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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRush Limbaugh Isn’t the Only Media Misogynist
The Daily Beast
By Kirsten Powers
Mar 4, 2012
Rush Limbaugh Isnt the Only Media Misogynist
During the 2008 election Ed Schultz said on his radio show that Sarah Palin set off a bimbo alert. He called Laura Ingraham a right-wing slut. (He later apologized.) He once even took to his blog to call yours truly a bimbo for the offense of quoting him accurately in a New York Post column.
Keith Olbermann has said that conservative commentator S.E. Cupp should have been aborted by her parents, apparently because he finds her having opinions offensive. He called Michelle Malkin a mashed-up bag of meat with lipstick. He found it newsworthy to discuss Carrie Prejeans breasts on his MSNBC show. His solution for dealing with Hillary Clinton, who he thought should drop out of the presidential race, was to find somebody who can take her into a room and only he comes out. Olbermann now works for über-leftist and former Democratic vice president Al Gore at Current TV.
Left-wing darling Matt Taibbi wrote on his blog in 2009, When I read [Malkins] stuff, I imagine her narrating her text, book-on-tape style, with a big, hairy set of balls in her mouth. In a Rolling Stone article about Secretary of State Clinton, he referred to her flabby arms. When feminist writer Erica Jong criticized him for it, he responded by referring to Jong as an 800-year old sex novelist. (Jong is almost 70, which apparently makes her an irrelevant human being.) In Taibbis profile of Congresswoman and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann he labeled her batshit crazy. (Oh, those crazy women with their hormones and all.)
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/04/rush-limbaugh-s-apology-liberal-men-need-to-follow-suit.html
The truth hurts. Just because they are on our side, that doesn't excuse their sexism and misogyny. We need to take a look in the mirror regarding our own left leaning media. We should demand better than this.
Rush Limbaugh is the nasty head of the misogynist pimple, and he well deserves the scorn he is recieving. But if one is honest and truly disgusted by his comments and behavior they cannot turn a blind eye to others in the media.
Please do not take my posting of this artice as a defense of Rush Limbaugh in any way. Take it in the spirit it was offered, which is the need to root out misogyny from all media. It needs to stop! Liberals, Progressives, Conservatives, Right Wingers, etc all need to stop the misogyny, it is 2012 and the time has come!
izquierdista
(11,689 posts)It applies equally as well to Ron Paul and his batshit crazy followers of both sexes.
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)She's that whacked constantly, no hormones involved. Unless you want to imply that Santorum's batshit craziness is hormonally influenced also. Or Rick Perry's.
sufrommich
(22,871 posts)coals for it. Although I've never seen the level of misogyny on the left that we see on the right, there is a lot of sexist shit out there that gets a pass because it comes from our side. Good post, k&r.
Zalatix
(8,994 posts)Let justice (in this case, boycotts and castigation) be blind.
pangaia
(24,324 posts)I am always disappointed when I hear such crass comments from the 'liberal' media. I feel that we should be better than 'they' are. At the same time, we need to not give in to any attempt by republicans to find an equivalency in the amount and type of thoughtless liberal comments.
I am even a bit saddened to see some of the horrific comments by liberals in threads on a number of websites, including this one. And I have certainly been as guilty as the next person.
I hope I expressed that clearly.. Anyway, good post.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)I guess in owning them, it is only our side that gets to degrade women with words cause we are progressive, so we really don't mean anything sexist with them. Repugs though, now they really mean it.
Arkansas Granny
(31,528 posts)that sexist remarks aren't limited to the Republicans and other RWer's. If we want things to be better for our daughters, granddaughters, neices, etc. we have to improve the level of discourse today.
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)Misogyny is a sourge wherever it appears.
SG
kag
(4,079 posts)I was all set to agree with this post, but then I went and read the whole article. And I'm sorry, but very little of what is referenced really rises to the level of "misogyny."
For instance:
Now, everything here might be insulting, but it's certainly not misogyny. Any of those descriptions could apply to any man in the race for president, and actually does apply to many of them. Just like several people pointed out that "batshit crazy" applies equally well to Ron Paul and Michelle Bachmann.
I want to root out misogyny as well as the next woman, but I want to reserve my energy for the gross offenders like Limbaugh (and, arguably, some of the crap that is mentioned in this article, but only some) but I also want to make sure that I'm not just tilting at insulting windmills.
Another point: In the article, in almost every example she offers she admits that the left-winger who committed the offense came back and apologized. Now, I've heard apologies from Olbermann and Schulz (I don't watch Tweety anymore, and read Matt Taibbi only occasionally) and they are always more heartfelt and sincere than the milquetoast excuse for an "apology" offered by Rush--on a Saturday...on his website...after three days of relentless accusations...because he was losing advertisers. Olbermann especially, I think when he gets called out for it, he truly does regret having done it. Just like our brothers and husbands, sometimes guys just need a gentle reminder. Rush, on the other hand, needs to be pounded over the head with revenue-loss.
So...I do not disagree with the general nature of this column, but I will go on record here as believing whole heartedly that the true misogyny is alive and well and going strong on the right, and trying to die a quiet death on the left.
One of the 99
(2,280 posts)Great post. Thanks.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)For instance:
Now, everything here might be insulting, but it's certainly not misogyny. Any of those descriptions could apply to any man in the race for president, and actually does apply to many of them. Just like several people pointed out that "batshit crazy" applies equally well to Ron Paul and Michelle Bachmann.
Well said. Yes, there are offenders (http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002379474), but let's not lump everything into one basket. Please don't try to distract from the fact that Limbaugh is under fire because he's a vile pig.
The title implies that there are equivalents to this vile blowhard.
"Rush Limbaugh Isnt the Only Media Misogynist"
Misogyny is prevalent in the media. Still, there is no need to lump everyone in with Limbaugh, especially in light of the current incident, which has no equivalent.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002382940
el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)But he's also a Rolling Stone writer; there's a culture there that is not 100% woman friendly.
Bryant
kag
(4,079 posts)I read him whenever I can, and I've never read any of the comments that this column refers to, though I don't doubt them.
As for the thing about Michelle Malkin ("...picture her with a pair of hairy balls in her mouth..." while it's a vile image, I had to laugh. I despise Malkin, and I think she has done more to harm the cause of women's rights than Matt Taibbi could or would ever dream of doing.
there is nothing close from the Left that is near The Gasbag in conduct that is so revolting.
I see what the OP is saying but I hear that familiar meme here (not saying at all that is the intent of the OP):
''But the Dems/Left do it too!''
It's never as disgusting as what the Right is capable of and I'm no fan of a lot of left yappers in this area.
JitterbugPerfume
(18,183 posts)You spoke the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts, but there it is.
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)political position. It's very unfortunate. Thanks for the examples.
snooper2
(30,151 posts)Do we have to re-live runaway bride again?
Or have you all had enough Glen back to know that calling somebody batshit crazy isn't sexist?
Flabby arms? Is that like the pigboy rushho comments or calling McConnell a turtle?
ProSense
(116,464 posts)Look at the tagline of the article:
Even the url implies that Rush apologized and "liberal men need to follow suit"
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/04/rush-limbaugh-s-apology-liberal-men-need-to-follow-suit.html
Limbaugh didn't friggin apologize. In fact, he lost two advertisers, including ProFlowers, since then.
tsuki
(11,994 posts)Zalatix
(8,994 posts)2ndAmForComputers
(3,527 posts)Union Scribe
(7,099 posts)with which to make the equivalency argument in the first place. You know, by not saying horribly stupid shit that puts us in the position of having to explain how Rush is worse.
Zalatix
(8,994 posts)Zalatix
(8,994 posts)2ndAmForComputers
(3,527 posts)You can't be prosecuted for any of the above. Yay America!
Zalatix
(8,994 posts)Good deal. So you'd rather the misogynists burn down our house from within? Gotcha.
So because you're so scared of the Republicans, you'll let a "liberal" get away with saying this: When I read stuff, I imagine her narrating her text, book-on-tape style, with a big, hairy set of balls in her mouth.
You don't want to go after people who say that... why? Oh, I know. Because if you roundly criticize a "liberal" for saying that, THE KKK WINS!!!
2ndAmForComputers
(3,527 posts)Zalatix
(8,994 posts)No, wait, no I'm not. Sorry if that offends you. Well, actually, no, I'm not sorry, either.
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)I think that many people are oblivious to the stereotypes referenced in some of the remarks.
For example, women have always been called "crazy" more often than men. It goes back to the stereotypical arguments against women having the right to vote because during that "that time of the month" women become irrational.
Thanks for posting. We need to be vigilant wherever sexism regardless of who it comes from and even when it is unintentional.
Redford
(373 posts)We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard when it comes to women and their treatment. We should not allow anyone to use such vile language especially the folks on "our" side. We expect Rush to say these things. We should be appalled when it comes out of the mouths of progressives.
emilyg
(22,742 posts)lapislzi
(5,762 posts)For the same reason, I will not attack Rush for his weight. It's not a valid point for discussion. Maybe he can help it; maybe he can't. I don't really care. Rush Limbaugh's weight has no bearing on his ideas or on the discussion.
It's just one of the basic rules of civil engagement (yeah, I know Rush isn't civil): you don't go after someone's appearance, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
All you people out there calling out Rush for being fat: substitute "deaf" (which he also is, although he's able to work with the help of a cochlear implant) for "fat," and see how civil your argument sounds.
And no, I will not shut up. I'm one of them mouthy women you keep hearing about.
Disclaimer: I think Rush Limbaugh is a deplorable piece of slime; no disrespect to slime intended.
Beacool
(30,251 posts)"Chris Matthewss sickening misogyny was made famous in 2008, when he obsessively tore down Hillary Clinton for standing between Barack Obama and the presidency, something that Matthews could not abide. Over the years he has referred to the former first lady, senator and presidential candidate and current secretary of state as a she-devil, Nurse Ratched, and Madame Defarge. Matthews has also called Clinton witchy, anti-male, and uppity and once claimed she won her Senate seat only because her husband messed around. He asked a guest if being surrounded by women makes a case for commander in chiefor does it make a case against it? At some point Matthews was shamed into sort of half apologizing to Clinton, but then just picked up again with his sexist ramblings."
His (Olbermann) solution for dealing with Hillary Clinton, who he thought should drop out of the presidential race, was to find somebody who can take her into a room and only he comes out.'
How about Shuster claiming that the Clinton campaign was "pimping" Chelsea?
I stopped watching MSNBC around that time and will never watch it again. Ditto for the DNC getting a penny of my money or a minute of my time. Where were they when all this was going on? Not one addressed the issue.
They can all rot as far as I'm concerned.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)...Powers jumped the gun with her attempt to cover Limbaugh's ass.
Despite Apology, Limbaugh Continues Attacks On Fluke For Fourth Day
http://thinkprogress.org/media/2012/03/05/438008/limbaugh-fluke-day4/
On edit, she should have known because the "apology" was bogus.
DearAbby
(12,461 posts)This can be used as a teaching moment when we all realize how pervasive this language is in our society. The phrases we use, what we find humorous, all learned behavior. If they treated this right, this could be used to inform the public to this realization. Maybe something positive can happen.
Maybe, just maybe we can see every human being as an equal.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)Stop pretending otherwise.
WhaTHellsgoingonhere
(5,252 posts)When these same people, when Liberal women (e.g., Stephanie Miller... hey, like you, I don't keep track when when women make masandrist comments) call Republican men the same or similar words, no one -- not any of you -- say a a damned thing. It's good fun to you and the rest of us, as well.
It's a "not nice" world out there. The truth hurts YOU.
Stop with your handwringing nonsense already.
TeamsterDem
(1,173 posts)Aside from the Schultz situation which he apologized for, the rest is really a tenuous stretch to chalk up to sexism. I mean Michele Bachmann IS batshit crazy, as is Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, and Grandpa McCain. That's not sexism, just an observation of fact.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Is there a male here on DU that hasn't made some statement that might be construed as misogyny? Is there a female here on DU that hasn't made some statement that might be construed as misandry?
I highly doubt it.
So why should we have to go through the exercise of shaking down every tree to find sexism and then somehow equate this to what the portly drug addict did? Rush has a long and infamous career of sexism. It wasn't as if he made this one statement and that's the only strike against him. He's been a pig his whole life and even relishes in being called a sexist pig. Equating this to some offhanded comment Olberman or Shultz or even Mahar made is just fucking nutty.
TeamsterDem
(1,173 posts)certainot
(9,090 posts)how do you reduce it? go after them. in this case we can make an example of the worst and hope they all learn.
and this was a sustained political swiftboating of fluke, a private citizen, just like many others he's attacked over 20 years.