The Double Standard
Posted by janisstrope on November 13, 2008
Women need to speak up when we are faced with double standards, you know, the kinds of things that seem to only apply or be expected of us, because we are women. During the U.S. presidential campaign, the mainstream media went crazy with rumors about clothes, without finding out the truth before they reported anything. But were they looking at everyone’s clothes? Everyone’s makeup people and stylists? No. Only Governor Palin’s. Only the woman’s.
Here’s her comments from Larry King’s show on November 12:
“Here is something, we took a little bit of criticism of she has somebody doing her makeup before she goes on stage. Who is paying for that? Is this a reflection of who she as a hard working every day American hockey mom from Wasilla, Alaska, is this who she is? Kind of a double standard there, Larry, because I have never heard still the other ticket have been asked who is doing their makeup before they go on stage. Who is making sure that their tie is straight, and ready to head out there to do a speech? A little bit of a double-standard, but again a little bit of an annoyance there.
The whole clothes issue, that’s part of the periphery, kind of the pettiness that was involved in the campaign that had absolutely nothing to do with policies, plans, records, values, convictions, kind of ridiculous.”
Raising these periphery issues with women, from Palin’s clothes to Clinton’s hair and pantsuits trivializes them. It makes the image of them less than it is. They become those caricatures, rather than fully human people. It makes it harder for their words to be heard, their ideas to be shared, and their goals for the country to be understood.
Speak up and speak out when someone tries to smother another woman’s ideas by shifting the topic to her hair, clothes, voice, or body. Don’t let anyone trivialize you or any other woman.
