With news papers, magazines, and the airways, radio or television, being flooded with headlines and stories of “Postfeminism and other Fairy tales” by Kate Zernike of the New York times, “Race Gender are Issues in Tense Day for Democrats” by Adam Nagourney, of the New York Times, “When Girls will be Boys” by Alissa Quart, and Newsweek’s cover story on March 17 2008 “Hear Her Roar: gender, Class and Hillary Clinton, and Op-Ed Contributing writer Gloria Steinem’s piece “Women are Never Front-Runners”, a thoughtful considerations of the detraction these stories have away from core issues that women are fighting for and struggle to over come, has to be understood. When women are treated in a public or private forum in a questioning manner, the “self-fulfilling prophecy” persist by continually questioning the abilities of women as a whole rather than on an individual bases and the publics embarrassing perception of women, especially as candidates and business leaders.
In no way does this former statement mean to inspire or stop the debate over differences between men and women, but it does want to bring to light the difficulty women have in actually talking about different issues in society, A society abscessed by difference and weaknesses in people rather than in issues. Instead of debating the issues that Hilary Clinton and other candidates running for political offices have, all to often in the media and society the question turns to the differences of men and women and the opposing viewpoints about who is more, and sometimes who is even capable of handling the job be fore them, instead of relevant issues and ideas being debated at the current time.
With the current political climate in the U.S. being what it is today, due to the ongoing primary season for the presidential election in the United States, This Page will investigate and critique the way media covers and discusses women and their roles in society. The hope being that a discussion will further an understanding of the different ways and type of coverage women receive and the relevance the issues have according to the topic being covered.
Commentary: Sexism sneaks in over open mic
- Story Highlights
- Rendell says choice for Homeland Security good because she has “no life”
- Brown: Janet Napolitano has many qualifications beyond having no family
- Nobody would have said the same about a male candidate, Brown says
- Women deserve same treatment as men on work-life issues, she says
CNN
Editor’s note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN’s “Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull” at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the “Cutting through the Bull” segment of Tuesday night’s broadcast.
(CNN) – How many times have politicians been warned about the dangers of an open microphone? And yet, on Tuesday, the lectern mic at the National Governors Conference picked up this little nugget from Pennsylvania’s Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell.
He’s having a conversation near the lectern about President-elect Barack Obama’s choice for to lead the Homeland Security Department, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano. Here is what Rendell said about Napolitano:
Rendell: Janet’s perfect for that job. Because for that job, you have to have no life. Janet has no family. Perfect. She can devote, literally, 19-20 hours a day to it
Wow. Now, I’m sure Gov. Napolitano has many qualifications for the job beyond having no family, and therefore the ability to devote 20 hours a day to the job. 
Watch Campbell Brown’s commentary »
But it is fascinating to me that that is the quality being highlighted here as so perfect. C’mon. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is married with two grown children. His predecessor, Tom Ridge, had a family. Anybody remember a debate about whether they would have trouble balancing the demands of work and family?
Now, I am a fan of Gov. Rendell. He has been on this show many times. I like him for his candor. In our attempts to cut through the bull, he delivers far less bull than most politicians. But it is his frankness here that raises so many questions.
1. If a man had been Obama’s choice for the job, would having a family or not having a family ever even have been an issue? Would it have ever prompted a comment? Probably not. We all know the assumption tends to be that with a man, there is almost always a wife in the wings managing those family concerns.
2. As a woman, hearing this, it is hard not to wonder if we are counted out for certain jobs, certain opportunities, because we do have a family or because we are in our child-bearing years. Are we? It is a fair question.
3. If you are a childless, single woman with suspicions that you get stuck working holidays, weekends and the more burdensome shifts more often than your colleagues with families, are those suspicions well-founded? Probably so. Is there an assumption that if you’re family-free then you have no life? By some, yes.
Again Gov. Rendell, I don’t mean to rake you over the coals. I know what you meant to say. But your comments do perpetuate stereotypes that put us in boxes, both mothers and single women.
In government and beyond, men have been given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to striking the right work-life balance. Women are owed the same consideration.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Campbell Brown.
CNN, AC 360: Race and Gender
Race & Gender Issues in the 2008 Elections
Why Are Women Being Left Out in the Cold?
Ski Jump Is the Only Winter Olympic Sport to Exclude WomenFeb. 16, 2006 —Brother and sister skiers Anders and Alissa Johnson have trained together in the ski jump for their entire careers, and both are considered among the best jumpers in the country. But at the Olympics today, Alissa will be on the sidelines while her brother goes for the gold.
“I’m here [only] to support unfortunately,” Alissa, 19, said. “I wish I was here to train and jump, but I’m here to support Anders.”
The International Ski Federation has ruled that ski jumping is too dangerous for women, making it the only winter Olympic sport that has male competitors and no female counterparts.
“It’s like jumping down from, let’s say, about two meters on the ground about a thousand times a year, which seems not to be appropriate for ladies from a medical point of view,” the federation’s president Gian Franco Kasper said on National Public Radio.
But female ski jumpers disagree.
“I don’t know what he’s talking about because clearly he has not seen us jump in the last two years,” said Lindsey Van, the second-ranked female ski jumper in the world. “Our technique is as good, if not better than, the men.”
Not Just a Man’s World
In separate competitions, women often score higher than the men. Alissa showed she could compete with the men when she made the cut in their division of the 2003 national championships.
“Open your eyes,” Alissa said. “I mean it’s the 21st century. It’s time to take this more seriously.”
The next generation of female ski jumpers may have their chance this spring when the International Ski Federation votes on whether to include women’s ski jumping in the 2010 Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Anders, the youngest jumper on the male team, hopes the women will get a shot.
“Any 120 that any guys can jump, the top girls can jump,” Anders, 16, said. “Those girls have proven themselves.”
