The recent flap over Sen. Barack Obama calling a female reporter "sweetie"
sparked a national dialogue over what is acceptable language between men and
women in the workplace.
The moment came at a campaign stop in Detroit, when Peggy Agar, a reporter
at ABC's Detroit affiliate WXYZ-TV, asked Obama this question: "Senator, how are
you going to help the American autoworkers?"
"Hold on a second, sweetie.
We'll hold a press avail," replied Obama, referring to a structured question and
answer session with the media.
Hours later, Obama left Agar a voicemail,
apologizing for not answering her question and for calling her "sweetie."
"That's a bad habit of mine," Obama said in the message. "I do it sometimes
with all kinds of people. I mean no disrespect and so I am duly chastened on
that front."
It apparently is a habit. In an earlier campaign stop, Obama
said to a woman, "Sweetie, if I start with a picture I will never get out of
here."
And then: "Sweetie if I start doing autographs I just won't be … I am
really late."This article was really stupid. I don't see why a man calling a woman sweetie is sexist. Like he said it is just a habit he has. If a girl Hillary Clinton would have said that to a woman no one would even notice, but because Obama is a man then it is a huge deal. This is just plain stupid and I don't understand why it needs to have its own article.
1 comment:
Ok, well let me enlighten you. Addressing an adult woman with a phrase appropriate to a small child is offensive. It is a put down and it is intended to be such. The obvious comparison is where a black man is referred to as "boy".
Post a Comment