# Is this Newsweek cover of Palin sexist? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 17, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941 "2009-11-17T18:59:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/61 "2009-11-17T22:30:32Z")
I find the “context” argument completely unconvincing. The particular choice of image is not a comment on Palin’s gender (I mean really, you think _Newseek_ is run by people with a misogynist agenda? get real), but a specific comment on her as an individual, and as a candidate. She only has two commodities to sell as a politician – her perpetual victimhood, and her ass. Shooting that magazine cover in the first place was a political choice to sell her ass. They wanted to get some sexed up images out there, and doing the cover of a running magazine was an excuse to put her in hot pants. Palin has chosen to sexualize herself as part of her political image. It is that specific choice by Palin as an individual which the _Newseek_ cover is commenting on. The suggestion that they just hate women is too asinine to even merit a response. It’s just another example of how lousy the right wing is at trying to play the sexism card, because they don’t really know what the word means. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/62 "2009-11-17T22:31:52Z")
> [@Palo\_Verde](#): > > This picture, paired with an article about her effect on the Republican party, is sexist. > > … > > The Obama beefcake picture, in an article on his health-care initiative or global warming, would be sexist. You all must be using some definition of sexism I just don’t understand. I just don’t understand how workout clothes that aren’t risque (on either Palin or Obama) are considered to play to sexual innuendos or stereotypes, or draw upon some other anti-female or anti-male bias. If someone can explain this to me, I’d be obliged. ETA: maybe I just don’t find running attire to be scandalous. Honestly, I don’t see women running on the Mall here in DC with shorts, long sleeved shirts, and what looks like nylons, and think that they are sluts. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/63 "2009-11-17T22:39:04Z")
Who goes running in nylons? ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/64 "2009-11-18T00:29:52Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > It’s all part of traditional liberal media bias, which in this case is aimed at making her look superficial. If anyone dosent need any help in appearing superficial, its Sarah Palin. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/65 "2009-11-18T00:42:55Z")
Does [Gov. Paterson](http://forladiesbyladies.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/patterson_shorts.jpg) have a book in the works? Anyway, I’m no Palin fan but this is lame. The average reader will assume, seeing that cover, that that is how Palin chose to promote herself and her book _in Newsweek_. Rather than how she posed and was styled for a running magazine. Do a Google image search for Newsweek. Very little flesh (except for three covers of very pregnant women, one of whom is completely naked). They chose these pics to make a statement. I’m shocked any photographers get to keep resale rights to their editorial work these days. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/66 "2009-11-18T01:15:18Z")
The average reader will know all about Palin’s performed outrage, and NOBODY poses for Newsweek covers. It’s a news magazine. They select _all_ their covers from other sources. Why would anybody think Palin was an exception? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/67 "2009-11-18T02:35:36Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > You’re absolutely correct. The picture of Obama is not sexist, and the picture of Palin wasn’t sexist when it ran in whatever running magazine it was taken for. The picture \*is \*sexist _in this context_, where it is clearly meant to convey “bimbo”. She is being dismissed on the basis of her legs, rather than her ideas. Which is awfully silly in addition to being insulting, given that her ideas are a much better reason for dismissing her. Question: what if the theme of the article is, in fact, that she’s a bimbo who has no place in public office? I haven’t read the article, but since the headline is basically: “Sarah Palin: National Poison” I’m going to go out on a limb and say that’s its not a complimentary piece. If the article uses her words and ideas to demonstrate that she’s an intellectual lightweight who was only ever selected for the McCain ticket because she was a moderately attractive female, would it still be sexist to use that cover? In other words, is it sexist to call a bimbo a bimbo? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/68 "2009-11-18T02:39:07Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Okay, what’s “equal”? Let’s presume that a leftie male pol, roughly the same age and attractiveness as Palin—call him Anthony Weiner, who happens to be my congressman–decides to pose for a magazine to get some publicity. So Weiner’s voluntarily posing for “the Rockaway Beach Gazette” in a Speedo to publicize, oh, let’s say, cleaning up the beaches in his district. “Decides to?” He already [DID pose on the beach with a Speedo.](http://sportscracklepop.com/2009/09/01/if-we-control-the-media-why-does-espn-want-us-to-sin/) ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/69 "2009-11-18T03:59:11Z")
I think Palin is a certified moron and I don’t exactly agree with her politics. However, I ask myself - how likely, in any context, would a male politician be portrayed this way on the cover of a news magazine? Pretty unlikely. And plenty of pics are around of various male pols in things other than business suits. On the other hand, it does make a comment about how unusual Palin was as a national candidate. She’s young enough (and attractive enough) to net a cover of a fitness magazine. She also chose to pose for said magazine. It might have hit the right notes for a governor of a small state (population- and national media attention-wise), but it probably isn’t the right tone for the second-in-line. I suppose the litmus test for me would be to see if _Newsweek_ ever ran a picture of Arnie flexing when he ran for governor, or Reagan acting. Same kind of trajectory. It was a different time for Reagan, at least. But _Newsweek_ should know that if the intent was to defame or embarrass her, they essentially got a bunch of wingnuts to scratch out checks to SarahPAC. I do think her “base” is shrinking, but they’re getting more rabid. ---
**Author:** ![This\_Just\_In\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@This\_Just\_In\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/This_Just_In_2)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/70 "2009-11-18T04:20:05Z")
Yeah, news magazine covers could be worse… [http://img.timeinc.net/time/magazine/archive/covers/1993/1101930712\_400.jpg](http://img.timeinc.net/time/magazine/archive/covers/1993/1101930712_400.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/71 "2009-11-18T04:39:34Z")
What’s wrong with being sexy? ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/72 "2009-11-18T04:59:39Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I find the “context” argument completely unconvincing. The particular choice of image is not a comment on Palin’s gender (I mean really, you think _Newseek_ is run by people with a misogynist agenda? get real), but a specific comment on her as an individual, and as a candidate. She only has two commodities to sell as a politician – her perpetual victimhood, and her ass. Shooting that magazine cover in the first place was a political choice to sell her ass. They wanted to get some sexed up images out there, and doing the cover of a running magazine was an excuse to put her in hot pants. Palin has chosen to sexualize herself as part of her political image. It is that specific choice by Palin as an individual which the _Newseek_ cover is commenting on. The suggestion that they just hate women is too asinine to even merit a response. It’s just another example of how lousy the right wing is at trying to play the sexism card, because they don’t really know what the word means. Thank you Sir, I was composing my own post, but I think you’ve pretty much covered it. As I don’t have access to the article, however I do suspect it talks alot about how her appeal is “empty” and based on some sort of bimbo image rather than serious and having substance behind it. Essentially that she is too frivolous to be good for the country. If that is the case why wouldn’t you use a frivolous article to illustrate it? ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/73 "2009-11-18T05:04:17Z")
How about Macho Man? Is this photo sexist? [http://www.seeingtheforest.com/STFphotos/Bush-FlightSuit.jpg](http://www.seeingtheforest.com/STFphotos/Bush-FlightSuit.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/74 "2009-11-18T05:15:25Z")
The Palin photo is sexist. The linked Obama photo, however, is clearly racist. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/75 "2009-11-18T05:25:15Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > I think Palin is a certified moron and I don’t exactly agree with her politics. However, I ask myself - how likely, in any context, would a male politician be portrayed this way on the cover of a news magazine? Click the link in post #10. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/76 "2009-11-18T06:15:09Z")
> [@Carmady](#): > > The Palin photo is sexist. > > The linked Obama photo, however, is clearly racist. I almost choked on my rum. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/77 "2009-11-18T06:17:25Z")
I think **Dio** has explained it pretty well; certainly better than I would have done. I think [this quote](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20091117/pl_ynews/ynews_pl984) sums it up nicely as well: > [@](#): > > Meanwhile, documentary photographer Nina Berman hailed the cover as “brilliant” and “shrewd” for using a “propped photo where Palin is an obvious participant … to show how far out she is willing to travel on the road of self promotion” while “shield[ing] themselves from what would have been the inevitable criticism if they had dolled her up themselves and posed her the same way.” Considering that that picture was one of several which was featured in the Runner’s World just this past August, and was also part of an online slideshow featuring the same set of pictures, it’s very obvious that this photo already existed, was not set-up by Newsweek, and they are simply reprinting an existing image _since doing so contributes to the thrust of the article_. They make their point in both words and pictures. **That** is effective communication. BTW, is Sarah Palin ever _not_ complaining? ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/78 "2009-11-18T06:18:21Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Click the link in post #10. That is not a newsmagazine. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/79 "2009-11-18T06:21:32Z")
> [@](#): > > BTW, is Sarah Palin ever not complaining? No she isn’t and I believe would get along quite well with certain posters around who seem to exist only to criticize this place and its moderation. ---
**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:** [November 18, 2009, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941/80 "2009-11-18T06:47:01Z")
She posed for it, obviously. Photo editors tend to pick the most interesting photo, and apparently, that was it. And as media-savvy as SP is, I’ll bet if she searched her heart she would be compelled to admit this was the best choice, even for her–because now she gets to complain about it, and get people talking about it, resulting in even more ink. No such thing as bad publicity. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-newsweek-cover-of-palin-sexist/517941.md?page=5)