# Denver - As Sexist as Ever **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 13, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169 "2019-09-13T15:42:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/1 "2019-09-13T15:42:56Z")
As part of Denver’s apparent #antimetoo movement, they re-elected Mayor Hancock. You know the one that [sexually harassed](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=850240) a female deputy on his security detail forcing her to transfer to a less prestigious assignment. Well today Hancock appointed the first female Denver Sheriff, so progress right? When Denver Public Safety Department Executive Director Troy Riggs was introducing her, the man doing so felt it necessary to point out she’s “[friendly [and has] a great smile](https://www.coloradopolitics.com/denver/denver-to-get-its-first-female-sheriff-at-least-for/article_056ddd04-d5a4-11e9-829d-83c210c887b1.html)”. Has any male sheriff EVER been introduced the same way? Oh and Riggs also neglected to mention her vast experience as an LEO (I’ve seen introductions of new Sheriffs and it’s practically reading their resume to the press). But she is tenacious. Really minimizes what she has accomplished in the old-boys network that is law enforcement. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/2 "2019-09-13T23:21:15Z")
The sheriff is appointed? Not elected? Still… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2019, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/3 "2019-09-14T00:39:08Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > The sheriff is appointed? Not elected? [Cite](https://www.coloradopolitics.com/hot-sheet/denver-needs-an-elected-sheriff-free-of-political-influence-activists/article_8b882fea-5513-5aa4-9f9d-1f2556439012.html): > [@](#): > > Denver is one of only two Colorado counties that doesn’t elect its sheriff; the mayor makes the pick. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2019, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/4 "2019-09-14T02:06:33Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > The sheriff is appointed? Not elected? > > Still… :eek: > [@DinoR](#): > > [Cite](https://www.coloradopolitics.com/hot-sheet/denver-needs-an-elected-sheriff-free-of-political-influence-activists/article_8b882fea-5513-5aa4-9f9d-1f2556439012.html): > > Weird. Denver is a combined city/county government. It makes for a few oddities here and there. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2019, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/5 "2019-09-14T03:33:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Denver - As Sexist as Ever What’s wrong with being sexy? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/6 "2019-09-16T14:12:30Z")
Saying a person has a great smile is sexist? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/7 "2019-09-16T14:33:12Z")
To the extent that women are expected and told to smile more than men, yes. I’m a guy who’s been told I should smile more than once in my life, so it does happen to men sometimes as well. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/8 "2019-09-16T15:00:33Z")
It’s totally true, we are committed to being as sexist as possible. Pretty much the entire population of Denver and the surrounding metro area. Why, we have all agreed to elect (and in some cases make sure we elect people who will _appoint_) the most sexist candidates, no matter what their other qualifications or what their political opponents bring, or don’t bring, to the table. As long as we can make wimmins uncomfortable, that’s good enough for us. That Hickenlooper fellow, for instance was a total lecher, which is why we promoted him from Denver Mayor to Colorado Governor until he termed out. Now it looks like we’ll have to settle for him being a senator. And as for the constabulary, disregard them anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/9 "2019-09-16T16:30:44Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > It’s totally true, we are committed to being as sexist as possible. Did you vote for Hancock in the latest election? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/10 "2019-09-16T16:39:22Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Saying a person has a great smile is sexist? This deals with the issue of women as leaders vs men as leaders. We had a huge thread on this and yes it is sexist because a male sheriff would be described with traditional leadership qualities: strong leader, decisive, takes control. They would have also pointed out all of his past leadership roles. Since it is a woman they describe her using feminine terms _minimizing_ her leadership characteristics. Let me put it this way. The President of your company has completely fucked it up and he resigns so they bring in someone to fix everything that’s broken and kick ass as necessary. They introduce him: “Here’s Whitey Oldman. He’s going to be a great leader because he’s tenacious and has got a great smile.” with no mention of any of his leadership abilities. What would you think? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/11 "2019-09-16T16:58:36Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Saying a person has a great smile is sexist? Obviously it depends on the context. A man telling his wife or girlfriend she has a great smile? Not sexist. A male mayor publicly announcing that the woman he’s appointed as Sheriff has a great smile? Sexist and unprofessional as hell. Stick to her accomplishments. If he wants to make general statements he can say things like “She is strongly committed to public safety.” You know, like he would if he’d appointed a man to the position. But I think you knew all this already. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/12 "2019-09-16T17:06:18Z")
Thank goodness, I thought this was going to be a rant about Bob Denver and “Gilligan’s Island”. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/13 "2019-09-16T17:11:50Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > A male mayor publicly announcing that the woman he’s appointed as Sheriff has a great smile? Sexist and unprofessional as hell. Stick to her accomplishments. If he wants to make general statements he can say things like “She is strongly committed to public safety.” You know, like he would if he’d appointed a man to the position. > But I think you knew all this already. If he stated her long list of accomplishments and qualifications and then added at the end “and she has a great smile”, I would say it wasn’t sexist. Ill advised in today’s climate, but not strictly sexist. If he omitted all of her accomplishments and qualifications and said she has a great smile (which is sounds like he did), then yea, that’s sexist. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/14 "2019-09-16T17:16:37Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > If he stated her long list of accomplishments and qualifications and then added at the end “and she has a great smile”, I would say it wasn’t sexist. Ill advised in today’s climate, but not strictly sexist. > > If he omitted all of her accomplishments and qualifications and said she has a great smile (which is sounds like he did), then yea, that’s sexist. Well said. In addition it would be weird for men to get the compliment even if their other accomplishments are also listed, but I could see it for a man who is well-known for having a big smile. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/15 "2019-09-16T17:25:06Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Let me put it this way. The President of your company has completely fucked it up and he resigns so they bring in someone to fix everything that’s broken and kick ass as necessary. They introduce him: “Here’s Whitey Oldman. He’s going to be a great leader because he’s tenacious and has got a great smile.” with no mention of any of his leadership abilities. > What would you think? I’d think it was stupid. But I’m assuming you think it’s sexist? A quick internet news search shows me that many times “He has a great smile” has been used to describe a man. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/16 "2019-09-16T18:49:17Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I’d think it was stupid. > > But I’m assuming you think it’s sexist? > > A quick internet news search shows me that many times “He has a great smile” has been used to describe a man. You’re missing the point, this is the extent of he qualifications according to her introduction. “She’ll make the tough decisions. She’s tenacious. She’s friendly — she’s got a nice smile — but believe me, she’s tough as nails as well,” The other points would be appropriate but WTF point out that she’s friendly and has a nice smile? What does that have to do with her professional qualifications? And that’s another point you’re missing. Sure guys might be described as having a nice smile BUT how many of those were in reference to their professional qualifications when being introduced publicly when taking on a new high-profiled job? I’m not a woman but as pointed out in the other thread that men use words and actions to oppress women leaders: telling them to smile more or critiquing their makeup or putting a hand on their arm. As a man I may not see the inherent sexism in talking about a woman’s nice smile in a professional setting but if you were to imagine a male sheriff being introduced the exact same way then you may see it. You’d be like “Who cares about his smile? He’s a sheriff.” but it passes right by when said about a woman. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/17 "2019-09-16T18:56:59Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I’d think it was stupid. > > But I’m assuming you think it’s sexist? > > A quick internet news search shows me that many times “He has a great smile” has been used to describe a man. Please share your search parameters. I did a quick internet search on the phrase “he has a great smile” and got mostly links to people describing their children, often post-orthodontia. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/18 "2019-09-19T00:27:24Z")
As a comparison, [here is what Hancock said](https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/mayors-office/newsroom/2015/new-sheriff.html) when introducing Patrick Firman, Fran Gomez’s predecessor. Incidently, her CV is vastly superior to his when he was hired. > [@](#): > > We were looking for someone with the ability and past performance to provide the strategic direction and vision necessary to bring about positive and lasting change for the department, and I believe we’ve found that leader in Patrick Firman,” Mayor Hancock said. “His is a record of excellence, fairness and effectiveness, one that will serve Denver well as we move forward with the critical reform process. With his appointment, I’m excited for the new day that this will bring to our Sheriff Department and our community. Also > [@](#): > > “Leadership. That’s number one,” Hancock said. “He has the courage and the willingness to say, ‘I will do it.’ He knows this is a challenging situation.” Compare that to Gomez’s introduction. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/19 "2019-09-19T00:31:14Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > Please share your search parameters. I did a quick internet search on the phrase “he has a great smile” and got mostly links to people describing their children, often post-orthodontia. I searched “He has a great smile” and clicked on “news” on the Google search results. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169/20 "2019-09-19T00:32:17Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > As a comparison, [here is what Hancock said](https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/mayors-office/newsroom/2015/new-sheriff.html) when introducing Patrick Firman, Fran Gomez’s predecessor. Incidently, her CV is vastly superior to his when he was hired. > > Compare that to Gomez’s introduction. Maybe he didn’t have a great smile? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/denver-as-sexist-as-ever/840169.md?page=2)