Changing The Focus
Countless Americans tuned in to watch the debate last Monday night. There are articles all over the Internet of memorable one-liners. One comment that stood out to me was when Donald Trump remarked, “She doesn’t have the look. She doesn’t have the stamina.”
Trump elaborated and explained he did not think Hillary Clinton could handle being president.
What bothers me, and many other women, is that he started with, “She doesn’t have the look.” No one ever clarified someone had to look a certain way to be president.
Clinton is not a supermodel. That’s fine. Many people are not.
Clinton is not a man. That is not criterion to run for president.
There is nothing about her look that says she cannot be president.
While there are many raging social media posts and some articles about this derogatory sentence, the media has backed up Trump through past presentations of women in politics.
Throughout history, the media constantly critiqued the appearance of women in politics. There have been outfit overviews, commentary on someone’s need for plastic surgery and what certain facial expressions say. Even weight, height, hairstyles and shoes have been criticized. Contrastingly, men’s political platforms are highlighted. No one cares if they have bags under their eyes or a unibrow.
By publishing countless articles that women do not have the look to be in politics, the media has subconsciously drilled into people’s minds that a woman’s look is all that matters. A woman in politics is diminished to complete materialization, with totally disregard for her platform. No one takes her seriously because no one knows how. The media have categorized her as a product, not a contender.
While these media trends are disturbing, it is important to note the effect this has on generation after generation of young girls. When they only hear about how their role models look, that is what they believe themselves to be worth. Girls materialize themselves as a reflection of what the media makes them.
While the backlash geared toward Trump’s comment is fully justified, it is important to note that the media has backed Trump up on this before. With or without Trump’s commentary, these comments may continue. It is no one person’s opinion to change, but the overall attitude of media that must alter.