No Girlz Allowed

Don't get political. Don't get political. Don't get political.
Ah, damn.
I have to.

This morning, a video was posted on Digg from YouTube. It was a mash-up that compiled news footage from 1992-2008 of Hillary Clinton, basically pandering (and occasionally lying) her ass off. The point being, of course, that Hillary is a bad person and should in no way be allowed to become president. Obama 08. Whoooo. You get the picture.

I must make it clear that I have very little problem with politicians getting called on their shit. As a people, it's important that we hold our leaders accountable. We have slacked on that responsibility as of late and now we have power-mad sadists running the show. Not cool. Anyway, my bitch is not with the video itself, it is with the comments from Diggers about the video. The bile spewed in these comments is symptomatic of a much larger issue.

While there were many, many thoughtful responses to the video from all over the political spectrum, there were a few that stopped me cold.

There were comments on Hillary's looks:
"1992 Hillary was hot"
"16 years does a lot to your looks"

There were comments rife with righteous indignation:
"Got ya, bitch"
"Fuck you, bitch"

And then my personal favorite:
"I'm gong to masturbate to Hillary's concession speech, and if she cries, I'm going to record it for future masturbatory material."

*sigh*

There seems to be a general sexism that Clinton has encountered on the campaign trail that is readily accepted by the American people at large. In addition to the truly in-depth political analysis you can find on sites like Digg and Reddit, Air America's Randi Rhodes called her a "fucking whore" at a media function. Granted, she was also talking about Geraldine Ferraro, but, really. Fucking whore? You get paid for this, Randi? Oh, wait. They fired you. So I guess you don't.

Asshats like Rush Limbaugh ponder REALLY important issues like, "Do Americans want to watch a woman get old?"

When she cried during a speech on the campaign trail (I'm not going to take a stand on whether or not the tears were genuine) CNN's Glen Beck's initial comment was "It cries." Not she. IT! IT for Christ's sake! She has been criticised (by Beck) for lacking "femininity" and "humanity," but when she shows an actual emotion, she is greeted with nothing but snark.

Marc Rudov, author of such classics as The Man's No-Nonsense Guide To Women and Under the Clitoral Hood: How To Crank Her Engine Without Cash, Booze, or Jumper Cables said on a Fox News interview, "Men won't vote for Hillary Clinton because she reminds them of their nagging wives!" and "When Hillary talks [men] hear, 'Take out the garbage.'" Why exactly Marc "girls just love to expose themselves" Rudov is on Fox News talking about the presidential campaign is beyond me, but there he was.

Tucker Carlson and his bowtie pulled a Lorena Bobbitt reference out of nowhere when talking about Clinton. Apparently, the Hillary Clinton nutcracker wasn't enough. You have to find a more graphic way to let men know that having a woman in charge is the equivalent of having their boy parts removed.

Excellent.

Republican strategist Pete Snyder made a reference to taking her "behind the barn!"

Sweet limping Jesus!

Perhaps I should reiterate. These are examples of PAID PROFESSIONALS engaging in sexism that seems to not only be tolerated by my fellow Americans, but perhaps even supported.

So, I return now to the original focus of my feminist ire.

To the Diggers I quoted above: Y'all need to stop. Right effing now.
Be pissed that Clinton lies and panders to the voters. That is legit.
That anger makes you an American. The only reason we have a country is because we got tired of lies and bullshit.

Don't talk about jerking off to her tearful concession speech.

That makes you a dick.

God Bless America.