NYC’s Women’s Media Center calls for apology over GOP SD56 video

By Paul Schmelzer
Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at 12:48 pm

Updated: The Women’s Media Center, based in New York City, is calling for an apology from Minnesota’s Senate District 56 Republicans for embedding a video it calls “highly offensive” on its official district website yesterday. The video — which assesses the attractiveness of women in politics by comparing flattering shots of Republicans with photoshopped or unflattering images of Democrats — was removed from the site yesterday, but a tweet by the district GOP chair suggests no mea culpa will be coming.

“This incident is symptomatic of a larger illness: the widespread sexism and objectification of women in politics,” writes WMC president Jehmu Greene. “Though the video clearly prefers Republican women over Democratic women, it does a disservice to women across the political spectrum by evaluating them solely based on their appearances rather than on their merits or platforms.”

Noting that the video has already been removed from the site, she calls for a public apology by the party. She continues: “Furthermore, the Women’s Media Center urges all political parties to take this opportunity to pledge to avoid in similar sexist attacks, and encourages media to continue to actively fight them in the future.”

SD56 GOP chair Joe Salmon tweeted yesterday, presumably about the incident, which is being reported nationally by Gawker, Mother Jones, The Hollywood Reporter and others, as well as local papers like the Stillwater Gazette today. “It really unfortunate [sic] to relearn that the other side is severely lacking a sense of humor,” he wrote.

SD56 chair Joe Salmon's Aug. 17 tweet

But it’s not only the “other side” that thought the video crossed the line. The only women endorsed by the GOP for District 56 races reacted negatively.

Kathy Lohmer, who’s running for the state House seat in 56A, said she doesn’t “want to be connected in any way to that type of behavior,” and told the Minnesota Independent she’d be asking for the resignation of the SD56 webmaster. Andrea Kieffer, GOP-endorsed House candidate for 56B, said she doesn’t condone the video and asked for its removal from the site, calling it a “juvenile attempt at ‘marketing.”

Like SD56 Chair Salmon, the site’s webmaster, Randy Brown, suggested women and offended Democrats should lighten up.

“I do realize that there are groups of people who lack such capability [for humor], but fortunately that is their problem,” said Brown, who posted the video. “…Is it fair? Does that matter? It wasn’t intended to be fair. It was intended to be funny.”

Update: Rachel Rose Hartment at Yahoo’s The Upshot reports that WMC isn’t alone in calling for an apology. DFL party chair Brian Melendez:

“This video is sexist and offensive. Just what kind of ridiculous point were the Republicans trying to make with this video? I call on SD56 Chair Joe Salmon and State GOP Chair Tony Sutton to apologize for this sexist video. The day when a woman was judged by her looks rather than her competence and intelligence should have passed three generations ago. But apparently Republican leaders in the year 2010 still think of that bygone era as the good old days, and want to bring it back.”

Now EMILY’s List, the national women’s political group, is weighing in, linking the district GOP’s use of the video with state and national politics:

“If Republicans in Minnesota, like Michele Bachmann and Tom Emmer, and national leaders like Sarah Palin – who has endorsed both of those candidates and predicted a ‘rising tide’ of women voters this cycle – think that this disgusting video is an acceptable way to treat women and women leaders in the state and across the country then their silence will speak volumes. However, if they believe as we do, that women voters and women in office deserve to be respected, then they should join EMILY’s List in denouncing this video.”

Bachmann is the only Minnesota politician featured in the video.

Comments

15 Comments

Steve Carlson
Comment posted August 18, 2010 @ 5:23 pm

What a cause. But it’s just another way to stir up the Democrat base. I judge both men and women by appearance. If you look at the governor’s debate at the chamber of commerce yesterday, you will see just how important appearance is. No doubt, those three candidates had their wives coaching them on dress and appearance, just as I presume your mother did. That is because it does make an impact on women, and men, watching. Women probably feel insulted if a man dresses improperly, because it’s disrespectful (pants on the ground, hat turned around). It goes the other way, too. And because some New York media trippers try to get parties to pledge to stop looking at appearance when women get involved does not impress me in the least. Yeah, I know New York City is there, so..?

Instead of waiting for the sexist attacks on Republican women, some Republican men got it started. Remember darling Barack calling Sarah Palin a pig?

And as to Brian Melendez, blah, blah: “…sexist…offensive…ridiculous…Republicans…apologize…judged by her looks rather than her competence and intelligence…bygone…bring it back.”

This passes for political discourse during an election year when this kind of drivel has beaten America into the ground? No, Brian, you are wrong, the clip judges Republican women by their competence and intelligence, and your failure to recognize this makes you a sexist. They probably don’t abort their babies either, and that makes them more beautiful, trust me.


PBJ
Comment posted August 18, 2010 @ 5:40 pm

“Remember darling Barack calling Sarah Palin a pig?”

I don’t. Nor do you, because it didn’t happen. As you well know, Obama used the idiom “lipstick on a pig” for the dressed-up-but-fundamentally-unchanged McCain-Palin campaign, then you and your ilk twisted that to claim it was a reference to Palin. It wasn’t. Where’s your intellectual honesty, Steve? What a gem you are for the Independence Party. Which reminds me, how come your name doesn’t appear on the IP website?


Alie
Comment posted August 18, 2010 @ 5:47 pm

“No doubt, those three candidates had their wives coaching them on dress and appearance, just as I presume your mother did.”

So, you’re saying that fashion and personal grooming is within the sole purview of women? That men couldn’t possibly dress themselves acceptably without a woman’s input?

“No, Brian, you are wrong, the clip judges Republican women by their competence and intelligence, and your failure to recognize this makes you a sexist. They probably don’t abort their babies either, and that makes them more beautiful, trust me.”

Wait…what?


Steve Carlson
Comment posted August 19, 2010 @ 12:32 am

I think America knew that lipstick crack was aimed at Palin. You ate it up, I’ll bet. Well, payback time comes November 2. I’m ready to take America back, get on the right road again. And I’m not following Obama’s leadership and I hope you’re not either.


Steve Carlson
Comment posted August 19, 2010 @ 12:37 am

Oh, and I have my own website, you can click my name. And yes, I do want to dump the Democrat-Republican monopoly on power. Vote for change, vote for change, vote Independence!

Why would anybody vote for Dayton? His policies don’t make any more sense than Obama’s. He’s not going to be elected, because we need the business to turn around in this state. You should be studying that, like those nice conservative women are. Thank God for conservative women! Someone who cares for the unborn children. Let’s give them a birth. A mother, and a father, a place on the earth. Someday they’re going to love you, and then you’ll know their worth. They might grow up to look like these attractive Republican women. Stop abortion on demand now! Stop genocide of blacks and poor people through abortion! And stop the destructive ObamaCare!


Alie
Comment posted August 19, 2010 @ 11:04 am

What are you, the conservative Dr. Seuss?


DMW
Comment posted August 19, 2010 @ 1:28 pm

Some people need to develop a sense of humor. You take yourselves a little too seriously. Besides, everyone knows that Republican women are better looking. You’re just mad because it’s true.


Zera Lee
Comment posted August 19, 2010 @ 1:55 pm

The more Steve Carlson posts on this topic, the more his prejudices come out of the closet. Looks like he’s just another neocon wannabe.

I checked out his web site. All that comes up is a boilerplate GoDaddy page with several ads and no actual content. Very representative.

He really does have a valid campaign web site, just not at the address he’s promoting here. Not a fact-checker.

I can see why the Independence Party does not endorse him.


Steve Carlson
Comment posted August 20, 2010 @ 1:08 am

I have a prejudice in favor of free speech and against so-called political “correctness.” Thank you, I have a valid campaign website. I’m not going to run for Congress on political correctness. We need to take the country out of the hands of the democratic socialists and get the country competitive so we can maintain a quality of life half of what we used to expect. The Democrat women have not done this. Betty McCollum has no vision and only a little heart. I admire many of the Republican women in that video because they are willing to understand some things that have to work, and not try to destroy everything they can’t understand.

I’m quite sure, Alie that you don’t have any reverence for life and think any pro-life sentiment is drivel. But it isn’t. I seriously doubt I’m a neocon (mindless stereotype there) but I’m very pro-America because I believe in the American dream of freedom and justice and all that other stuff Alie would consider “Dr. Seuss.” Hard to have a discussion here I could have with some of the Republican women in that video with brains.


Steve Carlson
Comment posted August 20, 2010 @ 1:09 am

Oh, that verse, Alie, is part of a song I wrote and it’s on my website, which is the same as posted here, contrary to what Zera Lee said.


Alie
Comment posted August 20, 2010 @ 8:17 am

“I’m quite sure, Alie that you don’t have any reverence for life and think any pro-life sentiment is drivel.”

What does this statement have to do with the article? If you’re trying to goad me into some crazy-pants argument with you over abortion, it won’t work.


Zera Lee
Comment posted August 20, 2010 @ 4:25 pm

“Oh, and I have my own website, you can click my name.”

Try this on the comment in which he said:
“it’s on my website, which is the same as posted here, contrary to what Zera Lee said.”,
and you will see that I am right and he is wrong. As I said – not a fact-checker.

This guy has no learning curve, which is the first symptom of prejudice.


Alie
Comment posted August 20, 2010 @ 5:17 pm

Apparently MNIndy only serves as a platform for Steve’s talking points, he’s not actually interested in learning any thing.


deanna kolb
Comment posted September 21, 2010 @ 12:26 pm

if you are going to defend the senator from ny from harry reid, give sara palin the same help. you all seem to pick and choose who is worth defending. either woman up or stay in the truck


deanna kolb
Comment posted September 21, 2010 @ 12:35 pm

seem like you people pick and choose as who to defend. like the senator from ny against harry r. give sara p. the same respect. woman up or stay in the truck. all women brave enough to run for public office should have your support.


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