Media Trashes Michele Bachmann

If you sat through the State of the Union Address and the Republican response last Tuesday night, you were treated to an amusing grand finale-- Michele Bachmann's awkward Tea Party rebuttal.

At first, I was confused--and slightly intrigued--by the networks' decisions to carry Bachmann's comments.

However, as soon as the video began, I became so distracted by the "technical difficulties" that I was unable to listen to a word the congresswoman said.

Admittedly, Bachmann's unwavering eye contact with the WRONG camera paired with a Minnesota accent and the empty stare of a Stepford Wife is hilarious.

But the lashing she took in the media, namely in SNL and Daily Show parodies, hit a nerve with me.

Although I don't agree with the politics of women like Michele Bachmann, Christine O'Donnell, and Sarah Palin, I do empathize with them and their mistreatment in the media.

There are countless male Republican and Tea Party figures who make equally dumb, offensive, and mean-spirited comments as their female counterparts.


But it's the women who get bashed by both parties when they speak out.

Established conservative women being called bimbos and nitwits is equally as unacceptable as progressive women being called bitches and dykes.

As Plastic Feminists, I think we should make it a point to defend all women in media and politics when they are being mistreated, even if they don't defend us.

Opinions?

Michelle Obama Joins Walmart

I would like to preface this post by saying that I adore Michelle Obama.

OK. Now that we got that out of the way, I think we really need to discuss the first lady's recent partnership with Walmart for a new program to promote healthy foods.

On the surface, I get it. Who could be a more powerful ally in Obama's determined effort to make healthy food more affordable and accessible for working class families?

But. . . IT'S WALMART!

Not only has the superstore giant crushed countless local businesses throughout the country, but Walmart has a long, nauseating history of irresponsible and unethical business practices -- some of which have been criticized by the Obama's themselves in the past.

As a Plastic Feminist, I must admit that I still occasionally shop at Walmart (mostly because of the sick feeling I get from paying almost twice as much for toilet paper at other stores).

Despite my own Walmart addiction, I am really having trouble supporting Michelle Obama's decision to collaborate with one of the most carelessly destructive corporations in America.

It has also become clear to me that this decision is sort of emblematic of Michelle's overall image and use of power during her time in the White House.

As a strong, beautiful, and tremendously intelligent black woman (who at one time served as a mentor to the current president of the United States), it seemed that Michelle Obama had the potential to move mountains.

While Michelle always maintained that she was not particularly interested in politics herself, I can't help but think that she could help ignite an important debate about gender and racial issues just by sharing some truthful opinions and experiences.

Instead, Michelle chose to remain noncontroversial by cultivating her image around her role as a mother and wife. She chose to commit herself to the problem of childhood obesity-- a cause which, while important, is anything but political.

While I understand the decision to keep Michelle as palatable as possible for the public and the right-wing (Just imagine the backlash if she hadn't!), I wonder if American women should demand more from her?

Should we be happy that women of all races and classes covet her style?

Is it enough that a highly educated African-American woman is living in the White House and likely counseling our president?

Should we celebrate that poor people may soon have access to affordable healthy foods, even if it means we made a deal with the devil?

Opinions, please.

Guns Don't Kill... Boys Do

It seems to me that as of late, it's nearly impossible to turn on a TV, read a newspaper, or listen to the radio without hearing some form of a gun control debate.

In the aftermath of the Arizona shooting, in which six people were killed and 14 were wounded, everyone has an opinion about what laws and regulations could help to prevent tragedies like this occur in the future.

Jared Loughner, the 22-year-old accused of shooting U.S. Representative Gabriele Giffords, was able to purchase a Gloc semiautomatic pistol months before the shooting, despite his history of mental illness.

Since the creepy, crazy-eyed photos of Loughner emerged, politicians and media figures have tirelessly debated about who and what we should blame.

While lax gun control laws hold the spotlight, here are some of the other issues that have been brought up in an effort to make sense of the shooting:

• Lack of security
• Polarizing politicians
• Irresponsible journalism
• Loughner is just a lunatic (This is a Fox News favorite)
• Health care for the mentally ill
• Legalized abortion (?!?... Bizarre suggestion made by Linda Gray, an Arizona state senator)

In my opinion, what's missing from this debate is a discussion about the way boys and men are conditioned to become violent in America.

If it's not already obvious that men are disproportionately responsible for violent crimes in America, check out the crime statistics from the 2008 U.S. Census.

According to the 2008 census, 89% of those arrested for murder were men.

Is it surprising that boys, who are given toy guns as soon as they can walk and are taught that manliness is defined by toughness, are the ones who are actually killing people?

In the flood of coverage following the Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Arizona shootings, the mainstream media never engaged in questions about the correlations between gender and violence.

Tough Guise, a documentary film by Jackson Katz, does a great job at analyzing media and culture to argue that widespread violence in America should be understood as part of a "crisis in masculinity".

While I don't believe that anyone has all the answers, I think it is important that we ask the right questions.

Gun control laws are important. Jared Loughner is insane.

 

But like many American boys and men, Loughner (who wrote "die bitch" on a letter from Senator Giffords before shooting her in the head) was likely unable to express vulnerability by communicating his frustrations.

Instead, he flexed his muscles and shot twenty people.