She-Deviler Media Gang Unrepentant–Boycott MSNBC!

Click above to Boycott MSNBC and NBC!

* Author’s note: Subsequent to publishing this article, I learned that MSNBC News Commentator Tim Russert had passed away suddenly. I send my condolences to his family, and wish him well on his next assignment. —LBNYC

Women and men have been decrying the rampant sexism and misogyny lobbed at Hillary Clinton during the Democratic Primary season — made especially clear after she was left standing in a thinning field of candidates over the last four months. It seems that the better she did, the more the MSM tried to knock her down. During this time, millions of citizens took notice and protested using the power of emails, blogs, phone calls, and remote controls to turn off offensive network news, MSNBC, CNN, late night comedians, Oprah, and The View. They protested with their hands and feet, as they walked into voting booths and pulled the lever “yes” for Hillary Clinton; and as they walked away from the DNC, stopped contributing, and mailed back their membership cards.

Now, in their post-analysis, The Media appears to be just fine with what happened. Although millions of citizens have decried their actions as degrading to women, not to mention a former first lady, current US Senator, and Presidential candidate, their protests have fallen on deaf ears. Actually network high ups see the hullabaloo as excessive, but more than that: it’s the candidate’s fault — she used the coverage to try to create momentum. I would say to them, “right, blame the victim,” BUT Hillary Clinton is nobody’s victim.

In today’s NYT article, Media Charged With Sexism in Clinton Coverage, co-authors Katharine Q. Seelye and Julie Bosman write that most outlets assess their coverage was fair:

. . . many in the news media — with a few exceptions, including Katie Couric, the anchor of the “CBS Evening News” — see little need for reconsidering their coverage or changing their approach going forward. Rather, they say, as the Clinton campaign fell behind, it exploited a few glaring examples of sexist coverage to whip up a backlash and to try to create momentum for Mrs. Clinton.

The Media sees no mistakes in their coverage.

Nicholas Lemann, dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University, said: “I have not had a lot of regretful conversations with high-ranking media types and political reporters about how unfair their coverage of the Hillary Clinton campaign was.”

Among journalists, he added, the coverage “does not register as a mistake that must not be allowed to happen again.”

But, never fear, Howard Dean is here. He really gets it now. He’s finally hip to our cause, and I’m sure he’ll handle it.

Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic Party, who says he was slow to pick up on charges of sexism because he is not a regular viewer of cable television, [Good one! I guess he forgot to read all of our emails back in February, March, April, May, and June] is taking up the cause after hearing an outcry from what he described as a cross-section of women, from individual voters to powerful politicians and chief executives.

“The media took a very sexist approach to Senator Clinton’s campaign,” Mr. Dean said in a recent interview.

“It’s pretty appalling,” he said, adding that the issue resonates because Mrs. Clinton “got treated the way a lot of women got treated their whole lives.”

Mr. Dean and others are now calling for a “national discussion” of sexism.

Sure, I’m up for that “national discussion.” Do you think that Sen. Obama will hold those after he does the Town Halls with John McCain?

But really, sexism, schmexism. Give us back our legitimate candidate and our votes! Can you do that? Mmm, I didn’t think so.

Any bets that Florida’s new Obama-selected delegates won’t have full voting privileges restored at the Democratic Convention in Denver? Any one?

USE THE POWER OF YOUR CLICKER AND YOUR WALLET! BOYCOTT SEXIST MEDIA COVERAGE!

Media Sexism Binge Officially Over

June 11, 2001 — Have you noticed? The blatant, rampant MSM misogyny that characterized their coverage of Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Primary Campaign has suddenly disappeared? After praise of her exit speech, followed by a few days of hand-wringing, commentary, and respectful interviews with “Hillary Democrats” about what can be done to woo them, all the nastiness that was slung interminably has gone and dried up. It’s as if none of it ever happened.

Don’t worry. We won’t forget.

Hunter Commencement Degraded By Inclusion Of Matthews

HUNTER COMMENCEMENT DEGRADED BY THE INCLUSION OF INVITED SPEAKER CHRIS MATTHEWS

June 1, 2008

Dear Hunter College Community,

As you may know, MSNBC commentator Chris Matthews has been invited to speak at Hunter’s graduation day ceremony on Wednesday, June 4th. Administrative staff at Hunter looked for a speaker who could address political issues in this election year and decided to invite MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann. After agreeing to speak, Olbermann then backed out of his commitment and instead of returning to the drawing board, a Hunter staff member called MSNBC to see who they could send in Olbermann’s place. Matthews was offered and accepted. There was no formal vetting or real consideration given to the selection of this particular graduation speaker.

Mr. Matthews has gained notoriety throughout the country for years of insensitive, sexist comments on his show “Hardball” and his insulting treatment of women—not only, most visibly, Senator Clinton but also his television colleagues who happen to be female. Matthews referred to Clinton as a “she devil,” called her a “strip-teaser” and “witchy.” He has referred to men who support her as “castratos in the eunuch chorus.” He has commented on the physical appearance of women including his CNBC colleague Erin Burnett, calling her “beautiful” and “a knockout” during a discussion of economic news. In an interview with John and Elizabeth Edwards, Matthews asked the former Senator, “Does she bite your balls like this when you go home?” He then went on to ask, “What is this with the equal marriages? Why do people marry their equals? It used to be different. What happened to the Stepford wives? The good old days?” These are but a small sample of Matthews’s on-air sexist comments.

It is, in our view, disgraceful for Hunter College, for all of us who love this institution and most of all for our present and future students who look to Hunter as a bastion of women’s empowerment, to confer this honor on someone whose words in public so contradict the most basic feminist and civic values. Inviting him to be our speaker is asking him to represent Hunter College on this important occasion, and this should never have happened. We are outraged.

We urge President Jennifer Raab to adopt a process in the future that would prevent such mistakes. We hope you’ll join us in this call to improve the process by which the college selects commencement speakers. Write to President Raab to encourage her to establish a more careful, transparent, and democratic process. Her email address is: jennifer.raab@hunter.cuny.edu.

Sincerely,

Students, Adjunct Faculty, Policy Committee of the
Women and Gender Studies Program

O’Reilly Rants for Hillary (Video)

Video clip from Bill O’Reilly’s May 29, 2008 broadcast on FOX News. He rants about how NBC and MSNBC anointed Obama and gave Hillary the shaft. These actions, O’Reilly said, “are a stain that will never go away.” He’s so right.

I can’t believe I’m agreeing with O’Reilly on anything or rather that he’s agreeing with me. And I can’t believe how good it feels to have someone rant out loud on behalf of Hillary Clinton’s despicable treatment by the MSM in this campaign. Feels really great!

Sexism Might Sell, But I’m Not Buying It: Petition Campaign

Statement from the Women’s Media Center:

On May 23, The Women’s Media Center, along with our partners at Media Matters, launched, “Sexism Sells, But We’re Not Buying It,” a new video and online petition campaign illustrating the pervasive nature of sexism in the media’s coverage. While Hillary Clinton’s campaign has cast a spotlight on the issue of sexism, this isn’t a partisan issue: it’s about making sure that women’s voices are present and powerful in our national dialogue.

Let’s send a message to the media:

Sexism Might Sell, But We’re Not Buying It!

Click here to join the WMC petition campaign (scroll down page to sign up).

From WMC president Carol Jenkins:

Women are a driving force in the U.S. economy with a purchasing power of more than $7 trillion a year, and purchase fully 82 percent of all products and services in the U.S. Earlier this year, The Women’s Media Center joined NOW, the Feminist Majority, and the National Women’s Political Caucus to speak out against the particularly egregious remarks Chris Matthews made about Hillary Clinton’s campaign, when he said that “the reason she may be a front-runner is her husband messed around” (MSNBC’s Morning Joe, January 9, 2008). Speaking for more than 15 million women across the United States, the coalition secured an on-air apology from Matthews, and assurances from NBC executives that steps were being taken to address the situation. Yet the situation persists, which is why The Women’s Media Center is taking this next step, releasing a video and launching an online petition campaign to allow women to speak out against this continuing sexism.

Read Carol Jenkins’ entire statement about the video campaign.

The Women’s Media Center strives to make women visible and powerful in the media. From our founding in 2004 by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem to our advocacy and media relations work today, we are part of a strong feminist tradition that seeks to hold the media accountable for presenting the world as we know it.

Friendly nod to Cooney for posting the petition campaign at Hillary Clinton Forum.