And The Beat Goes On

ALBANY, NY (06/11/2008)(readMedia)-- Apparently Hillary Clinton hasn't been roughed up enough by the press. So the media’s sexist drums continue to beat. Recently Tonight Show host Jay Leno quipped that Senator Hillary Clinton would offer Obama a lap dance in exchange for the Vice Presidency. We wonder how Mr. Leno's noted feminist wife Mavis Leno feels about this abrasive objectification of women on her husband's show. For many years now Mavis has embraced the cause of ending violence against women. It is a fitting vehicle for her intense passion for helping women around the world. What a shame that her husband is so oblivious to the idea that negative portrayal of women fosters sexism and misogyny. Indeed, our children and young adults have become desensitized to seeing violent acts and hearing degrading speech about women. So what part of this scenario does Leno not understand?

Throughout her campaign, Hillary Clinton has conducted herself with strength, intelligence and dignity. Because of her, women and girls everywhere are convinced they can aspire to greatness, in spite of obstacles they face. Surely Senator Clinton has given all women a boost to their collective self esteem.

But today's women are still force fed a never-ending media assault on themselves. To portray a strong, capable women as someone who would prostitute herself for the VP position is an outrageous sexist insult to women everywhere. And Leno's remark perpetuates the myth that women can only achieve greatness by exploiting themselves physically. And it does nothing for the future of our young women and men. We want our daughters to learn Senator Clinton's message of strength. We don't need Leno sending them the message that they can only achieve greatness in life by giving sexual favors.

We, as feminists, have the obligation to alert the media to their responsibility to discourage sexist humor and to feature more feminist women personalities. Our daughters deserve the best. NOW New York State is urging our forty thousand supporters, women and progressive men everywhere, to demand change in the media by writing to NBC and telling them they will not tolerate their sexist portrayal of women. It is time to enter a new age of intolerance for sexism. And it's time we all dance to a brand new drum.