Miss Representation

I just happened upon a documentary on the Oprah Winfrey Network today called Miss Representation, and, purely coincidentally, was having an Instant Message conversation with my daughter about the very same topic: gender bias.  The documentary proposes (and supports, with many examples) how women in politics and the media are judged by their appearances--almost always by men--and not their abilities.  Had I not experienced this first-hand many times over, I might have been suspicious of the premise, but I have lived it.

I was a child of the 60s and a young adult in the 70s--Women's Lib days.  It wasn't about man-hating.  It was about achieving the same rights as men--rights that even black men achieved in this country before the entire female gender.  I think there has always been a bit of rebel in me.  During the 60s, I was a hippie sympathizer, but not a hippie.  I was too respectful of all that my parents had worked for to consider trashing it by my behavior.  (Brother Doug, at least six years younger than I, had no such reservations.)  Thus, although I have never participated openly in any rallies or movements, I always had the causes in my heart, and they do get my blood racing.

I think the first time I became painfully aware of the male-right-wing gender thing was during the presidential election of 2000, Bush against Gore, where the votes in Florida had to be counted and recounted several times, and it finally came down to a female judge to determine the winner for that state.  At the time, I was still teaching.  Every day, I sat with three other middle-aged educators (all male): the district Superintendent, a history teacher, and the government teacher.  They used to make outrageous statements in front of me, then watch out of the corner of their eyes to see what I was going to do about what they said.  One day, in the midst of the whole Florida vote-counting thing, the history teacher commented something about "that fat-ass, black bitch of a judge".  I threw up my hands and said, "But we aren't prejudiced here!!"  He promptly went off on me, telling me that he was TIRED of his tax dollars going to pay for black people who don't work and just keep having children in order to take advantage of the welfare system...blah, blah...totally missing the point.  It was my cue to understand that it did NOT matter that the judge had a law degree and had jurisdiction over the question at hand.  The fact that she was overweight, African-American, and FEMALE meant that she should not have the power to determine a state election.  Had she been male, there would have been no such comment from him.  Men don't comment on other men's weight, etc. 

But they DO comment on appearances of women in the spotlight.  How many times have I heard political pundits and others make comments about how women look?  I haven't kept count, but the documentary makes it painfully obvious.  No one in the media comments on men's hairstyles, outfits, or other physical attributes.  No one!

In the last election, I had a distant radio friend make a comment to me on Facebook that he wished I would help Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with her wardrobe and makeup.  Roughly quoted: "I wish you could help Hillary.  The last time I saw her, she looked like a bag lady."  Rather than blast into him for his obvious sexism, I decided to be a smart aleck in my response (also paraphrased):  "I didn't know you and Mrs. Clinton were on a first-name basis.  When was the last time you saw her?  State dinner at the White House?  Presidential meeting in the Oval Office?  En route somewhere on Air Force One??  I know that affairs of state are determined by how she looks and can be stressful enough that I'm certain she will want to hear from me about how to look better, so I'll be sure to write her as soon as possible with my grooming tips."  The only thing I heard back from him on that was that he could see I was doing well as a "smartass".  Nothing since, thankfully.

Guess what, boys and girls?  One's ability to do a job has NOTHING to do with one's appearance, although I will admit that even I am somewhat biased by tattoos and piercings.  To comment on how someone looks is to deny what they would say about you, if you were in the spotlight.  'Tis one reason why I will not be attending my former stepson's memorial services next weekend.  I don't want to give fodder for commentary about how old and fat I am.  I am still me.  It is what it is.

If you don't believe that gender bias exists, I encourage you to look around on TV....find a screening of Miss Respresentation, and draw your own conclusions.  I rest my case!