In a scathing op-ed published last week by The Huffington Post, singer and liberal activist Barbara Streisand angrily urged Americans to “grow up” and elect Hillary Clinton.
“Why is it that today even a woman as impressive as Hillary Clinton is judged not by her merits and extensive resume alone, but held to a pernicious double standard?” she asked in the piece, titled “The Sexism in American Politics.”
The fact that Clinton is a woman is the overriding factor in why Americans have yet to embrace her as their next president, Streisand said. Nothing has changed, she said, referencing a 1992 article she penned for Women in Film:
Men and women are clearly measured by a different yardstick. And that makes me angry. Of course, I’m not supposed to be angry. A woman should be soft-spoken, agreeable, ladylike, understated. In other words, stifled. Language gives us an insight into the way women are viewed in a male-dominated society.
A man is commanding, a woman is demanding.
He’s assertive – she’s aggressive.
He strategizes – she manipulates.
A man is forceful – a woman is pushy.
He shows leadership – she’s controlling.
“It’s been decades since those speeches, but there is still outright sexism in much of the commentary on Secretary Clinton’s campaign,” Streisand wrote. She then offered some voting advice.
“Voters should weigh the substance of what a candidate has to offer: his/her policies, his/her agenda, his/her experience, knowledge and demeanor in dealing with world leaders. The time has also come for voters, media, political talking heads and all of us to stop holding any politician to a different standard because she happens to be a woman. All voters should stand in agreement on this issue if no other …
“We should stop being afraid of women, and meet them on a level playing field without resorting to name calling and sexist condescension.”
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