I imagine that yesterday’s Washington Post article about how dumb women are brought in some pretty pissed off letters to the editor – after all, there are over 600 comments already. So how does WaPo respond? They change the headline from overtly misogynist to questioningly sexist.
Yesterday:
Today:
And yet, us “dumb” gals aren’t placated. Try again, assholes.
Don’t forget, write a letter to the editor or complain to the ombudsman – The Washington Post owes its female (and male!) readers a big ass apology, and let’s not let them forget it.
22 Comments
My letter:
As enraged as I was to read Charlotte Allen’s piece about how dumb 50% of our population is based on nothing but stereotypes, exaggeration and false assumptions, I was even more insulted to see the Post’s response to complaints. Changing the headline in the preview box to “Why Do Women Act So Dumb” is not an improvement. In fact, the change trivializes the objections of every person who wrote comments and letters to your paper to complain of the blatant sexism to which you have given a voice. The women of America do not deserve to open a respected paper and find themselves treated as less than fully human purely on the basis of their sex. I am appalled at your lack of respect for your readers.
The WaPo absolutely owes women an apology, but not *just* women. They owe an apology to all of us who value equality.
Streak, you’re absolutely right. I’ve amended the post.
Here is more contact info from The Washington Post:
The current Post Ombudsman is Deborah Howell.
You can reach her by e-mail at ombudsman@washpost.com
or
by phone at 202-334-7582
http://www.washpost.com/news_ed/ombudsman/index.shtml
You know, if a magazine is touting it wants more female readers…the question that needs to be asked is; why then do they write post these articles?
What is in it for them.
My letter -
The fact that a newspaper of the Washington Post’s stature would publish Charlotte Allen’s hair-brained rant proves why the feminist movement is still relevant. Would you have printed this garbage if you replaced “women” with “blacks”, and “men” with “whites”? I can’t imagine. Though you will probably say that Allen’s opinions are not those of the newspaper, you wouldn’t have dared to insult racial minorities with this hate speech, yet your editors deemed it acceptable to allow a misogynistic hack to insult 50% of the world’s population in the pages of your newspaper. You owe your entire readership an apology.
The real way to hit ‘em where it hurts is to reach their advertisers. Anyone know how we could find out top advertisers in the Post and start calling/e-mailing? If the right-wing crazies can get condom ads pulled from the networks, we can surely get an apology for this…
Here’s my LTE:
Dear Editor,
What the hell is the matter with you people?
I am beyond shocked by Charlotte Allen’s column in the “Outlook” section of yesterday’s Washington Post.
Let’s try this: How about if we substitute the word “women” with “Jews”, “Blacks”, “Men” or any other group. Can you imagine the national outrage over such smearing ? The whole piece was insulting and demeaning, and would have been unacceptable and unaccepted if it had been about any group other than women.
Why is it that pointedly sexist crap writing is still judged by your editorial staff as amusing and acceptable material for your newspaper? What, if any, are your standards for how women are to be treated at and by your paper?
Why was this an acceptable piece of writing, by any standard, journalistic or otherwise, by your paper? Who was responsible for editing it? Who was responsible for approving it? And who will be defending its publication?
The Washington Post, Pomfret and Allen owe women everywhere one hell of an apology for this disgusting, degrading and misogynistic piece of trash.
Regards,
XXXX
questioningly sexist
I love it! I’m going to have to remember this phrase for future bullshit.
I didn’t actually read the article yesterday, and it pissed me off, but I read it today, and I could literally feel my lip curling is disgust.
I am so sick of this “Women are dumb…except me” bullshit that I keep hearing. “Grey’s Anatomy?” WTF does that have to do with anything? Yes, it’s a stupid show, and it may be aimed at women, but since there are only a few shows on television that don’t fit my definition of stupid, I don’t think it’s a very good citation for my women are dumb. What about Monday Night Football? I think it’s just a modern Gladiator show, and I personally can’t sit through a game, but that doesn’t mean that every male is a neanderthal.
Stupid generalizations. And driving. DRIVING??? God, if I keep going I’ll never stop.
Yuck, apologies for the typos. My preview isn’t working.
this made me physically ill.
i didn’t even know where to start with a letter to the editor, as you are generally supposed to keep it short and refrain from uttering a string of profanities that would make george carlin blush.
i can’t even
*headdesk*
Third attempt: “Women! Get your bitch asses back in the kitchen, and make me some pie!”
Next week in the WaPo: Negroes: Have They Outstayed Their Welcome?
My letter:
God, take two just makes it even worse. I can’t event contain how much I hate crap like this. I feel like this sort of thing undermines my whole point of existence on this planet. I feel like I have been subject to so much intelligence discrimination for being female throughout my life, it really has had a negative impact on my outlook on myself and the world. It seems like a constant barrage how men’s opinions are given so much more validity than women’s in daily conversations and in workplaces. I don’t know if I can even begin to compose this letter to them.
In discussing this with my son he made the observation that phrenologists have proven that men have bigger brains. Then we got a sarsparilla and watched Grandpa hitch the horses to the buggy.
Before you judge me taking time to discuss this with my son, I want you to know that all the preserves had been put up and the socks darned.
My letter to the ombudsman:
“Okay, it was bad enough that the Washington Post (which, I seem to dimly recall, used to be a respected newspaper) published Charlotte Allen’s embarrassingly pointless, badly written, poorly researched, misogynist screed. (Originally under the banner ‘Women Aren’t Very Bright,’ no less. I guess associating with Charlotte Allen might incline one to that conclusion, if one mistakenly extrapolates from her beliefs to the entire female population at large.) What makes it far, far worse is that John Pomfret, who apparently really does believe that women are stupid and gullible, is trying to pass the whole thing off as “provocative” and “tongue-in-cheek.” Mr. Pomfret clearly believes that we gals should just smile and laugh when columnists insult our entire gender and suggest that we should relax and enjoy the home-making role to which God and biology have so obviously relegated us.
“Sorry, Mr. Pomfret, ‘can’t you gals take a joke’ is not an excuse. If Ms. Allen had published an equally offensive piece about African-Americans or Jews, every mainstream media commentator in the U.S. would be calling for her head on a platter. The fact that she chose to target her own demographic group does not make her offensive, small-minded, ignorant tripe any more worthy of a national platform from which to be heard.
“Charlotte Allen is a columnist of no particular note or influence. It should be easy enough to avoid publishing any more of her columns, especially as they are banal and poorly thought-out. (I’ve read some of her other columns, and I truly do not understand how the woman makes a living.) The real problem here is Mr. Pomfret and his spectacularly bad judgment.
“Fire Mr. Pomfret and apologize to your readership. Truly, whether to publish this ridiculous column should never have been a question. I cannot remember the last time I read something so appallingly and indefensibly offensive in a supposedly mainstream media outlet.”
Agree completely with the poster above who stated that we need to be contacting WaPo’s advertisers. It really is all about the money. Anyone who has information on how to best go about this should post advice. (Please?)
am I the only one who noticed that “dumb” is an adjective and “act” is a verb? now I’m just a stupid woman who didn’t even study english (I’ve got my MSci in Mathematics) but… shouldn’t they use an adverb in that context?
am I the only one who noticed that “dumb” is an adjective and “act” is a verb? now I’m just a stupid woman who didn’t even study english (I’ve got my MSci in Mathematics) but… shouldn’t they use an adverb in that context?
That disgusts me to my very viscera.
That disgusts me to my very viscera.
I love it! I’m going to have to remember this phrase for future bullshit.free online games