Why Does Sarah Palin Bring Out The Mean Girls In Us?
Posted by: Wendy Atterberry
Filed in:
news
10:30AM, Monday September 29th 2008
Any female who’s survived the treacherous battleground of a junior high school slumber party knows that no one can bring a girl down harder and faster than another girl. Slumber parties from my past always included as many crying jags, jabbing insults, hurtful gossip, and broken friendships as they did romantic comedies and popcorn balls. So is it any surprise the people who are most aggressively pushing for the immediate downfall of Sarah Palin are other women? In recent interviews, Palin’s comes across like a nervous beauty pageant contestant, and many of us grownup women can’t throw her bra in the freezer fast enough—metaphorically speaking, of course. So what is it about Sarah Palin that brings out the Mean Girls in us? Why are women—smart, savvy, sophisticated women—the first to use sexist tactics to bring a woman down?
Some women fear someone like Palin, who opposes gun control and a woman’s right to choose, who questions the existence of global warming and supports censorship, will affect not only women’s roles and rights in society, but the health and progress of our nation in general if she’s elected Vice President of the United States. Looking to oppose her politically, we use whatever dirty tricks and high-powered artillery we’ve got in our bags to shoot her down. For a lot of us, that means objectifying her in a sexist way that only another woman could. We make fun of the way she speaks, question her parenting skills, mock her “sexy secretary” look, deem her a redneck, and laugh at her beauty pageant past—and we do it all in the name of “political consciousness.” Many women would rather see Palin crying in the bathroom than governing in the White House. Ignoring the issues, we turn into nasty female attackers to assert our political ideals. Maybe some women think desperate times call for desperate measures. But if Palin ends up a loser, and she’s the one throwing a tantrum behind a locked bathroom door this time, will we be happy knowing our mean tricks and mean girl ways played a part in keeping her out of office?
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amanda lynn
wrote on September 29 2008 @ 10:53 am: [report]
no matter what person was up for VP, there would be jokes about them on SNL. it’s what they do. sarah makes it easy.
and as for the rest of us, i don’t think that many of us trust that she can handle the job well!
bella
wrote on September 29 2008 @ 01:01 pm: [report]
I agree with amanda lynn.
What I hate about this campaign that whatever criticism is directed toward Palin, its automatically sexist. Questioning, and criticism is not sexism. SNL, Daily Show, etc.-it’s their job to poke at the funny, with the underlying sentiment of her not being ready. With many of the words being the exact things that come out her mouth. If it was Hilary on the ballot she would be crucified for suggesting the same things Palin’s campaign is complaining about.
wendy
wrote on September 29 2008 @ 02:01 pm: [report]
I don’t think it’s sexist to question her readiness, but questioning her parenting skills, objectifying her looks, making fun of her beauty pageant past, and mocking the way she talks are.
Olivia
wrote on September 29 2008 @ 02:03 pm: [report]
I reallly don’t think that people are being that sexist towards her. Comedy shows make fun of any politician, male or female.
Just because she’s a woman people can automaticly jump to the “oh that’s so sexist” defense, when really, it’s still the same treatment, just a different person being subjected to it.
Woman or not, Sarah Palin’s politics scare the heck out of me, and I deeply hope that America will have the good sense to keep her out of office.
SueJane
wrote on September 29 2008 @ 02:53 pm: [report]
@ Wendy - mocking the way she talks is sexist?? Sorry, but that’s atarded.
Daisy
wrote on September 29 2008 @ 03:06 pm: [report]
I totally get it. How relevant are Palin’s swimsuit pageant days anyway?...And yet, the Huffington Post is featuring it. It’s a dirty tactic but I love it!
I do not want to see Palin in the White House and no one knows a woman’s weak spots like another woman.
The truth is, most of us could not run for public office without being humiliated by the shadow of our coming of age antics.
Still…if you’re going to run with the big dogs.
Daisy
wrote on September 29 2008 @ 03:08 pm: [report]
Also Olivia,
it’s because most people don’t use “good sense” when making these decisions that these tactics must be deployed.
Lynn
wrote on September 29 2008 @ 03:20 pm: [report]
It’s not her vagina that makes me hate her. It’s her brain (or lack thereof). And yes, I would absolutely rather see her crying in the bathroom than governing in the white house. I’d like to see her doing ANYTHING except being a political power.
And I’m insulted at the insinuation that my dislike for Sarah Palin is hinged on our gender and not our minds.
Daisy
wrote on September 29 2008 @ 04:12 pm: [report]
Lynn - They aren’t saying that it’s her/our gender that leads to us disliking her…it’s saying that it’s interesting watching women using “mean girl” dirty tactics to bring her down. And, that if she were the right one for the job - we’d all be apalled, but since (for me at least) she’s not the right one - I’m turning my head away a bit at the objectification of Sarah Palin because what must be done, must be done.
wendy
wrote on September 29 2008 @ 04:36 pm: [report]
Daisy, yes, yes, you get it. Thank you.