The new message is still the old message!
Today women can be anything they want. You only have to look in any field and you can see how many women are leading the pack. Indra Nooyi (CEO of PepsiCo) Meg Whitman (CEO and President Ebay) Ann Moore (Chairman and CEO Times Inc) Judy McGrath (CEO and Chairman MTV, Viacom Groups), Oprah Winfrey (Chairman Harpo Inc), etc. etc. and of course first and foremost in our minds right now, the likes of Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin in politics.
Shouldn’t this all be cause for encouragement? We, as women should be celebrating! However, as is so clearly illustrated by the news of how much money was spent on Sarah Palin’s appearance upon her nomination for the Vice Presidency; the new message is still the old message. Appearances, especially for women count! Sarah Palin the good old soccer Mom who equates with all women, especially those of the middle class was not good enough as she was – though we are supposed to believe it was merely her appearance and not her brain that needed a thorough make-over. In my opinion it should have been the other way around given her antiquated ideas of “the atrocity of abortion,” even in the case of rape victims, along with her ideas of abstinence only education, to name just a few. I feel the money would have been better spent on giving her some higher education; enlightenment of the brain would have been a more worthy campaign expenditure. However, be that as it may, an astounding $150,000 and counting was spent to make her look more Vice Presidential. And true to her nickname the Caribou Barbie, she was the ultimate doll; dressed by a professional stylist, her hairstyle chosen by an equally adept hairdresser, even her eyeglass frames (Kawasaki 704’s that start at $375) – they were all selected for her. Furthermore her face must have been in need of a lot of attention given that her make-up artist Amy Strozzi was paid $22,800 for 2 weeks work, and is now included as part of her entourage.
So with this news, we truly see the hypocrisy of it all. Had the soccer Mom Sarah Palin appeared before us in the Vice Presidential debates, and all the rest of her public appearances, would she have been taken seriously as the potential president in waiting? But now clothed to suit the public image of the position she hopes to attain, should she be considered any the more capable? And what happens once Nov. 4 election is over and her clothes are all donated to charity (as they profess), who will be left the soccer Mom or the Barbie? Let’s hope that the choice never has to be made with regard to the Vice President of the United States, it’s frightening enough to think of it in terms of a private citizen!
Add comment October 25th, 2008