Sexism Can Get A Little Hairy
Democratic Party chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz partook in an interview with Howie Kurtz of the Daily Beast on Wednesday to discuss Mitt Romney’s campaign.
We’re going to go out on a limb and assume she had absolutely no intention of discussing her hair.
But, as is apparently the case with most women in politics, the interview just could not be complete without a random question about her appearance.
The interviewer, appropos of nothing, bizarrely concludes their conversation with, “One day, you went on MSNBC, and your hair was completely straight!”
How often do you see interviews with men in politics that end with questions about their hair? Never. It is somehow an unspoken rule that asking a man about his aesthetic appeal is inappropriate, as it has absolutely nothing to do with his qualifications as a politician. So, why the blatant double standard? This interview is evidence that a woman in politics can literally not get through a 5 minute interview without being bombarded with completely irrelevant questions—questions that a man would never have to deal with.
Journalists, it’s like they can’t help themselves.
The silver lining to this sexist cloud is Congresswoman Schultz’ confident, poised, and unwavering response.
“I hope that I’m known for the caliber of my work more than my hair.”
She might be. If only journalists would stop asking her about it.
Published by Kate McCarthy on 07/19/2012