It is no secret that women face more scrutiny than men do in any profession or field. This is especially true for women in media and women in politics.
*Disclaimer: I do not agree with either party's action. I am simply using this story as a case study or example of the double standard for women in media and politics.*
In May of 2017, Kathy Griffin (a well-known American comedian and actress) posted a video on Twitter of her holding a prop made to look like then-president Donald Trump's severed head. Griffin claimed the post was a commentary on comments Trump had previously made about women menstruating. Griffin removed the tweet promptly and apologized for it.
Since then, Griffin has essentially been blacklisted and her career has stalled. At the time of posting the tweet, Griffin lost "marketing deals and her spot on CNN's New Year's Eve broadcast with Anderson Cooper. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Secret Service investigated her to determine if she was, in fact, a threat to the President" (Comic Sands Article).
Not only did Griffin take a major hit to her career and reputation, but she was also questioned by the FBI and Secret Service. Griffin recently tweeted "Fully investigated by 2 federal agencies: the Secret Service & the US Attorneys Office. Put on the No-Fly list & the Interpol list. Lost all work. Tour canceled due to threats of violence. 1A [First Amendment] legitimately violated by TFG [the federal government] & AG [Attorney General]" and later added, "Oh, I forgot to mention, interrogated under oath at the conclusion of the weeks long investigation in which the Feds informed me and my attorneys they were considering charging me with a crime of ‘conspiracy to assassinate the president of the United States" (LGBT Nation Article).
Currently, the tweet has been removed; however, Twitter did not force Gosar to delete it, they simply put a warming over it. As of right now, there have been no reports about Gosar being investigated or charged with any crimes. But, Gosar is under investigation for his part in the January 6th riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Gosar encouraged rioters by enticing them with the promise that Trump would provide a "blanket pardon" for those who participated. He is also involved in an investigation to determine how involved he was in planning the riots. He allegedly was present in several meetings with other Congresspeople setting up the riots and encouraging rioters to be involved.
Even with this investigation and his, more recent, tweets, Gosar is still an active participant in the U.S. Congress and has faced no repercussions for his actions, neither legal nor career-wise nor in his reputation. And yet, Griffin is still facing the effects of a singular tweet.
I think the juxtaposition of these two stories showcases the hypocrisy and double standard for women in media and politics. Griffin, a woman, made one misstep and is paying for it years later, and Gosar, a man, has made many, many errors, but has yet to face any consequences for his actions.
For More Information:
https://www.comicsands.com/kathy-griffin-gosar-assassination-threat-2655532660.html
Hi Shelby, this is a FABULOUS posting about double standards women face in the media. I also posted about the Gosar censorship and the instance with Kathy Griffin stood out to me as a very real life example of the double standards for women in media. It is especially infuriating that Griffin was vilified by the media and *questioned by the FBI* whereas Gosar got a vote that was basically along party lines. Both sides of the aisle are so hesitant to speak against their male colleagues, especially in the media, but the minute a women is under scrutiny she has to fight to survive.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I think it important to note the differences in profession between the two. Gosar is a legislator, in one of the highest offices in government. Griffin is a comedian. Elected officials should be held to far higher standards, especially when the subject of their "joke" is a coworker, representing her own constituents.
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