Really Damn Sexist: HuffPost Hill Prints “Gang Bang” Quote in O’Donnell Election Recap
In recapping reactions to last night's election results, the Huffington Post included this section on Christine O'Donnell in their "HuffPost Hill - Special Midterm 2010 Edition:"
"CHRIS COONS BEATS CHRISTINE O'DONNELL - All that's left now is for O'Donnell to finalize her early-morning PAX talk show. HuffPost Hill's one Delaware GOP friend sends in this dispatch: 'lets just say JACK MEOFFER got at least one vote for senate. i couldn't bring myself to vote for chrissy. even though the race isn't close, i think if she won she could potentially make Delawareans look like idiots. the guy in line behind me wore a tshirt that said "dont blame me, i didnt vote". i was beyond confused... i thought i might have been in a gang bang line or something. go with jesus.'"
While the Huffington Post did not write the problematic comment, they still chose to print it. Media outlets should not provide a platform for such sexualized and demeaning, though not particularly coherent, language about women candidates. References to "gang bangs" and masturbation have no place in political criticism. Even if Huffington Post reporters did not originate the language themselves, reprinting such a sexist statement without editorial comment provides a tacit endorsement of it, and thus is Really Damn Sexist.
Published by Kate McCarthy on 11/03/2010