Radio Show Endorses Female Candidate for Her "Tight Little Butt"

by Pema Levy · 2010-10-05 13:23:00 UTC
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Here's how WRKO-AM radio producer in Boston, Bill Cooksey, chose to endorse Republican state treasurer candidate Karyn E. Polito:  “I think she’s hot. She’s tiny, she’s short. She’s got a banging little body on her. Facial wise, I give her about a seven. Body wise, I give her about an eight-and-a-half. Tight little butt. I endorse Karyn Polito.” The  station has refused to issue an apology.

This is the same sexist language — and sexist perception of women — that plagues them as they try to move forward in careers across the board. Women work hard to prove they're serious and intelligent only to be evaluated and objectified based on their appearance. The only reason this continues is that people think it's no big deal.

But using gender stereotypes to describe candidates matters, both culturally and at the polls. As fellow blogger Roxy MtJoy wrote last week, sexist attacks against women actually hurt female candidates chances. In fact, if women candidates don't fight back, they sink even farther in the public's estimation. I'm not sure what the statistics are — or if there are any — on women who receive sexist endorsements. However, the sexist attack and the sexist endorsement are part of the same problem: assessing a candidate based on her sex rather than her politics.

WRKO-AM spokesman George Regan calls the episode "much to do about nothing." But in politics, a field where women fight an uphill battle against sexism, are vastly under-represented and much less likely to get involved in the first place, comments like this absolutely matter. I don't know who listens to WRKO-AM, but seeing as all the hosts are white men, it's probably white men. Insulting women candidates goes a long way to making sexism acceptable. Of course, according to the boys down at WRKO-AM, this isn't a big deal.

Polito's campaign has refused to comment, but she should demand an apology. I'm not a Republican and I don't know what it's like to be a woman in Republican circles, but I do know I like a candidate who fights back, even if it's not very "ladylike."

Photo credit: Robert Scoble

Pema Levy is a journalist living in Washington, DC. She covers women in politics, reproductive rights and policy, and pop culture here at Change.org.
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