Sexism in the MSM

(noon. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

As I’ve said before, I’m not much of one for rants. And I’m pretty sure I won’t do this one justice. But here comes one.

This morning, I’m reacting to two events in the MSM that reek of sexism. As we continue to work on a more equal playing field, these kinds of things are a blow and perpetuate the way that women and their capacities are undervalued and caricatured.

The first comes from US News and World Report in the form of a poll…who would run the best day care center.

Do I need to spell it out? These are all women who are engaged in social, political, and international causes. And whether you like them or agree with them on anything…what the hell does that have to do with running a day care center…something that I think requires a lot of skill and experience.

And if folks can’t see the sexism on that level, just imagine a similar poll where we’re asked whether you would prefer a day care center run by Bill Clinton, Henry Kissinger, Newt Gingrich or Tim Pawlenty…how totally ridiculous!!!!

The second comes from the Washington Post in their section Women on Faith where Sally Quinn asks this inane question.

This week in Doha, Qatar, I attended the Brookings Institution U.S.-Islamic World Forum. One of the papers presented was “on the impact of oil wealth on women in the middle east.” The author, Michael Ross, argues that the real culprit of the lower status of women in the Middle East is oil. That’s right. Oil. The concentration on the production of oil eliminates manufacturing, where women have the best chance for jobs. But more interestingly, because the average woman living in an oil-rich country does not need the extra income she stays home. Therefore the culture and society are dominated by men and women have much less political influence.

Do you think that if most American women did not need to work they would choose to stay at home? Is it in our nature? Is it what God intended? Of course, given the current state of the economy, we won’t have that problem in the U.S. for a long time! But I do think that our culture and traditions now encourage women to work outside the home, regardless of their financial status, and despite the fact that many of our faith traditions discourage it. Once women have a taste for running the world, there’s no going back. Or is there?

Leaving aside the conclusions of Michael Ross and the ridiculous question about what God intended, do you see what Quinn did with the ideas of “work” and “home?” The assumption being that a woman who stays home doesn’t “work” and its narrow application to what that means for upper income women, especially in the last century. Most women have always worked, whether its the job of caretaking the children and elderly in the family or contributing to food production and preparation – not to mention the millions who have always “worked outside the home.”

I’m writing about these things because they make me mad…and they happen in subtle ways all the time. I guess if we don’t speak out, they don’t get challenged and will inevitably continue. So consider me one woman who’s “yelling louder!!!!!!!”