American Women's Progress: Is It Really a Forward March?

Joanne Lipman, a former deputy managing editor at The Wall Street Journal and founding editor in chief of Condé Nast Portfolio magazine argues in a NYTimes Op-Ed piece The Mismeasure of Woman, that women’s progress in America has actually stalled and reversed itself in some cases.

Compared to many European women, I agree with her argument. Lipman attributes the regressive changes to Sept. 11 — that idea I don’t embrace without more thought — but she’s right that progress at the top of business and in politics for women remains subject to multiple obstacles.

We must also filter in the issue of the Modern to Cultural Creative and Smart Sensuality values shifts that I write about regularly. This debut Porfolio cover with glitz, gold and masters of the universe represents the consummate Modern values, winner-take-all editorial perspective.

It was a risky position even then.

Lipman makes her own case beautifully, so I’ll just pick up one note in her op-ed piece that focuses on men describing women’s physicality at every possible opportunity.

Recently, before a TV appearance, I did an Internet search on one of the interviewers so I could learn more about her — and got a full page of results about her breasts.

This was hardly an isolated incident. Whether it’s Keith Olbermann of MSNBC calling Michelle Malkin, the conservative blogger, “a big mashed-up bag of meat with lipstick on it,” or Glenn Beck of Fox News suggesting that “ugly women” are probably “progressive as well,” women these days are portrayed as either witches or bimbos, with pretty much no alternatives in between.

My point is that even women writers cannot get away from describing a woman’s physical appearance. I expect Politico to give me political insights and news on issues.

Now I know that Politico has gone a lot more Huff Po in recent weeks — not that we need another Huff Po — and Politico did serve a great journalistic purpose and I thought web traffic, too, based on their Alexa rank.

Politico’s Erika LovelyI sighed when even Politico’s Erika Lovely took the lead paragraph  (see our International Women’s Rights’ coverage) reporting Nicole Kidman’s very serious testimony before the Foreign Affairs subcommittee on international violence against women last week with a rundown on both her wardrobe and weight:

Academy award-winning actress Nicole Kidman came to Capitol Hill Wednesday to ask for more government-funded policies that help combat international violence against women. In a hearing room that was filled to capacity, the ever-slim Kidman wore a black suit with a purple silk blouse.

The commited Kidman would confirm that blouse and body image weren’t high on her priority list that day. As with most challenges in today’s woman’s world, we ladies are often our worst enemy.

Nice smile Ms. Lovely. Anne

Nicole Kidman testifies at the Foreign Affairs subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight hearing. | AP