Racism and sexism in the 2008 election

I'm here at the Women, Action and the Media conference in Boston, where a panel on feminist blogging and the 2008 election just finished up. Jennifer Pozner, a journalist and media critic at Women in Media and News mediated a discussion that delved into the heated back-and-forth between the mainstream media and the blogosphere during and after the 2008 primaries. She was joined by Veronica Arreola, another activist writer, and also by a blogger who goes by the psuedonym Cynematic.

Though the Democratic primary wrapped up nearly nine months ago, it was clear from the discussion that feminists and others are still trying to process the fallout from the aptly-termed "Oppression Olympics," in which media pundits argued about what's worse: sexism (against Hillary Clinton) or racism (against Barack Obama).

"The election year was this incredible opportunity and it was exciting. But it also was divisive and troubling and painful becuse of the failures of intersectionality," said Pozner, adding that the mainstream media ultimately "decided" that sexism must be worse, as evidenced by the controversial New York Times op-ed by Gloria Steinem, who claimed that if Obama was a woman, he would have never progressed so far.

Feminist blogs ran to Clinton's defense. But, after Obama clinched the nomination, these same blogs were conspicuosly quiet when it came to media criticism of Michelle Obama, who was oft-portrayed as a stereotyped angry black woman.

"Women of color were waiting for equal outcry about the portrayal of Michelle Obama," said Cynematic. "When I see an imbalance like that it is distressing because when we say "woman," it must only mean "white woman." Look at the tremendous energy to circle the wagons for Hillary Clinton. A similar thing did not happen with a woman of color. I suspect that is part of the pain."

Now that the Obamas have moved into the White House, Pozner said, Michelle Obama is no longer seen as an angry black woman, but as a hip fashion icon.

"Somehow, it went back to 'she's just a girl.'" Which, in the long run, is a skewed media image as well. -Naomi