BlogHer - sexism - Comments

As a sister publication up

JennG — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:13:17 -0600

As a sister publication up here in Canada, I think it is especially prevalent in media or entertainment jobs - or sales. We still have a ways to go!

"After 40, nothing is black and white anymore.... Most importantly, you
are a better friend to yourself." - "Circle of friends" on More.ca

For Women, Ageism Cuts Both Ways

EKSwitaj — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:43:36 -0600

For women, I think, ageism goes both ways. Older women are discriminated against, as this article suggests, but younger women can also have a hard time being taken seriously. I'm 28 but look significantly younger and not-coincidentally have a much higher success rate in telephone interviews than interviews conducted face-to-face.

Elizabeth Kate Switaj
www.elizabethkateswitaj.net

Ageism is related to sexism, and Lookism

maria.tseng — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:58:47 -0600

It's always good to have data that lends credibility to one's assumptions so it's nice to have a study. I had assumed that since time immemorial, women have known that LOOKING younger is an advantage in all spheres: work, personal relationships, everything. Women primp not only due to vanity but to be more effective in this Western, Hollywood-infused culture.

Who can dispute that whereas 'older men' are perceived to be distinguished, experienced, tough... 'older women' are more often than not assumed to be "b*****" whose behavior are irratic due to menopause, who are overweight due to lack of discipline, whose wrinkles are due to a careless disregard for Botox treatments?

Political correctness forbids open commentary on any connection between appearance and behavior, but it just drives the discussion (or prejudices) underground. Hollywood is both an accurate mirror, and a powerful driving force of American opinion. Even the most cursory attention to Hollywood's depiction of 'older characters' male and female, will betray this culture's adherence to LOOKISM.

Best Post on Topic!!

Julette Millien — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:54:37 -0600

Hi Prof. Kim!

By far, the most compelling, historically referenced and 'relatable' piece I've read on this topic. Thank you so much!

I'm actually in the midst of reading your most recent post on the 2008 transformation - sorry the exact title escapes me and clicked over here...WOW am I glad I did!

The excerpt from Jefferson was particularly jaw dropping though I knew of his racist views. To read it, is to imagine it and live it on a whole other level.

I will be pinting this post for my teenagers to read, today.

Part of me wished that Barack could have spoken more, defended more of the black liberation theology, but I knew the limits of America's "tolerance" for that sort of understanding. We would perhaps not be here today if he had.

As a daughter of the colonial era, and then the shock of America in the 60's - travelled here from Trinidad when I was 10, living with eyes and heart wide open to the injustice and seeing it as my personal responsibility to address, this piece of art/life you've produced here resonates deeply. Thank you.

Now back to your most important post ever! :)

Julette

♥♥♥

http://blog.myforgivenesskit.com

Sources and statistics on charitable giving

Suzanne Reisman — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:44:54 -0500

Hi imperfect parent,

Sorry about the delay in getting this posted. I put all the information at this post: http://www.blogher.com/charitable-giving-what-studies-numbers-and-statis...

The tables totally did not come out, so I'm not sure what to do about that, as they are sort of vital to the argument. Maybe I can get my husband to create a PDF and upload it. At any rate, the discussion is still good...

Suzanne Reisman, Contributing Editor - Feminism & Gender
Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants

The bail out

nelle2nelle — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:05:28 -0500

Lack of government regulation and circumvention of rules via new and unregulated products played a huge role in this.

Last I knew, this plan was implemented by a conservative adminstration tht begged Congress to go along. And in large part, I agree with the move.

As one who adjudicates unemployment compensation claims, I really do not relish seeing a double digit unemployment rate, but so too for do I not wish to for very humane reasons. We had to do something to correct the mess made via private industry.

Long term, the government should step out once it can recover its funding, but it needs to be involved with updated regulation.

We keep hearing about how the right detests big government, but history shows government oversight is essential.

nelle

llhaesa

Honest Discussion.....not allowed.

madmadmad — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 10:16:58 -0500

I couldn't agree more-it seems no matter what your stance is AGAINST Obama or liberalism these days, it is always turned around as some type of race issue, or sex issue, or anything other than the issue it actually is. Unfortunately, it seems there is no room in this election to disagree with the Obama camp or you will be penalized. Not only will they stop talking to you, but clearly, if you bring up any issue they don't want to discuss-or maybe more to the point-that the media doesn't want you to discuss-you will be shredded by them. These are just the two most recent examples. Throughout this election cycle, those on the left seem to want to stop any question, discussion, or investigation of anything that might be important to those who DISAGREE. All questioning is dismissed as uninformed, ridiculous, racist, silly, or "going too far" as it relates to the Democratic candidate. This is America, I am allowed to question anything I want, I am allowed to have an opinion, I am allowed to think or feel anything-and I should be allowed to do all of those things without being put into some category that is not even appropriate. Moreover, I should have a media outlet that will actually report all sides of the issues concerning points I am interested in. This way I can make up my OWN mind. Maybe you don't care about the same things I care about-that's fine, it's your right in this country-but that is no excuse to simply dismiss me on some false claim of racism and tell me to accept an OPINION because Obama or the media said so. Even in these comments, I feel many want to dismiss the entire post because somehow the definitions of Socialism and “fault” in the mortgage crisis have become more important discussion points than the original subject-that honest discussion can’t be had without distraction from the issue based on some off subject claim.

To my way of reading, this was the over-all point of the article, and I agree that it is a sad day in America when one is vilified simply for investigating or questioning actions, associations, and political stances on issues that concern all of us.

What socialism truly means

itismedavid — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 17:39:56 -0500

Why is it that that a mere mention of "Nazi" always degenerates the discussion on a wild tangent? I have to agree with Dana, the Nazis are vivid reminders of modern socialism - that's what Nazi is short for: NAtionalsoZIalistische . I think we would all do well to remember that history and denying that socialism in the US could never morph into the same thing is a fallacy.

What I also find disturbing in these comments is NO mention of what socialism truly means = BIG government running "everything". As a conservative, I have no problem paying taxes and even having a large welfare state to help other citizens in need. Most conservatives I know agree. What we vehemently detest about socialism though is how the government grows as a result. The recent "bailout" is prime example of economic socialism but I fear this is only a start if the Democrats have their way (cotrolling Congress and the White House).

European-style socialism will not work in the USA. It is counter to living the American Dream. Having spent time in countries like the UK, Germany, France, and Belgium which are far more socialist than we are (but what I see many liberals view as ideal) I have seen first hand what a "nanny state" does to its citizens. The government runs or regulates most everything and as a price tax rates are typically close to 50% FOR EVERYONE. That is why their economies lag behind ours. Trust me, it is no Utopia and given our very different culture, again, it would never work here.

A government powerful enough to provide everything you need is also powerful enough to take everything you have.

Nordette, you're my hero.

shelleyp — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:46:49 -0500

Nordette, you're my hero. Next time I see this topic, and the ugly innuendo, I'm just going to link you.

Whoa, dude!

Nordette — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:26:15 -0500

Whoa, dude! Like, I so totally did not get that.
Thanks for the chuckle, Erin.

Nordette is a Contributing Editor with BlogHer.com whose personal blog is hosted on another site at this link.

It's not funny one bit

Nordette — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:05:34 -0500

Dana, believe it or not I wrote an even longer response to your claim that Republicans never said minorities were to blame for the mortgage crisis. I had links, quotes, the whole nine yards, but then I deleted it.

I realized that if you would actually make such a claim within the frame of wanting "honest" discussion about racism with a "LOL" behind it as though it's improbable Republicans would say such a thing, then there's nothing else I can say that wouldn't be a waste of my time and energy, especially since the post I linked to in my earlier comment went to my personal blog in which I said clearly that I've heard a conservative make the claim on television (and read of more doing so). Therefore, I submit this response to any readers who is open to consider how the language used for the mortgage crisis by some in the right wing has been styled to spark racist conclusions.

I realize that all conservatives are not Republican but a hell of a lot of conservatives are Republican. I wish I could take a poll here now and find out how many people reading this post think Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, and Ronald D. Utt are Republicans pushing Republican talking points? In the case of Utt, actually creating the frame of a talking point. The perception comes honestly that Republicans approve certain types of propaganda because they lavish love on their Republican supporters who push it and Republican candidates regurgitate the same in coded langauge such as the CRA forced banks to fill "certain percentages" of loans to "certain" lenders.

I see prominent people who are conservatives and who proudly support the Republican ticket and at least one person I can think of who's running for office as a Republican who have said pressure to be fair to minorities created the mortgage crisis or banks were "forced" to lend money to minorities that couldn't afford homes which led to the mortgage crisis. Listeners on both sides interpreted their commentary or statements to be political rhetoric crafted to lead listeners to conclude that minorites are to blame for the mortgage crisis. It's an emotional leap that some whites who are stressed about money would be willing to make. and if said stressed-out white people didn't make the leap quickly enough, at least one "Republican" bulldog has written an article to spell it out for them entitled "They Gave Your Mortgage to a Less Qualified Minority."

You don't have to be a debate captain to follow this spin on the mortgage crisis. It's the same kind of logic that says "American culture's degraded because we were forced to integrate," and leads some people to conclude blacks and "race mixing" are the cause of American culture degrading.

Or, here's the other similar claim. "We were forced to hire minorities under Affirmative Action. Very few minorities are qualified to fill our positions (because by and large, you know, they're shiftless and lazy) so we had to hire unqualified people. Having to hire minorities led to a decline in our quality." People hear this and conclude minorities are the reason we have bad quality, which is exactly what the people who said it want others to conclude just as the people who frame the mortgage crisis in terms of we were forced to lend to minorities want listeners to blame blacks and Latinos for the economic crisis.

I'm weary of conservatives and members of the Republican party treating the rest of us like we're misreading what they're saying when they say the same old things over and over again. They've been using this tactic for decades. It even has a name, "the southern strategy." But Republican politicans know this type of bait hooks fish in other parts of the nation as well, possibly the parts that Palin declares, with nationalistic fervor, "pro-America."

For the record, when I've written about the mortgage issue in the past, I haven't blamed Republicans for the mortgage meltdown, but I did link to an article that showed their big fat thumbs in the pie because I resent the bigoted, incendiary rhetoric conservatives and Republicans have been using to deflect from their own sins.

I think there's enough blame to go around on our financial crisis which is why I deplore the spin on the crisis that promotes banks claiming they were forced to lend money to insolvent "minority" borrowers when that isn't the case at all. The banks were out to make a buck and didn't mind doing so through risky loan products placed on the backs of hard working mothers and families who wanted desperately to own a home.

No reasonable person will argue that taking personal responsibility is an undesirable goal but it seems Republicans shun the argument for corporate responsibility too often.

(post updated to correct typos, but I'm sure there are more ... my eyes hurt)

Nordette is a Contributing Editor with BlogHer.com whose personal blog is hosted on another site at this link.

Not buying it

LizzieH — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:04:44 -0500

I might agree that there is a vast difference between janitors and surgeons, but I'm not buying your point that teachers and nurses should make less than attorneys and CEOs because of the time and effort it takes to enter each of those professions. A teacher usually needs to go through two to three years of post-graduate work and pass a test for licensing or certification - kind of like a lawyer goes to law school and has to pass the bar. And frankly, I think the people who are responsible for giving the future lawyers, doctors, CEOs, and janitors a solid primary education are worth their weight in gold. Lastly, if your argument were correct, public defenders and other lawyers who go into public service would be paid the same as other types of lawyers - after all, they had to go through the same same time and effort to become lawyers. Perception about the value of the work might not be the only factor when it comes to what kinds of salaries various professions command, but it absolutely plays a role.

--Liz

I blog about creating a life worth living at: inventingmylife.blogspot.com

data points: Race and the subprime mortgage crisis

Kim Pearson — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:00:24 -0500

Dana,

I posted on this subject a few weeks ago:

[C]onservative pundits Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin are pushing bogus
claims that the subprime mortgage crisis happened because, as one
headline on Coulter's column put it, "They gave your mortgage to a less-qualified minority." Actually, Michelle Malkin said that "illegal immigrants" were to blame. Classic scapegoating.

Let's be clear: as the Center for American Progress notes, most of the consumers affected by the subprime mortgage crisis are white. However, last October, [law professor and banking expert Emma] Coleman Jordan noted:

African American borrowers have been especially hard hit. Recent studies from New York University researchers, pro consumer non profits such as Acorn and the Center for Responsible Lending and the NYT analyses of mortgage data show that even at higher income levels, black borrowers throughout the country were far more likely than white borrowers with similar incomes and mortgage amounts to receive a subprime loan.

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

So I'm just curious here

Erin Kotecki Vest — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:22:40 -0500

If you believe in any taxes, at all, for any reason...you're a socialist? I mean really...taxes=socialism.

Guess so.

I guess we're all socialist. Sweet.

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain

I agree that when people sign a contract...

Skye — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:16:04 -0500

...such as a mortgage, they are responsible for honoring it. And honestly, some of the mortgage products that people signed up for are never, ever a good idea.

I'm still waiting, though, for someone to provide a specific, coherent explanation of how anti-redlining requirements on banks included in the CRA of 1977 caused the mortgage crisis of 2008, after years and years went by when the people who supported the CRA had cause to lament that it was not being enforced, and that many non-depository institutions had gotten into mortgage lending and were not subject to its provisions.

Did the current president suddenly start demanding accountability from banks under the CRA?

I don't think the fact that it was passed in 1977 is irrelevant unless someone can explain to me why NOW was when all the chickens came home to roost. Why weren't banks failing left and right until now?

If you're actually talking about the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 as a culprit (also allowed Enron, by the way), then that's a bipartisan blame game, since Phil Gramm created it and Clinton signed it into law as part of an omnibus spending bill.