19th Amendment

[stef_tm]

During the 08 presidential campaign, I read Meghan McCain's blog (http://mccainblogette.com/) not only to see how this child of a candidate would fare, but also for the play lists she posted. She has good taste in music and what her writing may lack in depth is compensated with genuine enthusiasm. It is obvious she enjoys communication.

She's now a blogger for Tina Brown's alternative to HuffPo, The Daily Beast. Recently McCain wrote a short commentary about Ann Coulter only to have Laura Ingraham call her out on her weight. Not Meghan McCain's support of gay marriage or stem cell research or the surge in Iraq. Nope, her weight.

McCain wrote a response to the pundits called the politics of size.

Some perspective.
(1) Laura Ingraham, while entertaining, is an asshat. That's a given.
(2) Ms. McCain (who carries her weight in her upper body and is 5'5") oscillated between a (US) size 8 and 10 during the campaign.

WTF?!?

In case you'd like to buy some off the rack clothing for your favorite politico, Hillary Clinton is 5'6" and assumed to be a size 10 (I'd have guessed an 8.) Sarah Palin, 5'4", is rumored to be size 6 and Cindy McCain, 5'7", is a 4. Michelle Obama, the tallest of the gang at 5'10", has been pegged as a 10 or 12.

I digress. Now, you might think I'm about to bitch about it being the 21st century and all we're reading about is Meghan McCain's dress size. No, I'm not. You might think I'm going to dive for the gutter and begin comparing cup sizes. Meghan wins that one easily, but nope, wasn't going there either.

I'm thrilled that we're seeing women in journalism - Huffington, Brown, McCain, Coulter, Ingraham. Okay, not journalism proper - enterjournaltainerism - or whatever the hell the internet, radio, and television offer today.

It's progress. Less than a hundred years ago women in the US couldn't vote.

Don't believe that there is progress? How about this example:
During her show the other day, Ellen said my wife, Portia and no stations banned that day's episode, the stars didn't fall from the sky, and the flannel clad state of Vermont did not all go gay. New Hampshire didn't either.

When a lesbian can bring her trophy* wife on her talk show you know we've made progress.
Enjoy:

(Portia's the trophy wife; Ellen dumped Alex Hedison for her.)

In the interest of full disclosure and future gifts, I'm 5'2" and wear anywhere from an 8 to a 12 depending on the manufacturer (DKNY=8; Jones New York=10 Ralph Lauren=12.) Unlike Ms. McCain, my center of mass is below my waist.

Comments

[supersniffles.livejournal.com]

I'm 5'2 1/2" and currently wear an 18-20, though I'm trying to actually get off the couch and exercise more than 1 night a week!

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

I"m the same height, and wear 16-18-20. I too am trying to get off the couch more than 1 night a week.

[yaaresse.livejournal.com]

enterjournaltainerism - or whatever the hell the internet, radio, and television offer today.

I usually refer to it as "noise." :)
All this connectivity and so little communiction.

I confess I have a bit of a crush on Ellen. She sparkles.

[pixelsrzen.livejournal.com]

You look taller on LJ.

BWA HAA HAAA

Srsly though, you're right. In the last 20 years there has been a massive influx of women into journalism and what passed for journalism. Women may very well outnumber men soon, if they haven't already.

[writerspleasure.livejournal.com]

thanks for the burst of positivity. :)

[melly-girl.livejournal.com]

Damn - why does everyone have to go after "weight?" How exactly does that change a person's views, be it liberal or conservative?

You are right - I am happy to see more women in journalism. Hell, I am happy to see more women doing things that were dominated by men period. Bring up the "weight" issue is a catty move that should not be tolerated - period.

[karenbynight.livejournal.com]

The problem here is not that Megan McCain is not fat, as charged. It's that women of all appearances should really simply refuse to discuss individual appearance at all in the context of politics. Many of the replies to Ms. McCain's blog rush to assure her that she's attractive and not fat, seemingly unaware that "no, really, you're pretty enough to talk politics" is just the opposite side of the coin to "you're not pretty enough to talk politics".

But, yes, I definitely agree with your main point. My frustration that the conversation about politically active women still centers around their appearance first is well-tempered by the understanding that we've come a long way in the past 100 years, or even the past 15. Ms. Clinton may have been seen as too assertive / not feminine enough for the First Lady role, but she's certainly not widely seen as too assertive for the role of secretary of state.