BLARG SEXISM

I do not like Sarah Palin. I despise Sarah Palin's politics. I loathe her politcal stances. I hate her anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-environmental ideas. I am astonished that anyone thinks she could even begin to be qualified for VP.

Which is why I hate having to stick up for her.

But this?



Let's get this out in the open. This is sexist. It's possible it was meant to be ironic and intended to point out the ridiculousness and the sexism in people's refusing to question Palin's obviously poor judgment because they'd like to fuck her, but if so it was done very poorly. And somehow I don't think that's actually what they were going for. This is sexist. Whether it was intended to be ironic or not, intentions don't mean much when you're final product comes out like that.

Valuing or dismissing women based on their appearance and supposed fuckability is one of the oldest and nastiest tricks in the book. Responding with "LOLOL but you're ugly!" or "LOLOL pretty girls R dumb!" is so classic that women come to expect it. Diminishing women until all that is left is their appearance is a classic and foul tactic of the patriarchy. Saying, "Haha, you're just a fuckhole to me!" is the same threat and the same treatment that women fight off every single day and they strive be seen as human beings.

So I don't appreciate anyone thinking that the way to go after Palin is to say, "Haha, she's just a fuckhole to me!"

No matter how much I don't like her.

Because that doesn't just affect her. It affects every woman who attempts to achieve in anything. The argument goes both ways and can be used on both sides. Validating that agrument keeps it alive to use against everyone.

We can be better than that. We don't need to resort to putting women in their place to win a campaign.