Hillary’s femininity
The notion that a contemporary woman must look mannish in order to be taken seriously as a seeker of power is frankly dismaying.
That’s from Vogue magazine’s February editor’s letter, in which editor Anna Wintour takes Hillary Clinton to task for cancelling a photo shoot. A Vogue spokesman confirmed to Women’s Wear Daily, “We were told by Ms. Clinton’s camp that they were concerned if Clinton appeared in Vogue that she would appear too feminine.”
Wintour’s letter, alongside a 2003 photo of Hillary in Vogue, goes on to say, “This is America, not Saudi Arabia. It’s also 2008: Margaret Thatcher may have looked terrific in a blue power suit, but that was 20 years ago. I do think Americans have moved on from the power-suit mentality, which served as a bridge for a generation of women to reach boardrooms filled with men. Political campaigns that do not recognize this are making a serious misjudgment.”
But not all is lost. The magazine’s spokesman also told WWD they are “working on something together” for the future.
While Wintour’s letter is not on the website, there is a nascent discussion about it on the magazine message boards.
Cross posted from From Scratch
Wintour’s points on Hillary have validity in many ways, but, as a woman, it also points to the issue I have with Hillary being the FIRST female President and does not spell them out clearly. In my opinion, Hillary’s known management style will not be a good things for any and all females that attempt to follow after her. A President Hillary will be much too secretive, ‘my way of the highway’, partisan, uncompromising, vindictive, playing the ‘female card’, etc….all the things the FIRST, when it is a woman, must NOT be. The FIRST female in any role has a responsibility to other females to “do it right the first time” and Hillary is not the person. Hillary is all about Hillary.
Thanks for your comment. I am just amazed that in this day and age, her appearance is an issue at all. I don’t recall that happening with Thatcher and I wonder if this is yet another manifestation of our culture’s obsession with appearance. I do recall Barbara Bush being criticized for being a size 14 or so and all my women friends, regardless of politics, thought that was so unfair and uncalled for. I stil do.
Yeah – hard to believe when we’ve got real issues to talk about that they are talking about her appearance!
I’ve been trying to think of any man who’s been subjected to this and the only one I can remember is Al Gore, with his alpha male earth tones in 2000.
At 9:00 P.M. EST Monday, February 4, Hillary will answer Americans’ questions in an unprecedented national town hall giving voters in Super Tuesday states the chance to make their voices heard.
The town hall, hosted by former ABC News anchor Carole Simpson, will air on Hallmark Channel and be streamed online at HillaryClinton.com Hillary will anchor the town hall in New York, while President Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and surrogates will serve as hosts at events in the other states.