Robin Givhan's column in a recent Washington Post gives a sort of timeline of Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-NY) fashion choices, a pretty normal topic for a reporter covering... fashion. What's got folks in an uproar, however, is Givhan's opening, all about what caught her eye on the Senate floor... the Senator's cleavage. Some say it's anti-feminist and "grossly inappropriate" to discuss, but are a public figure's fashion choices anything new? Condi's boots, Edwards' $400 haircut... these are the minutiae of the public discourse. Is cleavage a new and improper frontier, or just another brick in the wall?
Blog of the Nation
I am an avid listener in my early 20's and am currently in my final year of my undergrad degree as a fine arts and women's studies student. let me first say i appreciate NPR for the in depth news reporting it does on a regular basis, but to hear a segment on Hilary Clinton's cleavage, and to have a piece done in the Washington Post about this, i was shocked and enraged as a women and as a feminist. if Hilary Clinton or any other woman for that matter wants to wear a low cut shirt or dress or whatever they can do so and should not be critcized for it. i understand that she is a public figure and is running for the presidency but for how many years have women fought to have to right to express ourselves and not be oppressed for it? yes, sex sells, and it is constantly used in advertisement and potentially used in this segment to get more ratings? i am not sure about that, but bottom line is a women's sexuality is used as a tool to promote and degrade within today's society and it seems to me that it would be a more useful conversation to talk about the gender biases that exist in us society today, and why sexuality is used in the way in which it is... vs. Hilary Clinton's cleavage.
It is completley in appropriate and there should be more revelant issues being addressed like the war in Iraq, health care, welfare, the defiact, abortion, rather then hilary clinton's breasts.
I wasn't planning to vote for Hillary, but now, after seeing the assets she would bring to the presidency...WOW!
Go Hillary!
Just confirms why I am voting for Hillary
Discussing Hilliary's cleavage is the same as discussing the "bulge" in the front of a male candidate's pants. It is just inappropriate.
And who on earth cares? Is the electorate so juvenile?
I was one of the one's who wrote in protest to the column about Hillary. As a female lawyer, I deeply resent the implication that a woman must not only be judged on competency, but on what she wears. I don't notice any columns on the deminsions of Romney's crotch or Obama's "tan." With the war, healthcare, etc, the issues are much more important then whether a candidate is wearing a v neck shell and the motivation behind it. Had she worn a bikini to the senate floor, maybe that would have been a reason to discuss. Here, it was simply a way to criticize without being overt. I think that was the basis for the up roar.
Why doesn't someone comment on how much the male candidates work out or their hair loss or past drug use---instead of breast size? Most politicians have pretty hefty breasts themselves!!!!!!
NPR has degenerated into some of the worst political coverage in the media. I can't remember when they last analyzed the policy positions of individual candidates, but they continue to make their coverage based on empty and stupid garbage. during this presidential campaign, NPR (and especially talk of the nation) focuses on personalities and bul*sh%t, while totally ignoring the issues. YOu are turning into a mix between Opera and "Crossfire", rather then dealing with serious matters. It is pathetic. You have an obligation to inform the public about serious issues, not hillary's breasts. Rebbecca Roberts has been particularly bad. It is pathetic. Talk of the Nation doesn't dig into anything anymore, it doesn't cover or uncover the hard and important issues. it is just a slightly more serious version of entertainment tonight, asking people how they feel about hillary's breasts or about whether you read the end of a book first. what garbage! How pathetic.
Only in America would we require that a woman running for office not look or act in any way like a woman. We accomplish the remarkable feat of being at one and the same time sex obsessed and sex repressed. A culture of 13 year old males doomed to never grow up. She showed some cleavage...get over it.
RE: Hilary's cleavage and GOodman's views: I disagree with Ellen Goodman who just stated that Hilary's choice of dress was not deliberate. Come on Ellen! Get real or get in touch with the rest of us. Business dress for men and women should be modest, in my opinion. I cringed when Nancy Pelosi was shown grasping her cute mini wrap-around skirt getting off the plane in Damascus to hold high level political talks in Syria. That was the beginning of a failed visit.
American women desiring high profile political roles in the world should know better. What they wear is a deliberate choice,expecially true of the 50 something group. Putting on suggestive, yes even a V-neck can be suggestive, clothing may be a mere experiment but this should not be tested in public.
Western feminists (as heard on your Blog) also still believe the hijab worn by Muslim women is a sign of oppression. So now, they defend Hilary's cleavage?
The host's should be ashamed of her sneering exit line accusing Senator Clinton of being "well known for her calculation". All candidates who hope to succeed plan ahead. President Bush is famous for not planning ahead and calculating the cost of the war in Iraq and see where that got us. Why is Senator Clinton singled out and criticized for what most reasonable people would consider to be a strength? Oh, that's right! I forgot! That is Karl Roves trademark: attack an opponent's strong point and make it a liability. Why is the host of this program doing Karl Rove and his kind's work for them?
concerning fresh fish....there is only one company to buy from; Browne-Trading Co....portland, maine. the fish industry is TOTALLY unregulated and as a result no inspections. the company i mentioned is patronized by ALL the chefs in the usa...of any reputation. seamus
Shame on NPR and "Talk of the Nation." You violated the NPR mantra of "News Not Enertainment." I am not sure if a discussion of Senator Clinton's body even constitutes enertainment. Simply by mentioning the topic let alone giving significant air time to it, constitutes a Fox Network like episode and perpetutates the type of tawdry journalism NPR should stand above. I am suprised that Rebecca Roberts and other NPR staff, editors, producers, etc., permitted themselves to be part of the misguided deed. NPR owes listeners and Senator Clinton and apology.
Hillary is an attractive woman and looked great in her pink outfit. Besides, I would hardly consider that cleavage. So, what's the fuss? The attention around her outfit actually encourages me to support her even more.
Just another example of a reporter who has the balls to call it as he/she sees it.
I read the article by Robin Givhan. If she feels uneasy with what Hillary was wearing then why not take up some time with a therapist to figure out what her problem is instead of blaming Hillary's wardrobe choice. I doubt Robin would be willing to do that considering she uses the word "you" in her article instead of "I" when referencing her unease with viewing Hillary's cleavage. Look Robin, you are the one with the problem, but you have chosen to say that everyone is uneasy with Hillary's cleavage instead of taking responsibility for your problem. Remember the first step in fixing a problem is admitting you have one and as far as I can see - you have one and so does the editor at the Post who approved this article for publication. I'm sure there are some unemployed writers out there who could do a better job at filling space in a newspaper if given the chance.
Fashion? Although it is well known that women have cleavage, I think Hillary would be better advised to save the plunge tops and open shirts for a night on the town with Bill. If Hillary was wearing an outfit with a traditional neckline, then we might question someone writing an article about her un-exposed body parts. But when an educated, intellegent woman who's running for President decides to display her cleavage for public consumption, a situation which has now obviously detracted from her message, why would we be surprised when people comment? If one of the male candidates came to a speech or a debate dressed like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, both men and women would certainly comment and/or write about it. I think the lesson here is clear, although we applaude Hillary's desire to stay fit and attractive, there's a certain level of personal exposure that's appropriate when you're on the stump.
I am thinking about the election these days, but the more think about it, the more confusing it is. you guys, do you think what real politics is ?
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