a goddamn break.

The fact of the matter is when a woman does something that others don't agree with, the first thing that comes out of people's mouths is "she is a cunt bitch whore". Stop pretending to be any different.
Posted by JF on May 19, 2009 at 7:29 AM
29
Well - I'm pretty sure pictures of Limbaugh would ruin my libido.
Posted by Sili on May 19, 2009 at 7:40 AM
Hyzenthlayk9 30
Sarah @26: Thanks for sharing that story (and glad to hear that you won - it's always nice when reasoned facts can trump blowhards & their diversionary tactics).

Funny isn't it that a high school debater would use grade school playground taunts to try to win an argument - and sadder that so-called "adult" pundits resort to those same tactics.
Posted by Hyzenthlayk9 http://oystermind.blogspot.com/ on May 19, 2009 at 7:44 AM
31
who is this Mr Poe character? did they time travel from the 1950's?

I wish I was surprised by the comments.... but it is the art of distraction, rather than discuss the ideas or issues, pick apart how the woman looks or the dislike for her pant suit.
Posted by jtchicago on May 19, 2009 at 8:07 AM
32
I completely agree that those comments about Pelosi are not only hateful, but have no relevance to the job she's doing. However, I don't think we should pretend that men NEVER deal with this sort of thing. I mean, in the last election (in which I voted and campaigned for Obama, by the way), how often were there comments made about John McCain and how old he was, and how he's falling apart. I mean, obviously someone's age and health are important as far as the Presidency, but the jokes went beyond competency on the job and went straight for mean-spiritedness. Ever since the dawn of televised elections, the way a politician looks has been extremely important. There have been polls that show that women are more likely to vote for guys they think are attractive, or give off the APPEARANCE of being a good leader, regardless of whether they actually ARE one. Do women get judged based on a different set of criteria? Yes. But are they the only ones being judged on looks, manner of dress, or youthfulness? No.

I don't know why but, even though I'm a woman and even though I'm usually one of the first to point out the gender gap, it bothers me when people complain about stuff like this - in either Pelosi's case or Hillary Clinton's. I guess it's because I'm tired of making the woman out to be the victim all the time. I guess it's because I don't think these two women in particular give a rat's ass what people like Rush "Pill Popper" Limbaugh say about them, and that our rushing to their aid without them expressing a need for it also contributes to demeaning them.
Posted by Teresa Jusino http://revolvingdoorcommune.wordpress.com on May 19, 2009 at 8:41 AM
Geni 33
The appropriate response to Bloato making remarks about Pelosi's looks would be to point out that he and his excess half-ton of jiggly yellow blubber aren't precisely God's gift to humankind, either.
Posted by Geni on May 19, 2009 at 12:31 PM
34
@ 33: No shit. It always amazes me when Limbaugh and his kind bitch about women being ugly. It's like "bitch, do you own a mirror?"

Looks are irrelevant anyway. It's not as if a person should vote based on who they want to fuck. (though pretty much anyone would still rather fuck Pelosi than Limbaugh. Not that anyone could find his dick in the first place)

Using looks like this is just sexist bullshit dismissal. Argue with her on merit. It's not like everyone made fun of Bush "wow, he has big fucking ears on a little head." It's true, but we were too distracted by how stupid and/or evil he was.
Posted by JudT on May 19, 2009 at 5:20 PM

Add a comment

Advertisement
 

All contents © Index Newspapers, LLC
1535 11th Ave (Third Floor), Seattle, WA 98122
Contact Info | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Takedown Policy