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Feminist Leaders Speak Out Against Sexism in the Media

Leading feminists spoke out yesterday against the sexist comments of MSNBC’s Chris Matthews about Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Women’s rights groups, including the National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority, the National Women’s Political Caucus, and the Women’s Media Center, sent a joint letter of protest to NBC News President Steve Capus. Gloria Steinem and many other feminist activists also signed the letter.

Chris Matthews, the host of MSNBC’s Hardball, apologized last night for his comments regarding Senator Clinton. Specifically, Matthews addressed his remark attributing Clinton’s political success to the fact that her husband had been unfaithful, saying: ‘was it fair to imply that Hillary’s whole career depended on being a victim of an unfaithful husband? No. And that’s what it sounded like I was saying.” He said that he would be “clearer,” “smarter” and more respectful when talking about women in the future.

Kim Gandy, NOW’s president, told the Washington Post that “Chris Matthews is a repeat offender when it comes to sexist attitudes toward women politicians…I wasn’t really looking for an apology. I was looking for a behavior change, and for him to treat female politicians the same way as male politicians.”

Sources:

Washington Post 1/18/08; Media Matters 1/17/08; Feminist Majority

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