Sexism in Politics and the Media

Now, women have become public servants, doctors, and lawyers, breaking through the gender barrier. However, few women are at the top of their field, and most of those who have climbed the ladder to a position of esteem do not carry the same heft as their male counterparts. For example, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany is the undisputed “Wunder Woman” of her country, leading one of the most affluent nations in the world. Her accomplishments are equivalent to many other male world leaders, but she is still very aware that her gender affects how her colleagues treat her, like when President Bush gave her a shoulder rub at a global conference in 2006. My question is whether Bush would have rubbed her shoulders if she were a man. Male politicians seem to believe their female colleagues can't handle the stressors of being in a role of power, but that simply isn't the case.


In another context, comedian Chelsea Handler has revolutionized late night television by having a successful nightly talk show. Her show remains on cable television, even though she is incredibly popular with the target demographic of women between 18-39, while network television is filled with white male comedians in the same timeslot. It is the common assumption that male comedians are funnier than women, even though movies like "Bridesmaids" make a comparable amount to movies like "The Hangover." Studio heads fear having a women on late night television, as they don't think people will watch or find her funny. Clearly, that is not the case, and it will be interesting to see when a woman can be taken seriously as a comedian (ironic, no?).