Dear Maureen

[creidylad]

Dear Maureen Dowd,

STFU about Hillary already. Find something constructive to say about something. Anything. Anywhere. Being a female NY Times columnist does not mean you have to tear down every woman who becomes a public figure as your personal vision quest.

That is all.

-me

Comments

[redjanet]

i agree. i've read some of her recent op-eds (including today's) about Hillary, and she's sounding more and more catty and bitchy. surely stereotypes women should be trying to get away from, rather than playing into the deep-rooted sexism that Gloria Steinem was talking about yesterday.

[creidylad]

And it's not just Hillary! I can't remember a single instance of Maureen Dowd saying something insightful about a female public figure -- just a lot of cattiness. A lot.

[lollardfish]

Steinem's article was really good I thought.

[creidylad]

It was! I've been in discussions about it in various places. Why can't SHE be the regular Times columnist? Wouldn't that make more sense?

[buttonlass]

I was talking to David about Hillary and the press yesterday. The real problem is that all the press hate her and we are getting jilted coverage out of the deal. There was an article written about her visit to the press bus that's following her on the campaign trail which was really telling. She came on the bus bearing goodies and coffee and everyone shut up and didn't say a word to her. No one said anything. Not one of the "reporters" even tried to ask her a question. It's disgraceful. Get over your stupid high school clique problems and do your job. Is that to much to ask?

I have some pent up irritation on this matter. Sorry.:)

[creidylad]

It makes me sick to think about it. She's intelligent -- I mean, one of the most intelligent people out there -- driven, dedicated, even visionary. I don't love all her positions on things, but jesus. People need to get over her being a woman. And they need to stop acting like being a driven, determined, fiercely intelligent person makes you LESS of a woman.

[sykotropic]

I am so glad you said that. It was exactly what I was thinking. Now I think I should go send a comment to them too.

[creidylad]

I have been considering same. But not to her -- I consider Ms. Dowd a lost cause. To the NY Times to get us a better female political commentator.

[jadiana]

The hatred that some folks feel for her as always baffled me. I've looked, really looked (as far back as when her husband first entered the white house) and tried to figure it out.

I'm not really one to toot this sort of horn often, but I really feel it's some factor of her being an aggressive, outspoken 'uppity' woman.

I've cornered people before on this issue, trying to get them to articulate specifics, and I get some noise about white water, and sometimes tin hat stuff, but mostly it's about feelings - not facts. They hate her because they're already made up their minds to hate her and go out and find any reason to support that feeling.

[creidylad]

Absolutely it's about her being an 'uppity' woman. People feel threatened and go all kinds of crazy places. Back when she was first lady I remember knowing, catty remarks fro coworkers about how she was really gay. THESE WERE NOT GENERALLY HOMOPHOBES (though obviously somewhat). It just somehow, though, made her 'other' and 'not real' enough for them. WTF? And I was working for a WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION for chrissakes.

[jadiana]

I've always felt that the accusations of being gay were an attack on her being a woman, a punishment if you will, for daring to 'step out of her place' and 'acting like a man'.

It's the old, "If you're aggressive and a man, you're ambitious and a 'go-getter'. But if you're a woman, you're shrill and a bitch."

[zinzinzinnia]

Probably more like being married to an obvious womanizer and apparently not caring.

And the woman's organization you worked for, D, was traditionalist and conventional -- not the most radical or gay-activist-oriented organization out there.

[jfbat]

Maureen Dowd seems fairly egalitarian about finding negative things to say about pretty much everyone on both sides of the aisle. Perhaps constructive commentary isn't in her job description?

[creidylad]

True! Though I've noticed more of her swipes vs. women than men -- perhaps I was not paying sufficient attention to keep score.