It’s simple. Let’s say Hillary does indeed break the highest glass ceiling. That would make Bill Clinton the first gentleman. What do we get if we replace Michelle Obama from old headlines with Bill Clinton? Read these. You’ll laugh, get confused and possibly cry a bit on the inside. The first 9 headlines force you to realize just how exhausting and normalized misogyny is. The last headline gives us a potential model for ways First Gentleman Bill could continue Michelle Obama’s work to smash patriarchy. Why couldn’t a first gentleman champion efforts to deconstruct toxic masculinities and popularize more healthy ways of being for men?
- Bill Clinton wears American designer Christian Siriano
- Watch: Bill Clinton Wines and Dines with Islamic Royal Family to Celebrate Ramadan
- Bill Clinton shines in marigold dress at State of the Union
- Bill Clinton wears Jason Wu gown for Canada State Dinner
- Bill Clinton stuns in photo shoot for Verge’s 3-D Interview
- From Relaxed to All Natural: Johnny Wright, the Man Behind Bill Clinton’s Hair
- Bill Clinton skips Nordic fashion in favor of his go-to designer Naeem Khan
- Bill Clinton kicks off holiday season as he takes delivery of this year’s official White House Christmas tree
- Bill Clinton is simply breathtaking at the China State Dinner
- First Gentleman Bill Clinton teams up with Oprah to host “United State of Women” Summit at White House
What thoughts come to your mind after reading these headlines?
And if Donald Trump was Melania it would be Trump University Investigated because he’s a woman. You’d also get headlines like Misandrist Reporter makes fun of Trump’s hair. Trump faces Double Standard Because He’s a Man.
Hey Wisdom! I think this kind of piece draws comments from men who think that institutional misogyny means you’re blaming them personally. We live in a beauty obsessed society that unfairly places pressure on women to confirm and punishes those who don’t, but I would say internalized misogyny and women’s expectations play a perhaps equally large role in this as men’s expectations do. There’s a hugely performative nature of being a woman in public that (white) men rarely have to deal with, which makes it difficult for men to understand why these headlines raise red flags for women. There’s often… Read more »
Few points. Would we like to get into a discussion of expectations of the opposite sex that we hold men to? Would we like to enter into a discussion about the performative nature of being a man that women do not have to deal with and therefore do not understand? Do want to talk about ways that women contribute to the issue? I have a laundry list that I can put out. This entire project is centered on that list. The difference is that in the case of women, we blame men. In the case of men, we blame men.… Read more »
As if people haven’t made an issue of Trump’s hair.
Note from my brilliant cousin I just consulted: “Well the article never made an effort to blame men for how we perceive our First Ladies and I wouldn’t call the headlines misogynistic either. Misogyny is in fact the hatred of women. It’s rather underlying sexism that places value on a woman by her appearance, which is a result of many years of actual misogyny. The headlines were funny because they sounded ridiculous when expressed toward a man. This may be the result that men have a limited style when it comes to suits while women have unlimited options when it… Read more »
One thing that stood out to me is how rarely men are complimented for how we look. A headline saying Bill Clinton looks great in a designer suit would be nice. And, if Hillary wins then I do hope the media talks about the Christmas party Bill plans at the White House. I’m reminded of a headline a few years back about an Australian TV newsman who wore the same suit every day for a year, and no one noticed. But people continued to notice every new outfit his female co-host wore. The interpretation was misogyny and male privilege. However,… Read more »
The thoughts that come to my mind? Sure.
Here is yet another attempt to label something misogynist – a hate of women.
Let me give you an insight that may help you in the future: our obsession with fashion and beauty is on us. Not someone else over there. Us.
Below is the first Google hit for Angela Merkel’s husband:
“Bad-tempered husband threatens Merkel’s bid to be German”
I dunno. I think ole Bill could pull off a Jason Wu gown. Also not sure how this can be painted as a misogynist assumption unless one is purposely attempting to avoid female accountability and, once again “yawn” just seeking to blame men for something that women do to each other. It is not heterosexual men that are judging the first lady on what she is wearing. I don’t know dic about jason wu gowns, marigold dresses, sequence whatever, or any of the rest. it is also no secret that it was Bills looks and charisma that gained him favor… Read more »
Thank you for your honest thoughts! Sure, I agree with you that women can embody patriarchy as well, just like people of color can internalize/embody the expectations and mindsets of white supremacy. But I think this is what folks mean when they refer to fragile masculinity especially by quickly talking about blame and calling for female accountability in this situation. This exercise give us as men the opportunity to think about how we implicitly or explicitly support this culture. I love the conversation you opened up though. Can I ask you to tell me more about what you meant with… Read more »
I’m sorry, but I do not acknowledge or accept such words as “fragile masculinity”. To me, it is little more than a tool to silence the male voice. It is meaningless beyond granting one dismissive power over the speaker (attacking the speaker rather than the speech) by accusing them of a distorted view based on some inherent dysfunction related to ego rather than address the issue itself. It is no more heinous a descriptor then calling a woman a bitch for speaking to injustice done to them. it is the red headed step child of “chauvinism” that we used back… Read more »