Is it me, or is listening to everyone and their mom talk about Sarah Palin and her “sordid” family and numerous “scandals” getting kind of old? I know that this scrutiny by the media has been and will continue to be a large part of the upcoming election in November, but certainly it is because there is a woman playing a prominent role in this year’s race that I, and the rest of America, are suddenly taking greater notice. It’s true…there has only been one woman on the presidential nomination ticket before (Geraldine Ferraro), and if McCain were to win, Palin’s vice presidency would be historic. But much of the media has started treating her not as the same political figure like the male vice presidential candidates who have come before her, but as some sort of female celebrity. In the past week, she’s been on a number of celebrity magazine covers, and Tina Fey has brilliantly spoofed her likeness on Saturday Night Live (check it out- it’s hilarious). But my main problem with this scenario is that Sarah Palin’s plans for the vice presidency are being put on the back burner in favor of her looks! It really became clear to me the other day that misogyny is still growing strong when I can saw “hot” pictures of Sarah Palin on the ever popular celebrity gossip website, perezhilton.com. I am by no means some kind of raging feminist, but as a woman I am left wondering…what about her foreign policies or her thoughts about any social policy BESIDES abortion (I think we all know her thoughts on that thanks to the media bashing our heads in about it)? I dare mass media to show the public a greater understanding of what Sarah Palin is about as a potential president to this country, not as just a woman with a pretty face and slim figure.
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4 comments:
I will agree with you that Palin has been used so far as a pretty face. It is a useful tactic to get more female voters as well as male by having a female vp candidate. Until the time comes when she truly NEEDs to stand out in politics the media will present her as a woman and just that... not a politician. When it comes down to the line and she has to give her political views, then and only then will she stop being shown as a mom, a scandel, or a pretty woman, shell be shown as a politician.
Claudia,
I had to comment on your view. It's a great observation, and one I believe the McCain campaign is milking. Honestly why else would they choose her? They don't want her answering questions with regards to her foreign polices and plans because she'd come off like an idiot (see her Charlie Gibson interview, it's painful!) They want her image to earn the glam attention because McCain has NONE of his own, his a bore quite frankly. Obama however is a media meat market, a virtual soup kitchen dishing out juicy bits to all. Who doesn't want a picture of this guy. And since exposer of a name is sooo much a part of what gains the votes of the uninformed, McCain wouldn't exsist in the publics eye if he didn't have Palin constantly gaining him press coverage. She's the worm on the end of the hook. Without her, no body would pay any attention to McCain, just like during the party elections. How much coverage did the Republican party nominations receive? Zero when compared to the Clinton/Obama race, because they are both media darlings. People love to take pictures of Obama and do impersonations of Hillary. And this will ingratiate those two figures into the publics minds. McCain needed someone to do that for him. He wasn't going to be able to do it for himself. Why else would he pick such an idiot for VP. She was no clue, really she doesn't- Please watch the Gibson interview, the link for it is attached to my blog on the subject. Palin is PURPOSEFULLY being used to be the pretty face. If she had ANY policies, views or experience of consequence attention would have been drawn to it by now. The reason it's remained completely glamourous and personal is that it's the only thing she has to ad to the campaign.
There certainly has been quite an interest in Palin's good looks rather than her viewpoints and perspectives on running the country. But perhaps that's the reason for her running along McCain's side. She has a aesthetically marketable style as oppose to McCain who can, more often than not, come off as kind of...pasty. Well, we'll see in the Vice Presidential Debate whether things turn around for her. All it takes is one miraculous moment to ignite more people into positive Palin propaganda.
Now I wouldn't mind looking at Palin in office, (thought i fear what she would do). Obama is a lot better to check out and a more interesting public personality than McCain for sure, his family is like black Kennedys. Palin is a good choice to compete with this type of sensational attention. Damn! I'm feeling skin deep.I'm glad you brought this up.
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