January 11, 2008

50% of the country has a vagina - get used to it

Anyone else mad at the sexism running rampant around the media coverage of Hilary Clinton's campaign? Anything think, in particular, Chris Matthews of MSNBC is ridiculous because he can't stop being amazed that a woman is running for president? Called her a she-devil and put up a graphic of Hilary with horns? Pinches the cheek of a presidential candidate?

Me too.

Media Matters put out a call to let MSNBC know that this isn't acceptable anymore, and I highly suggest you take the 2 minutes to e-mail MSNBC and Hardball to tell them Chris Matthews shouldn't be on television.

MSNBC
letters@msnbc.com

Chris Matthews
hardball@msnbc.com

I am just so sick of this. Stop pretending like it's not happening, because it is. Do something about it. If we let this slide, it'll get worse.

Maybe it's because it's late, and maybe it's because I'm tired, but I really feel like concerned people everywhere need to do something about this one. If you call yourself a feminist, write in. If you think that a woman should be paid the same rate as a man for the same job, write in. If you think everyone, regardless of chromosomes, should be able to vote, write in. If you think Matthews has a silly haircut, write in. Whatever you do, just write MSNBC.

The mere fact that this is a problem in the first place is utterly demoralizing and insulting. This is so important, because it sends the press the message that we don't want bullshit pundits who are more concerned about sound bites than about debating real issues.

Vote for who you want to vote for, but don't let the campaign become one where the press spends more time writing about a candidate's "cackle" or clothes. If she's going to lose, it had better be over issues and not over the fact that she's got a vagina.

And by the way, I'll let you know that Mitt Romney has cried three times during this election season, and YESTERDAY Bush had tears in his eyes at Israel's Holocaust Memorial. Where's the news coverage on that?

5 comments:

Katie said...

Here's the letter I sent! Except for a grievous syntax error that pisses me off royally, I'm pleased with it.

Any readers feel free to use it, but if you do, fix that error for me in the third-to-last sentence. Thanks. Lindsay, want to help me research sponsors? I want to write to them, too.

Dear Sir or Madam,

Chris Matthews blatantly sexist criticisms of Senator Hillary Clinton are an embarrassment to your network and to the journalistic field. If he is unable to present legitimate intellectual discussion and debate of the urgent issues facing our nation, then I call on you to replace him with someone who can. Let's stop appealing only to the lowest common denominator and expect more of ourselves and the nation. Doesn't your network take pride is producing and presenting a quality product? The give us some quality! Until Chris Matthews actual exerts some effort and researches something other than how Senator Clinton will react when having her cheek obnoxiously pinched, his show is a pathetic shell of journalism. I will not watch his show or buy products from his sponsors.

Sexism isn't new. This is such old hat that we, as a society, should really be beyond this by now. Let's move forward, msnbc, not backwards.

Katherine Bacher
Green Bay, Wisconsin

lindsay said...

I like it, Katie! Here's my letter - a little less formal than yours, but still strongly worded nonetheless.

MSNBC,
I could barely tolerate Chris Matthews' show up until recently, and now I'm finally doing something about it. He is one of the most sexist pundits on television and it's unacceptable. Matthews' constant amazement at the face
that any woman is doing anything successful in politics is ridiculous. The way he covers Clinton's campaign does nothing for his show - it just makes him look
stupid and out-of-date. The mere nerve of him to pinch a US senator's face - much less a leading candidate for the presidency - is too much for me and I'm having problems holding back my vomit. Take the sexist asshole off the air. He's lost already in the shape up category - just ship him out. He said he'll never again underestimate Clinton, but then the very next day continued to spew
bullshit out of his mouth. He should never underestimate the intelligent, funny, vivacious women who live in this country, and who are now urging for his dismissal. Lose him.

lindsay said...

Ahhh! I just realized I sent them this sentence:

Matthews' constant amazement at the face that any woman is doing anything successful in politics is ridiculous.

Fact! fact!

Katie said...

That's okay, I don't believe in faces. I believe in my gut.

lindsay said...

I believe in your gut too!