Dear MSM, Mock Us and Ignore Us at Your Peril

The media love to mock women in the political world by using sexist terms that demean us and make us out to be something not worthy of serious consideration. We saw that time and time again during the 2008 presidential election as talking heads not-so-subtly suggested that Hillary Clinton was only a viable candidate for national office because we felt sorry for her after Bill cheated on her. And instead of focusing on Sarah Palin's qualifications, or lack thereof, as John McCain's running mate, the media focused on her looks and questioned whether a mother of five with young children still at home was up to playing with the big boys.

There's still plenty of that when it comes to powerful women -- one of the most recent examples is an article in the Washington Post about Elizabeth Warren, where they question whether she is a "zealot" because of her passion to help middle class families in these horrible economic times. When I see things like that, it's hard not to wonder whether a man in that position would have been described differently -- I'm betting a male counterpart would be described more positively as something like a "devoted advocate" rather than a "zealot," which has such a negative inference. (Not to mention the fact that the article was, yet again, another story about a politically powerful woman that got placed in the Style section. But that's another post for another day.)

Another increasingly common phenomenon I've been noticing is that some news outlets just act like we don't exist, implying through omission that it's just the big ol' menfolk who are out there trying to make change, with hardly a woman to be found!

The most recent outrageous example is a Politico article entitled, More Bloggers Throwing Hats in Ring.

The article explores the "phenomenon" of political bloggers deciding to take their voices beyond the bloggy world and actually try to get elected to office.  When I learned that the piece was being written, I was excited because I know several women bloggers who are doing just that! 

When I saw a call for information about the piece from someone I now know was involved in the research for the article, I e-mailed him with several names -- MOMocrats' friend Jill Miller Zimon of Writes Like She Talks who ran and was elected to her city council last year in Pepper Pike, Ohio; my former D.C. Metro Mom blog colleague Aimee Olivo who is running for School Board in Prince George's County, Maryland; and Ariana Kelly of MomsRising blog who has tossed her hat in the ring for a seat in the Maryland State House of Delegates.

11 men got included in the article, but only two women were mentioned, even though the reporter had at least three more names, and I'd have to bet he had more. So I have to ask -- how does that choice get made and why? One of the men highlighted in the article is Judd Legum, who is a blogger running for the Maryland State House of Delegates. He's talked up in the article as a big money raiser and his head shot is prominently featured just under the headline. Yet Ariana Kelly, who is also running for that same elective body and writes for a very prominent blog and organization that has over one million members is found nowhere in the article.

If one is truly interested in writing an article that fairly represents the growing movement of bloggers running for elective office, why leave out the numerous women and pen an article that implicitly suggests it's mostly a guy thing? I certainly hope it's not because these three women are moms. Because that would tick me off even more.

When the article does get around to tossing us gals a little bone, it's with a tone of dismissal with its offhanded reference to the recent BlogHer conference half-day session with The White House Project, that may as well have said, "Oh, isn't it cute that those lady bloggers are starting to think about running!"

So, other than beating our heads against our computers as it becomes clear that even when we try to step up to the plate with the boys, what do we do to combat the fact that they're just ignoring us? I guess we keep fighting -- fighting the likes of Politico, who also doesn't seem to recognize just how many of us women pundits are out here, fighting the Sunday talk shows, fighting NPR, fighting the Washington Post and the media in general that refuses to see political women where they are.

Maybe I should send the writer and his editor each one of these hats as a little reminder?

Or I could just send them an advance copy of this little baby! As the Politico piece said in its opening line, "The blog might be the new on ramp to American politics." Politico is right on that one -- but we "powerful blogger ladies" will try our best not to run over the menz as we accelerate past them onto the political highway!

You can also find Joanne mulling over how more political moms can make a difference at her place, PunditMom.

Image of MOMocrats at BlogHer '10 courtesy of MOMocrat Stephanie Himel-Nelson

Comments

[Lawyer Mama]

I got all distracted by the fact that I can pre-order your book! I guess that's the "mom" in me - easily distracted, so I shouldn't be taken seriously. Thank you for continuing to point these "oversights" out, Joanne. If we never call them on it, they'll just keep doing it.