Rush Limbaugh Isn’t the Only Media Misogynist

[kag]

8. Yeah, but...

I was all set to agree with this post, but then I went and read the whole article. And I'm sorry, but very little of what is referenced really rises to the level of "misogyny."

For instance:

"Matthews has wondered aloud whether Sarah Palin is even “capable of thinking” and has called Bachmann a “balloon head” and said she was “lucky we still don’t have literacy tests out there.” Democratic strategist Jehmu Greene, who is the former president of the Women’s Media Center, told Fox News’ Megyn Kelly in 2011 that Matthews
“is a bully, and his favorite target is women.” So why does he still have a show? What if his favorite target was Jews? Or African-Americans?"

Now, everything here might be insulting, but it's certainly not misogyny. Any of those descriptions could apply to any man in the race for president, and actually does apply to many of them. Just like several people pointed out that "batshit crazy" applies equally well to Ron Paul and Michelle Bachmann.

I want to root out misogyny as well as the next woman, but I want to reserve my energy for the gross offenders like Limbaugh (and, arguably, some of the crap that is mentioned in this article, but only some) but I also want to make sure that I'm not just tilting at insulting windmills.

Another point: In the article, in almost every example she offers she admits that the left-winger who committed the offense came back and apologized. Now, I've heard apologies from Olbermann and Schulz (I don't watch Tweety anymore, and read Matt Taibbi only occasionally) and they are always more heartfelt and sincere than the milquetoast excuse for an "apology" offered by Rush--on a Saturday...on his website...after three days of relentless accusations...because he was losing advertisers. Olbermann especially, I think when he gets called out for it, he truly does regret having done it. Just like our brothers and husbands, sometimes guys just need a gentle reminder. Rush, on the other hand, needs to be pounded over the head with revenue-loss.

So...I do not disagree with the general nature of this column, but I will go on record here as believing whole heartedly that the true misogyny is alive and well and going strong on the right, and trying to die a quiet death on the left.