Sexism and gender inequality are shown in so many ways- from Hillary's hair to faux fly panties... and beyond

No, I don't know if she wears them... and frankly, I hope I go the rest of my life not knowing what kind of underwear Hillary, Bill, Barack, Paul McC, or any other public figure wears or doesn't wear.

They are two separate "exhibits" if you will which prove the same point.

Exhibit A - Hillary Clinton is judged and examined on her hairstyle, how "feminine" she is, and so forth in a way no male candidate would. The Chicago Tribune ran a good story on that yesterday (yes, I did look at parts of the paper other than the one with my rug letter in it, )

Exhibit B- These panties from Victoria's Secret (and they've had them quite a long time) - described as "Knit boxsie Cheeky, guy-style details with a low-rise fit. Faux button fly"

OK... what's wrong with this picture / concept? I ask you ladies... does it make you feel sexy to have a fly for your non-extant ... ah... er... plumbing? If so, fine, its a free country, more power to you! But outside a few specialty fetish catalogs and shops... most based in San Fran... you can't find "faux vagina" panties for men.

Exhibit C - Terms for the male and female genitalia.
I don't have to iterate these... you're adults of the world, you know them. Ask... are the ones for the female reproductive apparatus generally complimentary or not? Are the ones for the male generally complimentary or not? Even the one pejorative in common use "What a dick" is carries nowhere near as much negative weight or connotation as the female equivalents, and is sometimes said with a grudging amount of respect... its only a half step beyond "He's got BALLS!" On the other hand, there are no positive connotations to "P-ssy," "Sissy," etc. The traits associated (rightly or wrongly) with the female and feminine are assumed to be lesser, weaker, undesirable. Given that most violent crimes are committed by men, while women give birth... this seems horribly inverted to me! A man who is as sensitive, nurturing, and sensual as a woman gets a LOT of shit in this culture, but these are good traits, whom ever has them, as much as valor (a stereotypically male trait) is.

In all three of these exhibits we see in common that the male is assumed to be superior and normative to and over the female. Thusly: the male emotional makeup, approach to life, and anatomy is still taken as normative and superior by our society, despite the facts that... women live longer, can take pain better, and that all fetuses (feti?) start out female.

Now... I'm suspect of these supposed differences between the genders. I'm a very sensitive man, the son of a sensitive father, and most of my dear male friends are too. On the other hand, I've known some cold, ruthless women. And ya know what, I do think Ms Clinton is that way too... and so what! Had she the views and qualifications of a Thatcher or Kirkpatrick, I'd be her biggest supporter because of them. A good leader is a good leader, period, regardless of gender, race, hair color, or religion. A good person is a good person, period, regardless of gender, race, hair color, or religion.


We're so superficial as a society, and we accept so many assumptions without questioning them. Some traditional views bear up to scrutiny, others don't, but we'll never know unless we open and use our minds. Else... we'd still believe the world is flat, and that most illnesses are caused by the presence of a toad or dwarf living in the stomach (cf Steve Martin's Theoderic Of York- Medieval Barber sketch on SNL, see below.)

Theodoric of York: Well, I'll do everything humanly possible. Unfortunately, we barbers aren't gods. You know, medicine is not an exact science, but we are learning all the time. Why, just fifty years ago, they thought a disease like your daughter's was caused by demonic possession or witchcraft. But nowadays we know that Isabelle is suffering from an imbalance of bodily humors, perhaps caused by a toad or a small dwarf living in her stomach.

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So... are we going to go on believing Hillary Clinton's gender is any way relevant to her candidacy? Are we going to continue to believe that men who show stereotypically female/feminine traits, act in female/feminine ways, dress in female/feminine clothes are just Sissys and P-ssys?

If so... then next time you take a boat trip, be careful you don't fall off the end of the earth, and I hope you get treatment for your gastrointestinal toad infestation.


PS- If this is too much deep thinking for you right now, then here's some fun... post your ad copy for a men's equivalent to the Viccy's Secret Faux Fly boxies.