| No Images? Click here   Area Woman Seeks Power, Is Called 'Shrill'Happy New Year everyone! If you, like me, spent most of your time over the past few weeks eating a variety of sugar cookies and ignoring the news, you might have missed Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) announcing on Monday her intention to run for president in 2020. She released a video, explaining why:  What happened next was, I suppose, inevitable: on the very same day, Politico raised the "likability" issue. That thing when a woman seeks higher office (or becomes the boss) and everyone suddenly decides she's hard to like. Politico even went so far as to compare Warren, who first rose to prominence by criticizing the big banks during the financial crisis, as battling "the ghosts of Hillary." I mean, yes, Warren is about to run against the same man who beat Hillary Clinton in 2016. (To ease you into the New Year I shall refrain from using his name). And she, too, is a Democrat and was a Senator. But what Politico is really saying is: Look, Elizabeth Warren is a lady! Clinton was a lady! Nobody liked Hillary, remember? So, because of this magic lady thing -- Warren is just like Hillary and of course not likable enough. The piece points to Warren's "DNA incident," as it is now known -- in which she publicly released the results of a genetic test to prove her Native American heritage. This is widely seen as a disaster. But it has also taken on a sort of Hillary "email" glow: A fairly minor dustup has become a major issue. The Politico piece also gets into how Warren is perceived as cold. "Gendered terms like 'shrill' or 'scoldy,' are already ascribed to Warren," a progressive strategist tells Politico. If my memory of the Great Recession serves, no one outside of the financial industry was repulsed by Warren "scolding" the big banks. Indeed, most Americans cheered her on for going after them. Nevertheless, here we go: Shrill, cold, scoldy, bossy, etc. these aren't terms that get attached to male politicians (maybe except for Al Gore? But not after he grew a beard). This is how we criticize women who seek power and it is core to the double-bind: Women aren't supposed to want power. They are supposed to be nice and warm and helpful. They should smile more! Sure, ladies can be good secretaries of state or even Senators. Those jobs require working with others and can fit into the standard gender stereotypes. But seeking the most powerful position in the world goes against every stereotype about women that most people believe (not all consciously). The woman who wants to be president is by definition un-womanly and therefore a stone cold bitch. This McSweeney's piece kind of nails the whole phenomenon: It's titled, "I don't hate women candidates -- I just hated Hillary and coincidentally I'm starting to hate Elizabeth Warren." Or if you're seeking a more fact-filled read: HuffPost's Jonathan Cohn breaks down the Warren candidacy with a helpful reminder of what she's all about. (Hint: it has nothing to do with Hillary Clinton.) You can follow me on Twitter @EmilyRPeck   HuffPost is now a part of Oath and a part of Verizon. On May 25, 2018 we introduced a new Oath Privacy Policy which explains how your data is used and shared. Learn More.The reality of being a woman — by the numbers. Like what you see? Share it with a friend. Did someone forward this email? Subscribe here. Can't get enough? Check out The Good Life.©2018 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 |
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