Is Newsweek sexist?

The big question of late is all about Sarah Palin. Her book, if she will run in 2012, if she can win. And then there are the controversies.

Newsweek really set things aflame with their cover of Mrs. Palin. And the claims of the cover photo being sexist and insulting have been raised. But are they right?

Well the best way to answer the question seemed obvious to me. Compare the cover photo (taken from an image used by a running magazine some time ago) to a similar photo of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Or Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Except that no such photos seems to exist. None.

I searched through 500 images of Hillary Clinton on Google looking for a single legitimate image of her with exposed legs. Couldn't find any. In fact I was hard pressed to find photos of Secretary Clinton in a dress. I know hardcore lesbians that show more cleavage and legs than Clinton has over the decades. (As for Speaker Pelosi, I'm sure there might be a photo somewhere that shows off her legs, but I'm too scared to see it)

So it would seem that compared to her the general media is sexist. They have directly sought to make her an image that is more of a tart than a political figure. And I have to wonder why any woman would allow that without complaint.

Basically isn't Newsweek saying that a mother and independant woman is worthless if she is cute and/or doesn't agree with the editor's views. They are saying that a woman who has achieved success in business and politics - she did run a major State after all - is about as important as a bikini model. Which I would think Secretary of State Clinton might find insulting. (And don't expect N.O.W. to stand up for a woman that exemplifies many of the ideals they are supposed to support)

Newsweek says the image is fair. Ok, then show me a similar photo that was on their cover of Nancy Pelosi, or Hillary Clinton. I couldn't find one. How about Michelle Obama? Why don't they have an image of Michelle Obama in a bikini on the cover while the story in the magazine is about say healthcare. Would anyone find that sexist?

I know, how dare I use examples of the First Lady and Secretary of State (and the Speaker of the House). They are Liberals and Democrats after all. It's a taboo to speak of them as anything but powerful women that are political leaders. Yet, Mrs Palin IS a political leader too. So what's the difference?

If it isn't sexism, then all that is left is a political bullying that says you better think the way we want you to think or else. Is that what we have come to expect from the media? That the ideas they like are the only ones we should have? That the only people we should vote for or listen to are the ones they approve of?

I recall another time when the media told people what to believe. They told people directly to buy only the versions of songs that Elvis sang and not the Black original versions. They said that African Americans didn't need to vote, or to sit in diners, or enter buildings through the front door. I recall when the media claimed that all Japanese in America were spies and traitors. I recall when the media was so afraid of politicians that McCarthy had everyone looking over their shoulder in case they were called a Communist and would be blackballed from their careers.

I thought we were past the days of yellow journalism. But it would seem, as Newsweek has proven, that we haven't moved forward at all.

Isaiah Washington makes me think - 6.29.2007.1

Newsweek has just published an interview with Mr. Isaiah Washington, that seems to be getting interesting comments. Many are probably familiar with recent troubles for Mr. Washington. He called a former cast-mate a f*****, twice. The second time backstage of an Awards show. This lead to a reported homophobia counseling and then to his dismissal from Grey’s Anatomy.


According to the interview [which has an interesting title], what has been reported is not everything that was going on. As is often the case, the media played up aspects of the issue and ignored others, according to Mr. Washington. There is no question that Mr. Washington made the comment, though he claims the context was quite different.

"Patrick and I had a philosophical disagreement that got out of hand and that I regret a great deal," Washington says. "I said a lot of negative things that were never reported, but there was one word that caught everyone’s attention, particularly someone who wasn’t even in the room with us. It was a fight between two men that shouldn’t have happened. But someone heard the booming voice of a black man and got really scared and that was the beginning of the end for me. I see that now, but I didn’t then."

Regardless of how anyone might feel about his comments, Mr. Washington does go on to make a strong point, and I wonder how often this will be mentioned in the mainstream media,

"If a black man can’t get forgiveness in this country, when so many other people like Robert Downey Jr. and the governor of California get second and third chances … I think that says a lot about race and this country where we stand."

That one statement got me wondering. How many websites and media sources were covering that comment and what it means? When I found this interview on Newsweek’s site I noticed 2 other items. One skips this part of the interview entirely. The other, which appears to be a British site, does mention it in part.

So is Mr. Isaiah Washington correct? Who might have been forgiven for similar actions? Well of course there are the numerous problems of Mr. Downey. The ‘Govenator’ is accurate too. But is there anyone else? Well there is Mr. Mel Gibson’s widely covered comments about Jews, which was excused by his drunkenness – but he still said it. And there are the comments of Mr. Michael Richards at the Laugh Factory. But his friend Mr. Jerry Seinfeld came out to publicly state that he wasn’t like that. I’m sure comparisons to Ms. Lindsey Lohan and Ms. Britney Spears could be made as well. But I think Mr. Gibson and Mr. Richards are the most recent and most applicable.

In Mr. Gibson’s case, he apologized and went back to his alcohol abuse counseling. He then released his movie Apocalypto, which did very well. Today there is barely anyone speaking about it. During the incident there were many that came to his side, and the media made a big deal about his being drunk at the time.

Continued in Part 2...