NY Post column: Obama "is like a woman," Clinton "has long been accused of androgyny," Edwards is "a cute 8-year-old boy"
SUMMARY: In a New York Post column titled "Bam: Our 1st Woman Prez?" Lucy Berrington and Jeff Onore claimed that Sen. Barack Obama "is like a woman: slim, good looking, with long elegant fingers, appealingly dressed -- all terms more typically ascribed to female candidates," adding, "By the end of this year we might indeed have our first woman president -- but not necessarily Hillary." Berrington and Onore also claimed that Sen. Hillary Clinton "has long been accused of androgyny -- trying to sound like a man, flexing her rhetorical muscle," and that Sen. John Edwards' "appeal to female voters is more as a cute 8-year-old boy."
In a January 7 New York Post column titled "Bam: Our 1st Woman Prez?" former London Times staffer Lucy Berrington and poet/playwright Jeff Onore claimed that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) "is like a woman: slim, good looking, with long elegant fingers, appealingly dressed -- all terms more typically ascribed to female candidates," adding: "He embodies many of the positive characteristics we tend to regard as feminine: sensitive and empathetic, seeking to find common ground and minimize conflict, not taking power for granted." After noting that former President Bill Clinton "was famously dubbed America's first black president," Berrington and Onore wrote: "By the end of this year we might indeed have our first woman president -- but not necessarily Hillary." Regarding Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Berrington and Onore claimed that she "has long been accused of androgyny -- trying to sound like a man, flexing her rhetorical muscle." Regarding former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC), Berrington and Onore wrote that his "appeal to female voters is more as a cute 8-year-old boy."
In contrast to their descriptions of the Democratic candidates, Berrington and Onore claimed that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney "is the CEO with movie-star looks," Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is "the war hero and straight shooter," and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is "the parochial religious orator and weight loser." Berrington and Onore also dismissed instances in which former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani "famously cross-dressed," writing that they were "only for laughs at charity fund-raisers."
Berrington's and Onore's January 7 New York Post column in its entirety:
Barack Obama's win in Iowa was the latest upset in the long, discredited history of gender assumptions. A large and apparently decisive bloc of voters widely thought to be Hillary Clinton's -- young to middle-aged women -- preferred Obama.
This may prove critical. Women are more likely than men to turn out to vote -- and more likely to vote for a Democrat. In Iowa, that Democrat was more likely to be Obama, giving him a victory and momentum going into other states. In a Lifetime/Zogby poll last month, a quarter of New Hampshire female voters said they'd base their choice on the Iowa results.
Yet it's not only Obama's policies and strategies that appeal to women. He is like a woman: slim, good looking, with long elegant fingers, appealingly dressed -- all terms more typically ascribed to female candidates.
Those shots of Barack and Michelle sitting with Oprah on stools had the feel of a smart, all-women talk panel: Obama fit right in for reasons beyond race.
Hillary has long been accused of androgyny -- trying to sound like a man, flexing her rhetorical muscle -- but on Thursday night it was Obama who won the androgyny sweepstakes.
None of the other '08 candidates has the inherent, subliminal male-female appeal of Obama. He's physically attractive, but not in the way Bill Clinton was -- the way that drew women in search of oral sex and grotesque fame to the White House.
Women are gravitating to Obama out of a different urge -- the desire to invite him to our book club, join him for coffee or have him coach our child's soccer team. He embodies many of the positive characteristics we tend to regard as feminine: sensitive and empathetic, seeking to find common ground and minimize conflict, not taking power for granted. We've yet to catch Obama beating up an opponent.
Androgyny has long had its place in popular culture -- in fashion, in rock (from Jagger and Bowie to The Strokes), even in sports (Tom Brady's cologne ad in Sports Illustrated). Now it has a growing value in politics, as female participation rises. (Census data show that women have voted at ever-higher rates than men in every election since 1980.)
Beyond Obama, though, none of the current crop seem able to play the androgyny card. Mitt Romney is the CEO with movie-star looks, John McCain the war hero and straight shooter, Mike Huckabee the parochial religious orator and weight loser. Yes, Rudy Giuliani famously cross-dressed -- but only for laughs at charity fund-raisers. And John Edwards' appeal to female voters is more as a cute 8-year-old boy.
Obama alone offers a compelling blend of masculine and feminine. Bill Clinton, who was famously dubbed America's first black president, provides a useful typecasting precedent. By the end of this year we might indeed have our first woman president -- but not necessarily Hillary.
Well that was strange. Did I miss the Androgyny Wave?
I've heard Hillary called many things. I can't recall a labelling of Androgynous.
So watch out for people like Bill C? So that was what was drawing all those women to the White House. Anyone want to give an estimate of the number of desperate women (of any sex) in search of oral sex and grotesque fame at the White House on a year to year basis?
Do you ever wonder how people can be so stupid this day in age? Mrs. Clinton, Obama and Edward's are the best choices this country has seen in a long time. Personally, I am choosing Edward's in the primary but I will be happy to vote for any of these candidates.
I'll 'splain this to you one more time:
When you START with the AGENDA of bashing/insulting the Dems, while propping up and praising the GOP, there is no end to the kinds of stories you can create.
These ya-hoos aren't just telling us how the candidates look and dress ... they're telling us how THEY, the WRITERS, FEEL and INTERPRET and EXTRAPOLATE about the candidates, based on what is seen through the prism of their own biased eyes.
WHY IS THIS HERE? Simple: Just another example of a MEDIA that demonstrates no integrity, no ethical underpinnings to responsible journalism, just partisan hacks as far as the eye can read, doing the bidding of their corporate masters.
The rightwing NARRATIVE, to be repeated and underscored at every opportunity, is that Liberal MEN are feminine, while Liberal WOMEN are NOT (and GOP men are really manly).
MMFA has taken on the task of documenting the dispersal and wide-spread instance of this kind of partisan misinformation and smear. That's why this is here.
Good points all Tex. These dodos actually have nothing but disdain for objective journalism and their blatant anti-intellectualism is the reason for the appeal of bozos like Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter, Malkin, et al. They don't believe in going to J-School to learn the basic principles of the profession, like many legitimate journalist current and past. Check this out to see how they are creating a new breed of propagandist and activists: http://www.nndb.com/org/024/000129634/
Boy are these yahoos desperate. I love how Obama's candidacy forces them to reveal the idiots trying desperately to prop up white supremacy.
Lucy Berrington seems determined to undermine her own gender. Good for making 30 pieces of silver but very bad karma.
Perhaps she's married to one of these bozo's?
The amazing thing is that they think that readers find value in being told what the candidates look like.
It does happen to be something people tend to pick up on their own...
The amazing thing is that they think that readers find value in being told what the candidates look like.
It does happen to be something people tend to pick up on their own...
Remember, we're talking about Rupert Murdoch's New York Post here. Most of its readers move their lips when they read, and drag their knuckles when they walk.
These two morons and their employer the New York Post have, by simply writting this, let alone printing this kind of trash about anyone has lost every single ounce of credibility (presumming they had any to begin with?)
Could this just be a round-a-bout way of showing their collective racism by attacking Obama as a 'woman', by virtue of his attire and popularity as opposed to being 'clean' and 'articulate' and not asking for MF'ing iced tea? Which either way shows a collective disability of their minds!
This isn't so much mis-information as it is exposing yet another form of abstract racism that prevails in certain sections of our society.
Your first mistake was to presume the NEW YORK POST tabloid had any credibility to begin with. Al-Jazeera has more credibility than those clowns.
Your first mistake was to presume the NEW YORK POST tabloid had any credibility to begin with. Al-Jazeera has more credibility than those clowns.
That's because Al-Jazeera is better-written, and less biased.
"Obama 'is like a woman,' Clinton 'has long been accused of androgyny,' Edwards is 'a cute 8-year-old boy'"
And where exactly is the "misinformation"?
LOL! ROLFMAO. Aah, yes. I crack myself up ...
Thank you.
You were cracked long before you typed that crap.
You crack us up too, Mis-Info Guy. But we're not laughing with you, we're laughing at you.... :)
You crack us up too, Mis-Info Guy. But we're not laughing with you, we're laughing at you.... :)
Some of us are shaking our heads and wondering how long he has gone without his meds.....
“He is like a woman: slim, good looking, with long elegant fingers, appealingly dressed -- all terms more typically ascribed to female candidates.”
This is wrong as they themselves define it: women tend to gain weight easier than men do, there are as many good-looking men as women, I don’t think long fingers favor one gender, and it’s expected for celebrities to dress well.
What else would you expect from far right trash like the NY Post?
The Post must really be dragging the bottom of the barrel to come up with two people that author a column like this.
The column starts off relatively sane by asserting that, contrary to popular opinion, women are supporting Obama rather than Clinton. (They neglect to cite any data for this, but ok.)
The column could have presented an interesting view of what issues are more important to women than men and then outlined the stated positions of each candidate relative to these issues. The result (if properly sourced and researched) would have been a very interesting and insightful column. After reading the first paragraph I expected this to happen.
Instead, I read about how slim and "womenly" Obama is and how his long fingers appeal to women.
WTF????
Was this reprinted from NewsMax or Drudge? Nope. This was all Post material.
How can a newspaper expect to be taken seriously after printing something like this? Are their readers really stupid enough to take such an article as anything but pure insanity? Was the goal to just print something so monumentally stupid the readers breath is taken away and they quickly find the names of the authors of such a piece and wonder how such writers actually earn a living.
MMFA should keep a list of bad journalism and put this piece into the hopper. Sadly, with the year just starting, there will be other such "special" pieces that can be added.
Since beauty is in the eye of the beholder and aesthetics always boil down to subjective preferences, Mr. Berrington and Ms. Onore say more about themselves than the candidates. (And, yes, I realize I have taken liberties with the titles, in fact switching them, the better to reflect the writers' subconscious attitudes.) Not to forget, these are the same people who perpetuate the blood libel that African-American males are ineffectual and dumb (like females), the myth that uppity women are bull dykes, and that John Edwards types are really sissies at heart. They take their cues from Ann Coulter, who, let's all recall, referred to Edwards as "a f****t."
Really, now, isn't it time we all MOVED ON!!!
I can't say I'm very familiar with the NY Post, but is this an actual newspaper?
This column could have been compiled at a Jr. High school - the descriptions of the Dems from the bathroom grafitti, and those of the repubs from a pubescent girls diary. Yeeesh.
I'm looking forward to some insightful physical descriptions of the GOP candidates. You know, these guys;
Rudy Giuliani
FredThompson
Mike Huckabee
John McCain
Mitt Romney
At least none of them are androgynous.
LOL HBL
I knew I should have paid more attention to Fred Thompson. He's pretty good looking but I need to see his fingers first. ;-)
It looks like Rudy has taken the suggestions to heart and hired a professional to do his make up and photo shoots.
This shows that he is indeed, a handsome man.
Right before I clicked on the link to Giuliani, I said to myself "I'll bet this is some sort of vampire."
Androgynous? No. However, one of them looks, sounds, and moves like a middle-aged Ken Doll brought to life,
And if Edwards looks like a cute 8 year old boy, won't he be attracting a lot of Republican mens' votes? "Mark Foley Democrats", I like the sound of that. Might even get NAMBLA member Rush Limbaugh voting (D). ;0)
Fortunately,I have read the "B" side of the article. (For the younger group, back in the day, we had records with two sides). This is what was one the flipside of the press piece.
"My Favorite Republans by Lou C. Onore and Jeff Gannon-Berryington..
Rudy Giuliani admitted that he does not like to be seen in suits and that dresses are really in his wardrobe.
Fred Thompson stole all of his clothes from Law and Order and his little Red truck is named Rosebud.
Mike Huckabee liked being fat but God told him, while in the first grade, that Presidents are always skinny. That is when he saw the floating cross.
John McCain--can't knock the guy. Only because of his long hotel stay. But he likes younger babes.
Willard "Mitt" Romney---really despises his nickname and would liked to be called by his real first name...BIFF.
You see, if you really look hard, you will find that when an idiot reporter is honest, there is always a flip-side.
OOPS..."on the flipside"
wakeup people, the media is trying to influence this election in favor of the republican party, they are very dishonest in the thing they say, they use soundbites to mislead the public and if you don't do your research and know the facts for yourself they will put the incompetent republicans back in the white house, and we'll right back where we started in a big mess and hated around the world. bin laden is having a big laugh at American expense. Wakeup American.
Another example of the conservative mind - Everything has to be black or white (figuratively and literally). There are to be no grey areas - this causes “confusion” in the minds of true conservatives.
Fortunately, as we evolve as a society, more and more Americans are aware of the fact that we all come in different sizes, shapes, colors, and physical and sexual attributes. By continually playing on old stereotypes, conservative journalists and pundits only alienate more and more intelligent voters who see through their irrational outdated “observations”. And they wonder why the conservative movement and Republican Party are rapidly losing momentum?
BTW, don’t they realize that there are probably just as many voters who see these physical traits that they might perceive as negative – to be positive attributes of a candidate’s character – as examples of a candidate’s success despite ignorant stereotypes?
Pearlene pleazzz say you were being sarcastic about Fred Thompson being good looking! If not i guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. HaHa!
Many people think basset hounds are cute.
Congero, you mean that hairy ape didn't do anything for you? Sorry, I thought the LOL would give a hint, I was just kidding. ;-)
Maureen Dowd of the NY Times also writes columns insulting the masculinity of male Democrats and insulting the femininity of female Democrats.
More hate. What else is new? The refreshing thing about this is that Obama handles such uncreative insults with grace. Their mean spirited campaign will back fire on them because of his grace. How do you publically attack a man who won't play that game with you?
Furthermore, how does any one, right or left, say any candidate looks or acts like a woman and not mention the cross-dressing Giuliani? What irritates me is the lack of substantive criticism. These media bobble heads and newspapers have nothing of relevance to report. 2008 and the most interesting thing to talk about in regards to our next president is how a candidate looks? I'm going to enjoy all of the subtle racist jabs we'll start hearing since Obama took Iowa. We've already been bombarded with mysoginistic and chauvanistic rhetoric in regards to Hillary, but that was when everybody was afraid she'd runaway with the nomination.
Columns such as that piece are demonstrative of how stupid 'journalists' and 'pundits' are these days.
And those who waste their money and brain cells on that trash are even dumber.
WHY IS BEING A WOMAN BAD ?????????? Why is it an insult to call someone "feminine" ?
Castration fear. Be it intellectual,emotional,threat of, or the act itself.
The majority of the old balding white guys in charge today envoke the macho image as well as they can. Often all they got is being an obnoxious abusive idiot who's right and your wrong. Someone female and/or femine and being competent threatens them. It throws their world view away, calls it up for examination.
I hadn't though of the political power of being a cute 8 year old boy HB. I can't think of a proper way to express my appreciation for your bringing it up. Probably a few minutes after I log off I will. You devil you.;-)