I found this video on youtube called '10 Reasons to hate Hillary Clinton', made by a group of American teenage boys. Every reason seems to include some sort of sexist remark:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtpdd6hnX6I
'She's not in the kitchen, and I'm hungry'
'She's more of a man that i'll ever be, and I'm jealous'
'She cant control her husband, so she cant control this country'
'the war will never end: P.M.S.'
'REASON NUMBER ONE: She's a woman, nuff said'
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The video shows a group of white American males expressing their prejudiced views who seem to be taking on the role of 'stupid white men'. It seems to me like the 'crisis of white masculinity' reigns here. They need to emphasise their sexist views by stating their disagreements with the idea of a female president, especially one that is seen as strong and 'more manly' than they are.
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Thursday, 8 May 2008
'Is Barack Obama too smart to be President?'
http://www.capitolhillblue.com/cont/node/6694
Is Barack Obama too smart to be President?
I have recently come across a few articles that actually seem to be questioning if Obama is too intelligent to become President. The first article above asks if Obama can give Americans what they really want, being ‘fewer real ideas and more schmuck and jive’.
The article provides the views of Roger Simon who suggests that Americans do not want their Presidents too be too brainy and are ‘too dumb to know what they want from their leaders’, calling upon the idea of America as a stupid nation.
The problem with seeming too intelligent is that ‘braininess is elitist’ and to be elitist in America is never seen as a good thing – especially as President.
Obama is said to have to ‘modified his has modified his stump speech to try and broaden his populist appeal’ – in other words dumb down his speeches, so that he can appeal to ‘stupid America’.
As Obama’s intelligence is now being questioned, the idea of Clinton being criticised for being too intelligent for a woman can also be re-assessed. There have been arguments that Clinton is criticised because people do not like intelligent and powerful women, but if Obama is now being criticised for the same thing maybe it is not just a sexist idea. It is said that Bill Clinton had to hide his intelligence whilst in office and played on his southern roots instead to keep his mass appeal, so it seems as though Obama may have to do the same thing appeal to America.
As Susan Jacoby has stated in her book The Age of American Unreason, 'America is ill with a powerful mutant strain of intertwined ignorance, anti-rationalism and anti-intellectualism', which Obama and Clinton now have to play to, to maintain popularity with the masses.
Is Barack Obama too smart to be President?
I have recently come across a few articles that actually seem to be questioning if Obama is too intelligent to become President. The first article above asks if Obama can give Americans what they really want, being ‘fewer real ideas and more schmuck and jive’.
The article provides the views of Roger Simon who suggests that Americans do not want their Presidents too be too brainy and are ‘too dumb to know what they want from their leaders’, calling upon the idea of America as a stupid nation.
The problem with seeming too intelligent is that ‘braininess is elitist’ and to be elitist in America is never seen as a good thing – especially as President.
Obama is said to have to ‘modified his has modified his stump speech to try and broaden his populist appeal’ – in other words dumb down his speeches, so that he can appeal to ‘stupid America’.
As Obama’s intelligence is now being questioned, the idea of Clinton being criticised for being too intelligent for a woman can also be re-assessed. There have been arguments that Clinton is criticised because people do not like intelligent and powerful women, but if Obama is now being criticised for the same thing maybe it is not just a sexist idea. It is said that Bill Clinton had to hide his intelligence whilst in office and played on his southern roots instead to keep his mass appeal, so it seems as though Obama may have to do the same thing appeal to America.
As Susan Jacoby has stated in her book The Age of American Unreason, 'America is ill with a powerful mutant strain of intertwined ignorance, anti-rationalism and anti-intellectualism', which Obama and Clinton now have to play to, to maintain popularity with the masses.
'Hillary Clinton is too ambitious to be the first female president'
http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/hillary_clinton_is_too
By Gerald Collins
The writer of this article above states foremost that he thinks it is time that a woman became the president of the USA, but lists many reasons why it should not be Hillary Clinton.
Collins states how he does not like the way Clinton is so self-promoting and acts like she knows better than anyone else (which brings about the idea of Clinton maybe appearing too intelligent and too headstrong for a woman to become President).
He expresses the case for why it is time for a female president (‘women can be just as smart and qualified as men’) but at the same time, there is a small hint of male chauvinism. By stating ‘I'd rather see a female presidential candidate who wasn't so focused on herself and her political aspirations’ and how she should ‘start thinking about acting a little more ladylike’, gives off an impression that she should not take on a ‘man’s job’. If a male candidate was focused on his political aspirations it would probably be seen as ‘normal’, but because Clinton is an intelligent woman with aspirations, Collins is criticising her for it.
When he states ‘not to mention the fact that, as a working woman, she should take those precious Sundays to spend some time with her family, not to meet with the press on national television’, it begs the question would he say the same thing about Obama?
Collins seems to contradict himself slightly in this article, and seems to just confirm some of the prejudices against Clinton for being too intelligent and headstrong and maybe too much of a ‘man’, which she has been criticised for by feminists as well.
By Gerald Collins
The writer of this article above states foremost that he thinks it is time that a woman became the president of the USA, but lists many reasons why it should not be Hillary Clinton.
Collins states how he does not like the way Clinton is so self-promoting and acts like she knows better than anyone else (which brings about the idea of Clinton maybe appearing too intelligent and too headstrong for a woman to become President).
He expresses the case for why it is time for a female president (‘women can be just as smart and qualified as men’) but at the same time, there is a small hint of male chauvinism. By stating ‘I'd rather see a female presidential candidate who wasn't so focused on herself and her political aspirations’ and how she should ‘start thinking about acting a little more ladylike’, gives off an impression that she should not take on a ‘man’s job’. If a male candidate was focused on his political aspirations it would probably be seen as ‘normal’, but because Clinton is an intelligent woman with aspirations, Collins is criticising her for it.
When he states ‘not to mention the fact that, as a working woman, she should take those precious Sundays to spend some time with her family, not to meet with the press on national television’, it begs the question would he say the same thing about Obama?
Collins seems to contradict himself slightly in this article, and seems to just confirm some of the prejudices against Clinton for being too intelligent and headstrong and maybe too much of a ‘man’, which she has been criticised for by feminists as well.
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