Why is it that we are still at a point in our culture where women continue to be pigeonholed as one thing or another?
Did I miss the memo that said we are all supposed to act and think the same — as a “momolith,” if you will?
So much of the media have been asking during this presidential campaign, What do women have to say about Sarah Palin? Shouldn’t mothers be more excited that a mom of young children is a candidate for vice president? Why aren’t we all migrating from Hillary Clinton to Palin? Why didn’t women all vote for Clinton?
And now, the New York Times seems to be scratching its institutional head over the women of The View being tough political questioners.
Women with brains! Expressing opinions! Challenging the candidates on their answers!
How SHOCKING!
Why is it so difficult for the MSM, and so many others, to see us as multi-faceted? They expect us to be multi-taskers, but then believe that if we have two X chromosomes, our brains are all wired the same way.
OK, I guess that’s really a lot of questions without me coming up with any answers. But it’s about time women in the media are taken seriously, even if they’re not officially hard-news journalists, because it’s easier for people like Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg to ask the big questions about the things we’re all thinking. When Behar used the ‘L’ word about McCain’s false ads, I wondered for a moment whether she ought to be running for something, but that sort of willingness to not put lipstick on a pig is what we need more of. And there are lots of women willing to do just that.
The women of The View, and I’m guessing other programs not typically news shows, don’t feel the constraints some of the more established journalists may have about treading lightly with politicians or finding phrases that are more gentle and euphemistic when calling the candidates on the carpet.
But is it newsworthy that more women are asking the real questions and wanting answers from the candidates?
It shouldn’t be.
September 23rd, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Women have always had opinions; we just have not always voiced them. Certainly not newsworthy. The View must just have a good PR connection to push this through. And since when is The View considered a news source?
September 23rd, 2008 at 2:27 pm
What made The View’s recent interview of McCain newsworthy wasn’t that they were women voicing their opinions or asking questions on behalf of those of us women whom have no access to the candidates directly, but the whining from the Republican side that came thereafter.
The rest of us were just grateful that someone at last called it like we see it!
September 23rd, 2008 at 3:28 pm
I guess there are only 3 kinds of women really in the mind of the media – young, middle-aged and old – and by and large we are most concerned with all things “female”.
It’s kind of like the why they group minorities. The hispanic vote or the black vote. As though only white men were individuals and the rest of us belong to collectives like the Borg on Star Trek, sharing one mind and goal.
It’s very 19th century of them.
September 23rd, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I don’t know why this is sooooooooooo shocking either! I was just on a MOMS site and folks were saying they skip right over political discussions… and I’m thinking – WHAT? Research, Learn… make an informed choice. This is important!
Love your blog.
em
September 23rd, 2008 at 4:42 pm
It’s not like we think with our…never mind. Seriously, though, is it really news that women have intelligent opinions? And aren’t afraid to voice them? You’re right on, it shouldn’t be news.