"How can you be a Member of Parliament with such a face?"
By spicymary
@spicymary (558)
Romania
February 2, 2013 11:44am CST
I am watching a talk-show on TV about discrimination againsts females in politics. The topic was choosed because a certain politician, a man with a lot of money and really poor culture (a funny character of our political scene, that is the subject of a lot of jokes and is famous for his brush style of expressing his opinions) said to a female politician "How can you be a Member of Parliament with such a face?"
The people who are debating the subject say she should denounce him to the council against discrimination. They are really irritated because he talked like this to a women. They say such a mysoginism it's unacceptable. And so on.
What I find... strange is that those people claim equality between men and women. But none of them were affected when male politicians were called pigs, disgusting, horrible ugly by others. Judging somebody by how he looks (if he is fat usually) it's a common approach.
So, I wonder (believing in equality between men and women), shouldn't be a feminist attitude to accept this kind of insults, not taking them personal?
Isn't overprotecting the feelings of a women more mysoginistic?
I mean, yes, telling bad things about others, that have nothing to do with their actions, is not a healthy attitude. But in politics... it's so common.
What do you think?
4 people like this
10 responses
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
4 Feb 13
Politics is not Hollywood. People aren't all going to be beautiful who go in for politics. ANd people in this line of work are more apt to be serious and not smiling or laughing which might take away from their appearance also.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
25 Feb 13
You'd think with the amount of money they make they'd be smiling every day. lol
1 person likes this
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
24 Feb 13
That's an interesting point. I never thought about this, but I agree with you. Having to be serious takes away from the charm. I particularly think at men, in this case.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
2 Feb 13
I always thought that using a personal argument in a discussion/talk-show/debate is not fair, and when it comes from politicians, it is generally when they have no other argument. People doing this are depreciating themselves, and a man saying this to a woman is perhaps not a misogynist, but he is certainly a boor.
1 person likes this
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
2 Feb 13
They just feel to insult and don't have something smarter to say.
But the guy I was talking about is certainly a boor. He was a shephard before making a lot of money from businesses. He is the kind of guy that buys the most expensive car but fix it himself with a crowbar, and lives in a palace. Anyway... people don't take him seriously, but find him entartaining. He is a character and talks with all the people in the same way.
I just find it disturbing that now they are all upset (like they are not usually) because he treated women the same as men. They call him mysoginistic because he didn't change his attitude for women. I would call it the opposite...
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
2 Feb 13
You should not criticize anyone even a Member of Parliament because of their looks even men or women. We have a mayor here in Canada (not the province or city I live in) who is obese and yet he does a good job, helps charitable organizations and has put the city on a budget. So looks do not matter. After all, we did not choose our parents.
1 person likes this
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
2 Feb 13
I agree with this and I find irritating when people are criticized due to their look or their name or other things like this. But it happens because of rudeness, and it has nothing to do with discrimination.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
3 Feb 13
So true. I also think they just want to make the person quit and go and hide somewhere. So it is more then rudeness it is determining what kind of person they want in parliament or office, some like, oops! In America, they do have someone like that and now in Canada, the liberal Candidate is known for his good looks and charm.
So there is a danger of just having good looking men run for public office. They forget the character.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
3 Feb 13
I don't think politicians should get personal like that. It's fine for him to think that but he should keep it to himself.
Over here in the U.S. that politician would have been on every newscast on TV, especially if he was not of the party currently in power--and this goes for any administration, not just the current one. He would be derided and scourged and called insensitive and within 24 hours he would be groveling on TV and radio, apologizing for having "misspoken". Special interest groups would deride him and propose a law against publicly humiliating someone who does not meet the accepted standards of beauty then there would be a big discussion about what beauty is. Charities would be started to improve the self esteem of women who are not beautiful and t-shirts would be made and sold. The whole thing would last about a month then everyone would forget about it. Come election time, the jerk who made the remark would be re-elected even though his opponent brought up his faux pax.
Politics are ridiculous. What was 150 or so years ago an honorable undertaking has been turned into a circus, a popularity show, a public fleecing. It's deplorable and if I were an alien from another planet I would laugh myself silly and wonder why I ever thought I wanted to visit the planet Earth. 
1 person likes this
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
24 Feb 13
:)) This was so funny. But I know it's also true, and in reality sad. It's not only about circus, politics was always about "entartainment", mostly cheap. People need bread and circus, and the political class adapt. I would label want you said as the effect of political correctness. Maybe your story would be not as extreme under a republican government. Just thinking... I am curious if you, being there, agree with me or not.
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
2 Feb 13
I guess they really are the bunch of people you say. But I wouldn't mind how they talk one to another if they would do a good job. The problem is that they don't, most of the time.
@binaybbsr1 (375)
• India
2 Feb 13
Each and every person who casts vote is a part of politics. Politics is the central theme of democracy. And politicians are just the reflection of society. Society comes first, then politician. Whatever discrimination one can find in political system, the similar discrimination he can find in other fields in same society. As politicians are easily accessible to public and particularly to media, they are caught easily. I feel, all should join politics.
1 person likes this
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
2 Feb 13
They certainly reflet society. And such well that you don't need better sample to figure out how thing are going. The system that all agree with brings them there, and if people complain, this don't change anything. If they still vote for the same guys...
@SHAMRACK (8576)
• India
21 Feb 13
Dear friend,
I feel people holding such reponsibile position should be careful while useing words and actions. I wonder if their words are like this, then how about their responsible role given to them. Any how here in India I could see that the law and order is beocming as werterners and may be we need culture of westerners to fit in. Anyhow I am as an invidiual in this big public, just mylotting here....
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
24 Feb 13
If it's about diplomacy, where you should be careful about all you do and say in order to achieve your political mission, I apreciate more straight discourse. It has more chances to be honest.
I heard about some atittude that sais a lot to me about how politicians are seen in my country. There are some people who say they vote for the hungarian party (one of the biggest minorities here) without having anything in common with their values, goals and without being hunagarians. Why? Because the party sais that wants autonomy for a specific region. It's not something that Romanians want at all. But they apreciate a party that struggles for what they say in the campaign. Honesty is more important than even common opinions.
There are just a few cases, but I find the behavior as simptomatic.
@lampar (7584)
• United States
21 Feb 13
Voters don't elect member of parliament of their country base on face, it is funny he doesn't know about it with so much money inside his pocket, like you said, he is from a poor cultural background, that explain why he can't tell the difference between an actress and a M.P , statement like this is quite an insult to the intelligence of all the voters in his country and to all female politicians. 
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
24 Feb 13
:)) There should be also less intelligent politicians, to keep the Parliament representative.
@anklesmash (1412)
•
3 Feb 13
Well Jay Leno did say that politics is show buisiness for ugly people.Though in reality I believe judging people based on their looks is just wrong politicians should be judged on the kind of job that they do for their people.And in this case I unusually agree with the feminists as I believe women are judged a lot more on their appearance than men are.I think men and women should be judged equally on their abillities rather than how they look.
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
24 Feb 13
I also think both men and women in politics should be only judged on their abilities. But this doesn't quite happen. I also noticed that women are more judged. If they look good, they must be stupid or went in someone's bed. If they look bad, they are seen as disgusting. Almost impossible to have the "right" appearence.
I don't like double measure, in this case and in general. I find it repugnant. That's why I was confused that, thinking at this particular politician, people didn't noticed his equal treatment. Even if it was not shown in a positive way :P
@WakeUpKitty (8694)
• Netherlands
3 Feb 13
Equality is just there by law (if it's by law at all) but not in reality. And this is not a secret either. Every ugly man (with money) can go into politics and say whatever he can. He can lie, cheat, steal. If it comes to women they want to see other qualifications.
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
24 Feb 13
I see that both men and women in politics cheat, lie and steal. There are few exceptions, more in the men area, because there are more men politicians. Maybe the percentage is equal. I have to look for some statistics to be sure, it's just a personal observation.
Would you support a law that compels an equal percentage of men and women in the Parliament? Here there are some debates now about this.
