The Grammar of Identity

Labels are important, especially when introducing political candidates, because they give potential supporters a better sense of who they are endorsing. Recently, the New Jersey News Room discussed the tumultuous campaign of Rick Santorum that brought up his involvement with Vince and Linda McMahon. However, Linda McMahon was introduced in the article as her husband’s wife – not as the well-known political figure she happens to be.

“The wife of World Wrestling Entertainment Czar Vince McMahon and the former WWE Chief Executive Officer Linda McMahon is running again for the United States Senate for the State of Connecticut.” (emphasis mine)

While there are certainly worse things a woman politician can be called, it would have been more effective, less sexist and more grammatically sound, to have written that Linda McMahon’s husband is Vince McMahon. By introducing her as someone’s wife, Linda’s own accomplishments and status are devalued. Linda McMahon is the one running for office and it makes more sense to talk about her relevance in a political news piece. Also to say she is the “wife of” kind of implies Vince owns her, doesn’t it?

Sometimes it makes sense to note a candidate’s spouse, but no woman should be labeled as being the “the wife of” someone. Readers and voters alike are not looking to elect someone’s wife; they want to elect a leader who stands on his or her own.

 

Published by Kate McCarthy on 02/22/2012

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