That's not funny

[firecat]

I am no fan of Governor Palin, but I am also not happy about jokes at her expense that are based on her sex or her sexual attractiveness. I think such jokes are going to set back the cause of electing women to political offices.

Comments

[firecat]

That's not my impression from what I've seen, but you have probably seen more than I have.

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

As you've probably gathered, I've been sort of obsessed with the election altogether. It's given my brain something to do while I've been stuck at home with this broken leg. *Hopefully* I'll be in a walking cast by this afternoon.

[firecat]

Yay for healing!

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

It seems to me that she gets more of these jokes because she sexualized herself.

[firecat]

Perhaps, but I don't think that makes the jokes OK, any more than the same argument makes sexual harrassment of any individual OK.

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

No, but I think that makes the jokes less likely to carry over to other women.

[firecat]

These specific jokes, yes. But Senator Clinton comes in for joking based on her sex, too...only a lot of the joking is about how ugly she supposedly is. I don't think that's any better than joking about how attractive Palin is. They both reinforce "women should be sex objects."

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

Huh. I guess I don't hear a lot of those--or maybe I just don't process them, I dunno.

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

I think the Uncle Tom factor just adds to the ickiness, personally.