No Beer for Hillary?

Dana Millbank says Hillary Clinton should drink a Mad Bitch beer

Did the Washington Post break a rule of web publishing by taking down, without explanation, a video of Dana Milbank and Chris Cillizza in which Milbank suggested "Mad Bitch" beer as a good choice for Hillary? The link looks like it's dead. Here too.

And larger question: Why is it always Hillary who comes in for these dumb bad jokes? Never mind that she is a calm and professional secretary of state. Never mind that I can't remember the last time she did something mad or bitchy. She's still fodder. Does she ever get to have a second act? (Disclosure: Double X is owned by The Washington Post Company.)

Tags: chris cillizza, dana milbank, Hillary Clinton, monsterpiece theater, washington post

Emily Bazelon is a founding editor of Double X, and a writer and editor at Slate.

Comments

Or perhaps she's a high

By: charlesmcgee | Sun, 08/02/2009 - 19:22

Or perhaps she's a high ranking politician, recently vied for the presidency, with good material to make fun of. Cheney was canon fodder for comedians everywhere, as a grumpy-old-man with a sometimes-on sometimes off heart darker than the Emperor in Star Wars, plotting World Domination and shot-gunning just about anyone who got in his face. Did AARP rush to his defense every time he was lampooned, as it was an insult to seniors everywhere? Did male activist groups rise to the occasion when someone made a double entendre about there being "an angry Dick in the oval office"? No. Get over it. Every politician gets lampooned. Just because she's a woman doesn't mean she's immune to any comedy involving her sex. Get over it. Dick's a dick, Bush is an imbecile monkey, Kerry has a face like a bulldog's testicles, Obama's an elitist prick, Biden is a squinty-eyed demon, Palin is a ditzy blonde bombshell and Clinton's a bitch. Laugh,laugh,laugh,laugh,laugh,laugh,laugh.

[frothing gently at the mouth]

By: P Starling | Sun, 08/02/2009 - 11:48

Oh. My. God.

First of all, I'm fine with us strong women reclaiming the word bitch for our own use and all. Cool. I have no problems with that.

But would TWP have countenanced for even a second a web video in which it was suggested that the president, oh, should have served up some watermelon and fried chicken, yessir, at his down-home rose garden picnic? Or perhaps used a cute reference to Dark-As-[ethnic slur here] beer?

Women are still getting the short end of the stick in the political world. Hillary Clinton had a hell of a primary campaign, in which her suitability for office was hotly questioned in reference to her bitchiness, despite the spectacular example of questionable temperment presented by the opposition party's candidate. Sonia Sotomayor was encouraged to use her confirmation hearings as a period of quiet reflection on how being mean to lawyers by asking hard questions was not okay. (I personally would have used that "quiet reflection" time wishing I could kick Sen. Sessions's butt, but that's just me.) Considering the charming judicial demeanor of certain other Supremes (Nino, here's looking at you!), that's absurdly sexist. So, labeling the Secretary of State a bitch ? It's offensive, because that stereotype is a genuine disadvantage for women trying to succeed on the national political stage.

Let's go a little further than calling this a "dumb, bad" joke. This is a sexist slur, and it pisses me off.

And yes, I'm a humorless and overreacting feminist man-hater who should take a chill pill, blah, blah, blah. Whatever. Someone's got to do it, and I'm on rotation this week, okay?

bitch is the new bsd

By: im1 | Sun, 08/02/2009 - 09:51

Honestly, I am coming to not care about the "bitch" thing. Since Tina Fey did "Bitch is the new Black" on SNL, I have ceased caring whether a woman with power or prestige is called a bitch. Men with power and prestige are frequently called assholes, dicks, or BSDs (Big Swinging Dick). She's a bitch can mean "She's tough, no BS, has power and is not afraid to use it, someone to be admired and respected, as well as feared." I work for a female department head and she is known to be a mean cold bitch at times, but no one ever says she's incompetent or a weak leader, people respect her so who cares if they like her at all times? I also worked for a male department head with the exact same management style and people seemed to feel the same way about him, they just said he was an asshole or a dick.

I am done worrying about colleagues thinking I am bitchy. I'll say it about myself if I think it's warranted. I don't care if you think I'm a bitch as long as you think I'm an effective bitch, the kind you want in your corner.

why hillary bashing?

By: lucy215 | Sun, 08/02/2009 - 07:55

Let me see...could it be because...she's female?