Sarah Palin: Fluffy Bunny
Yesterday the Associated Press published the most horrible and least professional analysis of this year’s campaign season in which Governor Sarah Palin was accused of ‘implied racism’ for saying that Barack Obama ‘pals around’ with terrorists such as Bill Ayers (who is white). The charge was ludicrous, of course. The original title of the piece was “Palin’s words carry racial tinge,” but they quickly changed that after virtually the entire world could not stop laughing.
What got missed by most, not all, pundits, however, is that the ‘analysis’ also contains a wonderful example of sexism which is, seemingly, perfectly acceptable:
“It’s a giant changing of the subject,” said Jenny Backus, a Democratic strategist. “The problem is the messenger. If you want to start throwing fire bombs, you don’t send out the fluffy bunny to do it. I think people don’t take Sarah Palin seriously.”
Imagine that someone would have said this:
“It’s a giant changing of the subject,” said Jenny Backus, a Democratic strategist. “The problem is the messenger. If you want to start throwing fire bombs, you don’t send out uncle Tom to do it. I think people don’t take Barack Obama seriously.”
Of course, Backus is a woman, which is why her using sexism against Palin is perfectly acceptable according to Democrats and their allies in the media. But the fact that she is a woman should not allow her to dismiss Palin for being a racist as well.
As an aside, it never ceases to amaze me that the individuals working against full emancipation of women are… women themselves. It has always been like that and something tells me it will always be like that.
It is politics, one will never have true allies. Besides, women do have the tendency to pull each other down.
How is "fluffy bunny" analogous to "Uncle Tom"? It doesn’t even imply ‘female’. Tucker Carlson is also a fluffy bunny — is that somehow sexist? Homophobic?
You’re really reaching here.
I have to agree with #2. It’s really about as far away as you can get. I think they meant ‘lightweight,’ as in, someone who doesn’t have enough know-how to get the job done.
The statement was clearly sexist. If they had meant "lightweight" wouldn’t lightweight have been a better term to use? There is something wrong when a Govenor of a a state is referred to as a "fluffy bunny" simply because she has retained her femininity. For so long women had to slip into politics as "man wannabes". It is time for women to come full circle. We are at our best when we are who we are. To judge any candidate by how they look rather than what they have done is not thinking for yourself. Unless of course you really "believe" this election is a TV show?