"HELL HATH NO FURY . . ."

Yes, we are furious at all the scorn directed at us! Once again the media, engorged with a salacious sex story, are putting us all in a specially constructed box.

They interview women who supposedly represent all women and then tell us that WE ARE ALL ALIKE. This really angers us to be likened to tribal worms and flocking birds.

WE ARE NOT!  We are human beings.  Individuals with minds and intelligence and the mass media is not going to tell us what to think and how to vote by using terms such as "women's issues" or "soccer moms."

Their latest expression is "LOSERS!"  Yup, they interviewed a woman from some organization we have never heard of who said, "If Clinton is lying, women are losers because he has been a very supportive president.  If Monica is lying then women are losers because she is a woman and all women will be thought of as liars."

Just as the conservative-supporting media took over the words and agenda of the anti-choice forces, they are promulgating the words and the agenda of the anti-Clinton forces -- AND, they are adept at using women to do this.  They have squarely framed the debate as women (good wife/mother) against those #!%&*.  (Those symbols designate their disgust and hatred in the appellation used, which is generally *f*-word-ist.)

They have marginalized us out of our gender, out of our human self and out of our human rights. There is now the perception of man (human), woman (human) and *F- word-ists* (nonhuman troublemakers).  Note how many references there are now to the N.O.B. -- National Organization of Broads.

On nearly every radio/TV news or events program, you will find a "rye-chus" lady accusing all self-defined women of hypocrisy, claiming that we came to the aid of Anita Hill because we didn't like Clarence Thomas; but have sadly neglected poor, little, innocent Gennifer Flowers, Paula Corbin Jones and Monica Lewinsky because we like President Clinton and his *F-word-ist* programs.

Because media polls report that women continue to rate Clinton higher than men do, self-defined women are subjected to a vicious kind of treatment by both media moderators and rye-chus females.  Rudeness is de rigueur.

Recent example: Patricia Ireland, President of N.O.W. and Ann Coulter, a right-wing-lawyer with the sound and attitude of a pitbull from hell, were interviewed by Judy Woodruff on CNN's Inside Politics.

At first, Ireland was very effective, making the point that women's groups did approach P.C.J. and were rebuffed; and that there was no evidence that Lewinsky was ever hassled by anyone except Kenneth Starr.

Then Coulter just swept right over her with the obvious collusion of the moderator, Woodruff, who failed to moderate and maintain order.

Understand this!  We do not fault Ireland.  You cannot outshoot a howitzer with a B-B gun.

There was nothing, given the circumstances, that she could do except try to out yell Coulter and give CNN what they were looking for -- a cat fight.

To Ireland's credit, she realized this and resisted giving it to them.

Telling one lie after another in a deep booming tone, Coulter refused to share the interview. Those of you that have heard her may have wondered how she came by the robust and powerful set of vocal cords that allowed her to project a basso profundo that any male would envy.

Of course there is the possibility that she has been able to train herself to speak this way, but odds are that her sound is the result of hormonal intervention.  (Sad to relate, many women and girls are now taking steroid hormones for a variety of reasons including weight loss, physical enhancement and voice modification.  The effect of steroids on a person's health is devastating.)

Whatever the cause, she was formidable.  Women who go on radio/television interviews should prepare themselves for the same kind of rudeness and its effects.

We suggest that they ALWAYS bring with them a set of large flash cards (shades of Ross Perot). If they find themselves rudely drowned out like Ireland was, they should hold up an appropriate card. It will attract the attention of the moderator and the camera will turn to it.

Some suggestions:

Is there a right-wing conspiracy?  Listen to hate-radio and check out their web pages and newspapers.  We've been doing this for years.  Because of the similarity of language, phrases and charges that are continually expressed by callers/writers, we have no doubt that there is a right wing source for this garbage.  It is aimed at bringing down the Clinton presidency using rumor, innuendo and terrorists threats (one example being Kennie Starr's grand-jury-Starr-chamber where the only truth is what Kennie wants to hear and if you don't comply you go to jail -- ask Susan Mac D.)

The right-wingnut cacophony of hatred reached an amazing level following Hillary Clinton's appearance last week on several television programs.

Bay Buchanan has demanded that Hillary use a baseball bat on her husband in service to women.  We suggest that Bay use her baseball bat on brother Patrick in the service of all humanity.

Hillary does not need a bat.  She has strength and courage of conviction, intelligence and self definition, along with the support and admiration of self defined women all over the world.

BATTLE ON, HILLARY!!!

Twanda@ConnRiver.net

1998-004

Copyright 1998 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@connriver.net.

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