When ABC News reporter Terry Moran tweeted that President Obama called Kayne West a jackass, the media debated whether or not journalists should report what is said before an official interview begins.
But when Senate candidate Carly Fiorina mocked her opponent’s hair in front of a live mic, the media turned it into a study on women and politics. A simple campaign gaffe has been written about using phrases like “mean girls” and “cat fights.”
Yesterday, Jennifer Steinhauer wrote about Fiorina’s misstep in the New York Times. And she interviewed several men on the topic. I don’t know which quote is more offensive. This one from Bruce E. Cain, a poli sci professor at the University of California Berkeley:
“The fact is that some voters, including many women, find this interesting and no doubt form their character judgments on such matters.”
or this one from Billy Lowe, a hairstylist in Los Angeles:
“(Hair) is probably the one thing a woman spends most of her time on every day. It’s always on their minds.”
News flash boys: Women don’t spend all day thinking about our dos. Sometimes we think about hair and nails too!
The real fact is, just like lots of people think Kayne West is a jackass, lots of people gossip. And that’s all Fiorina was doing the other day. Was it petty? Sure. Was it smart to say something like that near a mic? No. But to turn it into anything else, is sexist, plain and simple.
