Althouse: "You know, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called 'change,' it’s still gonna stink."

September 10, 2008

"You know, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called 'change,' it’s still gonna stink."

Said Obama, and speaking of stink, it's raised quite a stink.

Now, I didn't blog this yesterday, because frankly, I considered it absolutely nothing. "Lipstick on a pig" is an extremely common expression, and it doesn't become taboo because somebody else made a wisecrack about lipstick on another animal or because that somebody else happens to wear lipstick.

And I don't like seeing a lot of men jumping to Sarah's defense over some other man's possible sexist slur of her. Excessive chivalry doesn't advance feminism, and women themselves, as Palin famously said, have "got to plow through." No whining.

But I'm putting this post up for 2 reasons:

1. I can see from comments on various other posts that my readers want to talk about it.

2. There's one thing I haven't seen anyone else say that I think needs to be said. Obama did not just mention a pig. He immediately mentioned a fish. That's 2 animals in rapid succession. And both of these animals are frequently used in sexual insults referring to women. The reference to the pig also has it wearing lipstick, which is obviously a female image. And the reference to a fish also has it stinking, which is exactly the aspect of fish that is used when fish are invoked to insult women. I still think it's nothing, but if you think it's something, fairness requires you to consider the remark in context.

221 comments:

«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 221 of 221

avwh said...: "Obama was inelegant in his comment... He's usually a better speaker than this. He and his campaign must be quite rattled. They are playing to their base instead of going after independents. Why are they doing that, unless they are worried about their base? Do they have internal polling showing things to be worse for them than the MSM is reporting?"

BINGO.

What I've been thinking as Obama keeps attacking Palin: either he's a not-ready-for-prime-time juvenile who doesn't belong in national office (b/c his ego can't take being eclipsed by another politician), or their internal numbers must be atrocious.

It makes NO rationale sense for the top of the Dem ticket to keep attacking the bottom of the other ticket - unless their own numbers show she's stealing even more support than the public numbers show.

In any event, it smacks of desperation, and Obama is clearly flailing - the antithesis of what we're looking for in a leader.; 9/10/08, 11:47 AM
zeek said...: Pig. Fish. Uppity. Tish-tosh! Remember back in the primaries when Biden called Obama "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."; 9/10/08, 11:51 AM
Simon said...: Robert Cook said...
"Let's be frank: no one really believes Obama was making coded slurs against Palin's gender with his remarks."

That's true - nobody believes that there was a coded slur. Some don't believe that there was a slur, while others think that there was a slur that was open and uncoded (whether subsequently denied or not).; 9/10/08, 11:57 AM
markg8 said...: McCain has proposed to bankrupt the country even faster than Bush with bigger tax cuts for the wealthiest 1% and more tax breaks for fossil fuel industries. Think any of that will trickle down to the rest of us? He'll give you a tax "credit" less than half what it takes to go out and buy health insurance for your family but you're on your own after that. He thinks we can throw the Russians out of the G8 when in fact the Russians would have to vote themselves out. Even the Bush Administration thinks that's nutty. Everyone from the Iraqi government to the Bush Administration has adopted Obama's timetable for getting out of Iraq but McCain still wants to stay for four, a hundred or a thousand years, or whatever it is this week.

Pigs will fly before any of that works.; 9/10/08, 12:10 PM
Crimso said...: "Everyone from the Iraqi government to the Bush Administration has adopted Obama's timetable for getting out of Iraq"

Assuming this is true, a stopped clock is right twice a day. For an instant each time. It's the rest of the day I'd be concerned about.; 9/10/08, 12:15 PM
Robert Cook said...: Fuck Bill Clinton, and Hillary, too. They're both swine.

Again, I'll assert: the use of the word "uppity," applied to a black man by a Georgia Congressman, is a racial dig.

Particularly where the black man in question could hardly realistically be called "uppity" even if we assume the term is not meant racially, but is, in fact, too milquetoast.

There's not even a credible reason to use the term as a characterization of Obama if he were white.; 9/10/08, 12:15 PM
vbspurs said...: Avwh wrote:

BINGO.

What I've been thinking as Obama keeps attacking Palin: either he's a not-ready-for-prime-time juvenile who doesn't belong in national office (b/c his ego can't take being eclipsed by another politician), or their internal numbers must be atrocious.

That was the rationale I heard last night -- that his donations are down, albeit it's still high for most candidates.

So what does this say?

That puncture him a little, get between him and his preordained destiny and he goes for the mean-spirited, juvenile jugular the next moment he can?

Yes, he does. He's done so in the past with Hillary.

It is mind-boggling that this reaction would be how his base is catered to, though.

Says a lot more about them, than him.; 9/10/08, 12:21 PM
Revenant said...: Again, I'll assert: the use of the word "uppity," applied to a black man by a Georgia Congressman, is a racial dig.

Well now that you've *repeated* the unfounded assertion I'm sure we're all completely convinced.

Particularly where the black man in question could hardly realistically be called "uppity"

Uppity: "affecting an attitude of inflated self-esteem".

Fits Obama perfectly. For pity's sake, the man wrote a memoir at the age of 34.; 9/10/08, 12:35 PM
William said...: UWS Guy: You claim that my post stating some women do not inspire a chivalrous response is a sexist comment, and, of course, it is. But you miss the classism that underlies my remark. I was referring to a sub set of well bred women with authority. Some of these women make the tasks of civilization seem worthwhile, even fun. I would draw your attention to the good natured way that Sarah has accepted the responsibility of a Downs child and has brought her children into sharing that responsibility with her....In contrast to Sarah, I would not present street hookers. Rather I would contrast her with civilized women who make civilization seem an onerous chore: The women who make you sit up straight and keep your elbows off the table and eat the vegetables first--the women who make you want to light out for the territories. In this context I would mention women who boil vegetables and consider baking cookies demeaning. I hope this clears up any misunderstanding.; 9/10/08, 1:28 PM
UWS guy said...: it doesn't.

Is your allusion to Hillary not wanting to "bake cookies"?

So hillary is a women not worthy of respect by a man?

respect = chivalry right?; 9/10/08, 1:46 PM
JSU said...: "A whole book on it by Vicki Hearne Bandit."

Ron, have you seen the Bandit movie (A Little Vicious)?; 9/10/08, 2:52 PM
kjbe said...: But they make it real hard with crap like this.

If that's the case, McCain's not your man, either. It's pretty well documented, but you have to be willing to look.; 9/10/08, 3:29 PM
William said...: UWS Guy: I'll try again. Chivalry, as used here anyway, does not equal respect. I mean it in the more archaic sense of martial valor. There are women who inspire that valor. These are the women you put yourself and your troth at risk for. The women you march off to battle for. In this context I do not think it is irrelevant to mention that Sarah's son (another Natl Guard draft dodger) will go to Iraq as a grunt......I mean no disrepect towards Hillary. She is a smart woman who has led a successful life. But none of it seems like fun, and a lot of it seems done in pursuit of self interest. In this context I do not think it is irrelevant to mention that her daughter works for a hedge fund. Perhaps having been exposed to Obama's stirring oratory, she will quit her job and take up community organzing.....Well, the cure for cancer perhaps will come from a low life like Sam Waksal rather than an exemplary scientist like Madame Curie. Maybe Hillary would make a better President than Sarah. But Sarah inspires a chivalrous response and Hillary does not.; 9/10/08, 3:46 PM
Roberto said...: Speaking of "lipstick on a pig"...we have this:

McCain used the same metaphor just a few months back to describe Hillary Clinton:

"When asked about Mrs. Clinton his speech, he said her proposal was 'eerily' similar to the plan she came up with in 1993, when she headed a health care reorganization effort during her husband's administration.

McCain: "I think they put some lipstick on a pig,' he said, 'but it's still a pig."

Oh, goodness gracious...now what?; 9/10/08, 4:06 PM
Republican said...: It's relevant that Obama *rehearsed* the line.

He deliberately worked the pig insult into his comments to be insulting.

All he turns out to be is not-very-clever with the insults, and not very glib at delivering them.

Is this the kind of person we need, with his finger on the trigger?; 9/10/08, 5:37 PM
Republican said...: Robert Cook wrote:
Fuck Bill Clinton, and Hillary, too. They're both swine.

--

Please stop insulting swine. Haven't we had enough for one day?; 9/10/08, 5:39 PM
Anonymous said...: Hi Ann,

And I don't like seeing a lot of men jumping to Sarah's defense over some other man's possible sexist slur of her ... No whining.

I agree. Which is why I decided to mock Senator Obama about it. As a Republican male I'm convinced that Governor Palin, unlike Senator Obama, is capable of taking care of herself.

As a Republican who blogs, I'm not going to skip a chance to mock Senator Obama for putting his foot in his mouth. (Oh, who am I kidding. There isn't enough time in the day to mock Senator Obama every time he puts his foot in his mouth. But every once in a while I will take the time to do so :-) ).; 9/10/08, 6:10 PM
zeek said...: Who would bake better cookies, Hillary or Sarah?; 9/10/08, 6:30 PM
blake said...: I just wanted to highlight this particular bit of rhetorical awesomeness from Robert Cook:

Don't assume your familiarity with vernacular terms or phrases reveals anything but your own personal (i.e., limited) exposure to vernacular.

[3...2...1....]

Really? "Uppity" is a common expression? Tell me, when and how often in your life have you ever used the word "uppity" in any context?

Note the complete lack of irony. And his hands never left his wrists!; 9/10/08, 6:40 PM
blake said...: It was an insult, clearly intended.

Was it sexist? Who cares?

If he were a man, he'd own up to it. He's going to be post-racial, let him be post-gender as well.

"This is politics, baby. We sling mud and if you can't take it, you shouldn't be in it."

I mean, that's the truth, right?

I don't think people are really appreciating how post-racial Obama is: He's pretty much your standard, underqualified political guy campaigning on "Change". Sure, he's trotted out the racism charge, but really only to win. He doesn't seem to actually believe it.

Same with the "sexist" remarks. He'll use them if he thinks they'll help him win. If it blows up in his face, he'll dissemble and--unless he's dumb--won't do it again.

This is actually not a bad thing, right? His campaign has put the serious hurt on identity politics by exposing them for the cheap tricks they are.

Everybody wins!; 9/10/08, 6:47 PM
The Exalted said...: ms. althouse,

you've outdone yourself for inanity. and you managed to post this while ignoring that the lipstick on an animal routine originated from...your poor hero, palin

but it sure fired up your army of maroons; 9/11/08, 12:35 AM