It's about incorrectly identifying the man on the cover as a feminist.

It's about publishing a big, ole, fat lie.

Superman at First 50 Words.

Virginia DeBolt
BlogHer Technology Contributing Editor
Web Teacher
First 50 Words

As a smart, strong, sexy, adventurous, creative, independent woman, I have always refused to call myself a feminist because it has always felt like an exclusive, "my way or no way" club.  And "their" way always seemed to be angry, bitter, divisive and, frankly, no fun at all. And certainly no way to live a life and create a world in which everyone feels valued and filled with potential.

Someone gave me the same t-shirt that Obama is wearing on the cover of Ms, and I didn't throw it away.  I did cut it short, and wear it with PVC hot pants, fishnet thigh-highs and knee high boots. And lipstick, with everything shaved. (Yes, anger and dogma is clearly apparent in my slutty response, and I know it.)

The truth is, having a select bunch WOMEN speak up for all women is never going to be enough.  Moreover, having only women speak up and claim the equality of women will never be enough.  It takes all of us - hairy, smooth, fat, skinny, old, young, conservative, liberal, private, slutty and MEN.

Do we need men to save us?  No, of course not. But do we need men to be part of the feminist movement?  Yes.  Unless, of course, it's the fight we want, not the equality. 

____________

Alyssa Royse

Just Cause It: A Web Site To Save The World

.... and if they had just put a photo on the cover w/ Obama in the "This is What a Feminist Looks Like" shirt, I think that would have been fine (though I don't really believe he has that much feminist cred after all the sexist jabs he freely took at Hillary). But it's the whole man superhero with the implication that women need to be saved, thing, that I find objectionable.

We want a feminist president who wants to work with us and for us, not save us.

Joanne Bamberger, aka PunditMom
BlogHer Contributing Editor, News & Politics

I don't have any issue with the cover.  I don't think "Obama The Superhero" has anything to do with saving us poor helpless females.  I think it refers to the fact that he's going to have to be a superhero to successfully tackle the country's problems as President.

Now if there had been fainting women in the background crying out for help, I'd have a problem, but honestly there's a heck of a lot more that women need to be focused on than this cover.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

Obama is not a feminist.  A feminist husband does not get to "approve" his wife's future employer as Obama did.   A feminist man does not suggest that a woman consult with a committee before making reproductive choices or be denied that choice because she's "blue".  A feminist man does not laud a man who likens those who support choice to the Nazis during the Holocaust.

Obama has done less for women than most Democratic men and nothing that stands out as particularly feminist.  He employed sexist language in his campaign and failed repeatedly to speak out against the sexism and misogyny that was rampant amongst his supporters in this campaign. 

Favreau, Summers, Kaine, half the number of women in cabinet level positions as Bill Clinton, the list is endless. What part of the Wall Street bailout specifically benefits women?  What part of the construction-based infrastructure plan addresses jobs that are most frequently held by women?

Why don't you tell me what he's done that's any more significant than any middle-of-the road Democratic man in the past to warrant the title of feminist, much less of the "super" ilk? 

Perhaps you missed Naomi Wolf's public orgasm over Obama and this cover on CNN.

When Gloria Steinem turned 50, someone told her that she didn't look her age. Her response --"This is what 50 looks like!"

What better place than MS to echo that with a slightly different twist?

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs right along at Time's Fool

When I first saw the image, I thought it was cool that the Pres is a feminist and I couldn't figure out why people were upset about that. I don't really read it as Obama swooping in to save the feminists. Rather, I see it as a picture of Obama performing a hot strip tease... Wooo hoo! Take it off!!! Take it all off!!!

OK, I'm joking about the stripping thing. But really, it's hard for me to get all worked up over it. I'm just too tired to read into everything these days. What can I say?

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

I'm tired, too.  I'm tired of having a generally traditional man of the 1950's passed off as a feminist while he's giving a world-wide voice to a man who teaches that physical abuse is not a legitimate reason to divorce one's husband.   

As to the Superman imagery, how can writers ignore its significance?

Frequently in Superman world, all of Earth's hope rest on him.  If feminists want to give power to the idea that its future rest on one man, Barack Obama, then they should keep arguing over the cocktail-talk cover.  However, I believe Obama's more a feminist than the presidents of the past, so his taking office is a step forward. 

As for him choosing Rick Warren as one of the ministers involved with the inauguration, if Obama starts letting Warren make policy, then that's a different subject.  I wish people would stop overreacting like they're one and the same..

Personally, I see the Ms. Magazine cover as just more Obama swag, something to talk about and possibly place in a chest of memorabilia. 

Gotta tell you, I'm more jazzed about Obama's Spider-Man cover. If Obama needs Spidey's help, then he's just a human, a smart, very likable human who we hope makes a great president.

I'm going to shut up now.  If I write more I'll start talking about impossible expectations and Obama the Magic Negro.  He's just a man.

Lisa, good post.

Nordette is a BlogHer CE, personal blog WSATA. Also @ Twitter.

I see this as Ms celebrating the idea that feminists will be in the White House and the possibilities that lie ahead thanks to the country's move to the center.  We (men and women) are all moving together toward something better.  So much can be accomplished if men can see themselves openly as feminists.  On the practical side, they could have put on the cover in a suite and tie, but that's what every other magazine is doing. 

I don't see it as a metaphor--that women need a man to save them. I see it as a metephor of unity--men and women moving forward as a nation because we all elected someone who will work with us to make meaningful and progressive change. He's working for us after all, not the other way around.

Yours, Tracy Viselli (a.k.a. Myrna the Minx)

My Company

Reno Fabulous Media: www.renofabulousmedia.com
My Main Blog
Reno and Its Discontents: www.renodiscontent.com

Congrats for Obama

Regards,

Dendy

ucelebz

I am so with Megan, Tracy, and Nordette on this: I don't care what our feminist allies look like in terms of gender, the important thing is that the work that needs to be done is done. Man, woman, transsexual, boy, girl, gender queer - anyone who is going to bring more social justice and equality to this nation is a hero to me.

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

 I like the cover. 

 ɯoɔ˙ɹǝƃƃolquǝʞoʇ

No one has yet explained what justifies calling Obama a feminist, much less a "supernatural" one.  He has more than ten years in elective office.  What has he done for women, specifically?

Lots to think about.

Thanks to all --Lisa, thoughtprovoking posts. Each of your comments could be a separate posts. All of your questions have me pondering much.

Everyone's comments, ditto.

My take on the cover:

hope and possibility and

hope....because clearly, Ms is visually stating "Obama hears us." Regardless of past 10 years JeanLouise continues to raise, the Ms. editors/publishers want society to know they feel Obama hears. And that gives hope. No cause wants to feel ignored or shunned.

I feel your obvious angst though Jean and maybe you can write a post to vent your concerns since you seem not to think these commenters are addressing them. Perhaps they're not hearing you because you haven't defined your specific concerns. I'm not sure I could track over 10 years how Obama's been a feminist but Lisa posed the question of why Ms chose the image....

Possibilities: if you're convinced your agenda is heard, you move to the next level--possibilities for practical solutions. I can go either way here. I think Ms. feels it will be a heroic accomplishment if Obama's presidency is able to adequately address and resolve feminist perspectives..And the superhero imagery to me implies they also feel it'll be heroic for his administration to resolve all that we now face globally--war, econ, environment, healthcare...Resolving any of those biggies is hard enough. Ensuring he does so protecting feminist agenda...whoosh.

I want all wars and violence toward women to cease everywhere. yesterday.

if any movements toward peace endure because of contributions of his administration am I going to feel he's not a feminist if in four years there's an even greater need for Vday?

That was a huge statement. There's always gonna be a need for Vday.

I'm now asking another question: what's it gonna take for feminists to agree that the Obama Administration has moved our agenda forward. What specifically is that agenda and is it vastly different from global issues.

The mother in me wants every child, every man and every woman safe. In every nation. period. And safe means sheltered, fed, clothed, healthy,not vulnerable to rape, war, abuse of any kind, trafficking, drugs.

The activist in me wants fair and just reporting on every issue in every form of media with women's perspective equally told everywhere.

I've always wrestled with which issue has priority. Always. My heart aches with all the atrocities out there and across the street and sometimes under my own roof. 

If anyone has perspective on weighing in to a fair, balanced approach to judging this administration's progression of addressing feminist issues please say

That said, the feminist that I am (and Alyssa, I'm all over your post, have wrestled with the term until I decided I'm one and I'm redfining it :) bring on dem fishnets and knee high boots :) wants to approach my embrace and respect and devotion and support of this administration without bias without judgement and proactively support what I can and how I can to be the woman who's treated fairly / equally for which we're advocating.

I said a lot ...thanks for the triggers ...will surely continue pondering.

Enjoy the next few historic days. You gotta love that @queenofspain is there and hopefully she'll livestream thru qik.

Here's to all of us moving peace, equality, justice, freedom forward....(and as I defend in my blog, thought by thought) :)

Gratitude for all every one of you are doing w/ your lives to that end.....truly.

Tre~

http://thoughtbythought.net

tre@thoughtbythought.net