2008 Woodie Awards
She who thinks artwork was sexist
Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: Letters to the editor
I am writing in response to the political cartoon for the article, "A cheat's move by picking Palin." I agree 100% with the article and am myself, anti-Palin, but find the political cartoon to be offensive because it targets Palin not as a candidate, but as a woman.
I feel it was unnecessary to portray Palin with such a patriarchal mentality. Why would you want to instill such a negative perception of women on our youth? The way we perceive things becomes our reality. The media heavily influences our society's attitudes and images such as Palin in a bra and a miniskirt with her torso exposed reinforces a negative image that diverts progression and is volatile to the woman's liberation movement.
The current election is proof that sexism is still in existence in the United States; the country that preaches equality though does not enforce it.
Criticism should be directed toward qualifications, political experience, and achievements rather than purely sexist comments that are irrelevant to the individual's credibility as seen earlier with Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign for the Democratic presidential nominee.
John McCain referred to Hillary in a comment, "I think they put some lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." Other comments ridiculed the way she dressed and condemned her for not being feminine enough while a male candidate would never be scrutinized for his style of dress.
Many rejected the idea of a female commander-in-chief because it is a "man's job" and a woman would be too emotional. MSNBC "Hardball" host, Chris Matthew, commented on Hilary saying, "the reason she's a U.S senator, the reason she's a candidate for president, the reason she may be a front-runner is her husband messed around. That's how she got to be senator from New York. We keep forgetting it. She didn't win there on her merit."
Then there are countless vulgar sites like VPILF.com and t-shirts that sexualize Sarah Palin. All of these comments have no grounds of validity whatsoever.
Crude comments and campaign commercials are expected on a political battlefield but these comments should never target gender as a weakness or disability.
We should be intolerant of sexism as a society. Our mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers fought and sacrificed for what we have today and we are obliged to exercise these rights to the fullest extent and to protect them for the generation to come for our sons and daughters.
Many women take these rights for granted and are oblivious to the struggles our predecessors endured to secure these rights that had long been denied due to dominating patriarchal ideas.
Sovera Nourn
LBCC Student
I feel it was unnecessary to portray Palin with such a patriarchal mentality. Why would you want to instill such a negative perception of women on our youth? The way we perceive things becomes our reality. The media heavily influences our society's attitudes and images such as Palin in a bra and a miniskirt with her torso exposed reinforces a negative image that diverts progression and is volatile to the woman's liberation movement.
The current election is proof that sexism is still in existence in the United States; the country that preaches equality though does not enforce it.
Criticism should be directed toward qualifications, political experience, and achievements rather than purely sexist comments that are irrelevant to the individual's credibility as seen earlier with Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign for the Democratic presidential nominee.
John McCain referred to Hillary in a comment, "I think they put some lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." Other comments ridiculed the way she dressed and condemned her for not being feminine enough while a male candidate would never be scrutinized for his style of dress.
Many rejected the idea of a female commander-in-chief because it is a "man's job" and a woman would be too emotional. MSNBC "Hardball" host, Chris Matthew, commented on Hilary saying, "the reason she's a U.S senator, the reason she's a candidate for president, the reason she may be a front-runner is her husband messed around. That's how she got to be senator from New York. We keep forgetting it. She didn't win there on her merit."
Then there are countless vulgar sites like VPILF.com and t-shirts that sexualize Sarah Palin. All of these comments have no grounds of validity whatsoever.
Crude comments and campaign commercials are expected on a political battlefield but these comments should never target gender as a weakness or disability.
We should be intolerant of sexism as a society. Our mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers fought and sacrificed for what we have today and we are obliged to exercise these rights to the fullest extent and to protect them for the generation to come for our sons and daughters.
Many women take these rights for granted and are oblivious to the struggles our predecessors endured to secure these rights that had long been denied due to dominating patriarchal ideas.
Sovera Nourn
LBCC Student
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