Glenn Beck; “Commander-in-Chief not Chick-in-Chief”
In an interview before Sunday night’s Super Bowl, President Obama was asked if he’d let his son play football (if you know, he had a son). The President responded that he’d have to think about it given safety concerns associated with the sport. Good parenting, right? Considering your child’s safety seems like a (generally speaking) legitimate concern for any parent—male or female.
Unless you’re Glenn Beck, that is. Beck instantly responded to the President’s remarks by calling him a “girl,” a “chick-in-chief,” a “chick,” and a “woman.” To make his point clear, Beck then declared “His man card has been revoked by me.” Because obviously only women care about stupid things like the health and safety of children.
We’re used to some outlandish stuff from Glenn Beck, but it’s seems pretty serious when his only talking point against the President’s remarks are that he’s effeminate.
What Beck’s sexist comments point to is the deep machismo that is unfortunately still the status quo in politics and mainstream media. By equating the President to a woman, he’s trying to imply that the President is weak and that all women are weak and emotional. In Beck’s eyes (and much of the population’s), the President should be strong, masculine, and a man above all else.
This is part of why women are so discouraged from running for office. Men like Glenn Beck love to keep politics an old boys’ club where anything woman (ew, girls!) is considered undesirable. Grow up, Glenn Beck. This isn’t your grade school clubhouse.
Published by Kate McCarthy on 02/08/2013