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Photo-sexism

This picture of Wendy Davis appeared in the news today-



This picture shows a female candidate posing with a group of young women, wearing the same pink shoes in which she argued a 'women's issue', abortion, in the Texas state house.  Let's imagine this situation inverted.

Imagine a male candidate posing with a group of young men, wearing shoes in which he argued a 'men's issue', perhaps soccer cleats or hunting boots. Can you imagine the story? There would be an outcry about chauvinism, about how this male candidate was out of touch with women, or could not appeal to a female constituency. His shoes would be proof he was a lunk, a one-dimensional candidate. My mother once said that if you could reverse the sexes and get a different outcome it was sexism. This picture is nothing but the most blatant sexist appeal, and our media not only say nothing but publish the picture.

The same thing is happening with Hillary Clinton and indeed with all female candidates. It is assumed their 'natural constituency' is women, just as a black candidate is assumed to be more appealing to blacks. If a male candidate is or was more appealing to men that would be taken as clear proof of a sexist appeal, or ignorant bias on the part of voters. Why is this not so for female, Hispanic, black or other 'minority' candidates?

So long as we as a society assume demographic identifiers will pull votes, and as long as people make choices based on demographics rather than qualifications, we are continuing to live out prejudice. Those biases are sufficiently ingrained that our media don't even realize they are pandering to their own assumptions. Thus Wendy Davis is assumed to appeal to women because she is female and pro-abortion. How about for pro-life women? Or women who judge based on more than gender?

It was outrageous for an interviewer to ask the CEO of GM what it was like being a mother. In part I agree; it is unlikely a man would have faced a question about being a father. It is just as outrageous for us and our media to be accepting grossly sexist imagery as correct and palatable.

Let's see Wendy Davis get out of the pink tennis shoes and hobnob with male professionals. How will that play?

Ted

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