Because I can no longer turn on the television without being bombarded by campaign commercials regarding tomorrow's election, I have decided that now would be an opportune time to post an article I wrote in June commenting on Carly Fiorina and the state of women in positions of power and success:
In the dark recesses of my closet, safely hidden so as not to send Stacy and Clinton of TLC's "What not to Wear" into some sort of epileptic fit, lives a pair of mint green satin bell-bottoms from my middle school days. These were clearly awkward times for me. Under deluded fantasy that I was some sort of fashionista, I purchased the infamous pants, expecting they would receive such lavish praise to which I could casually flip my hair and say, "Oh these old things?" Unfortunately, as I arrived at school the morning of my satin pants' debut (obviously channeling the model shown below), I was accosted by one of my closest friends who felt it was her responsibility to inform me that I had committed a cardinal sin: a fashion faux pas. My heart sank. Although this dutiful friend and pre-teen fashion critic's intention was not to harm me, I learned first hand the most effective method of stripping another woman of her confidence, her pride, and her dignity. Simply criticize her appearance.
In an interview on Wednesday (June 8, 2010) morning for Sacramento-based
KXTV, U.S. Senate nominee,
Carly Fiorina verbally
attacked opponent
Barbara Boxer. Instead of discussing her rival's
politics, she made a snide comment about her hair, claiming it is "so yesterday." While Fiorina, allegedly, was unaware that she was filming at the time of the utterance in question, the statement was meant to damage Boxer's image, not as a politician, but as a woman. Say whatever you want about her stance on illegal immigration, but tell her she needs a new haircut and you are deliberately robbing her of her femininity, the ultimate insult.
This is by no means a new phenomenon. The 2000 film, Erin Brockovich not only tells the story of an unemployed single mother turned legal assistant, but also tells the story of the epic battle between woman and shoe. In the scene where the conservative, no-nonsense female lawyer tries explaining to the headstrong Brockovich that her case files are incomplete, the scantily clad firecracker bitterly fights back. Offended that the lawyer should dare question Erin's work, she brutally censures the lawyer's shoes. The intelligent, well-spoken, lawyer who, in theory, should be a role model for all women striving to establish themselves in our male-dominated society, is left speechless and defeated by the harsh words against her footwear. The "fucking ugly shoes" effectively join my satin trousers in the deserted, dismal abyss where all embarrassing articles go to die.
Why is it seemingly more harmful to shoot a disapproving look at a woman's ensemble than it is to shoot her with an AK-47? Women spend an inordinate amount of time and money on fitness, fashion, and hair care endeavors, all in the pursuit of attaining perfection. In fact, Euromonitor, a company which tracks the state of various markets, indicated that although the United States' beauty market as a whole decreased by 1.3% from 2008 to 2009, the anti-aging skincare market actually increased by 1.5% in that same time span. This financial crisis is bound to end sometime, and when it does, these women simply cannot afford to be looking haggard! When hunger pains keep children across the country up at night, they can be comforted in knowing their mothers' skin will remain taut and wrinkle-free. The point is, whether we are spending our money on a new outfit or an anti-aging remedy, we are doing it to affirm, enhance, and retain our femininity. When we feel as though our efforts are in vain, our very womanhood is simultaneously called into question.
Another way to look at this phenomena of women attacking women is through the lens of evolutionary psychology. According to this theory, our brains are hardwired to seek not only our own personal survival, but the survival of our genes. When we insult a woman's shoes, we insult her ability to find a man and procreate; we bring her down so we can look more attractive to a mate by comparison; we dismiss her into a perpetual state of barren singlehood.
While this may help answer the question of why it is so heinously insulting to turn up one's nose at a fellow female's "look," it fails to answer the question of why a clearly erudite career-woman like Fiorina (pictured at right) would feel the need to damage another woman in such a catty, unprofessional manner. What ever happened to solidarity, sister? We are in a post-feminist society in which women are perceived to have achieved equality among men, but reality has not quite gotten the memo yet. Men far outnumber women in the
workplace, especially in the political arena.
The Center for American Women and Politics reported that in 2010, women hold only 16.8% of the seats in Congress, 17.0% of the Senate and 16.8% of the seats in the House of Representatives. With such dismal numbers, women who hold esteemed positions should be more nurturing and supportive of other women in their field. I am not suggesting that Carly Fiorina should invite Barbara Boxer over for a slumber party or that all women, for that matter, should bake cookies for and trade recipes with each other. However, is refraining from resorting to snide comments that not only perpetuate the unflattering catty
stereotypes already associated with females, but also hit below the mint-green satin belt, too much to ask?
(Note: Fiorina should examine her own hair before she decrees that Boxer's is "so yesterday"!)
Copyright Stasi Harrell
