Hillary Clinton = Sarah Silverman
Below are links are two articles that talk about people's perceptions/reactions to Hillary and how women comedians, such as Sarah Silverman, create such harsh reactions from certain audience members.
"Harpy, Hero, Heretic: Hillary" by Jack Hitt
Link: http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/harpy_hero_heretic_hillary.html
"Are Women Allowed To Be Funny?" by Gloria Goodale
Link: http://www.alternet.org/stories/47657/
Hitt does an interesting job of discussing how we all have our own versions of who we think Hillary is or what she represents. To use the author's categories, I think she's a hybrid of Dianne Feinstein and Lisa Simpson, which I why I like her at times and am also revolted/exasperated by her from time to time. Of course, as Hitt asserts, the fact that she's a woman does play a serious factor, whether you're willing to admit it or not.
Likewise, people's nasty reactions to Silverman's brand of raunchy yet thought-provoking humor reveals that we still have this conception that women should be "lady-like." I don't think she's much different than Dave Chappelle in her type of humor and gags, but she's a white woman. There's the rub.
posted by Quintilian B. Nasty @ 2:58 PM
3 Comments:
To me, Hillary is clearly a "Dianne Feinstein" type. I expect politicians to pander to voters, but she does it in such a blatant manner it is amazing to me that she doesn't upset her base more than she does.
I honestly don't think my opposition to her is based on her sexuality at all. In fact, it pisses me off to read things like this from the article.
The national trauma began when Hillary violated perceived roles of domesticity, says Betty Winfield, a University of Missouri professor who has been monitoring Hillary's public perception since the campaign of 1992. "People had a very preconceived idea about how a first lady was supposed to act, the image of a supportive wife but not too outspoken," says Winfield. "Hillary had no noblesse oblige cause, nothing coming from the domestic sphere like highway beautification or illiteracy or anti-drug use among teens. No, no. She was going to change the entire health care system for the whole country."
This is the same kind of crap where people say I am racist simply because I am a member of the current ethnic majority.
I wasn't against Hillarycare because I'm a man and she was an uppity female. I was against it because I think it is wrong. Also, no one voted for her then.
Her biggest public perception problem was that she acted like she was given a mandate when Bill was elected.
Since then, my distate for her is based on her stated leftist policies. Including her recent doozy of saying she wants to "take" Exxon's profits.
There are plenty of reasons to oppose Hillary, there is no need to bring her gender into it.
I certainly see what you're saying. I've had disagreements with people about these issues for years, and I work in academia. So you can only imagine...
It's certainly evident that people didn't like Hillary from the start because she didn't act like various other Stepford wife first ladies. I don't think she acted like she was given a mandate, but rather people perceived it that way because they aren't used or aren't comfortable with women in power. What's wrong with having a strong first lady who might do something other than fluffy appearances and gladhanding? Nothing in my opinion.
To some, and I'm not saying you're like this travolta, Hillary is a "bitch" or "ball buster" because she speaks her mind and has strong opinions-"leftist" or otherwise. If someone like McCain or Hagel or Obama present a similar ethos, most of the time they're seen as being "hard-nosed" or "tough."
Gender, in my opinion, is a formidable part of whether people are attracted to or revulsed (or a combo) by Hillary. It's not the only aspect of course, but it's certainly part of the overall equation.
One interesting wrinkle, if she wins the nomination or the Presidency for that matter, is what to do she do with Bill?
Insert your own joke now.
After watching Silverman's first two shows on Comedy Central, I need to revise this statement in my initial post: "I don't think she's much different than Dave Chappelle in her type of humor and gags."
She is different than Chappelle: Chappelle is a much better comedian (much more funny) and certainly more satirical.
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