As I've noted many times, Bill Maher is a deeply misogynistic man. Yet, women who know better, regularly appear on his show and sit in his audience. I view this as a painful testimony to the fact that American women have come to accept deep misogyny as the normal everyday experience.But I'm still waiting for the day when a woman tells Bill Maher what to do with his misogyny right there on his HBO show. So far, Ralph Nader and Tavis Smiley are the only ones who have cared enough to call Maher out for the sexism.
Where are the brave women?
On last week's show, Maher called Sarah Palin a dumb twat.
NOW responds:
Listen, supposedly progressive men (ok, and women, too): Cut the crap! Stop degrading women with whom you disagree and/or don't like by using female body terms or other gender-associated slurs. OK? Can you do that, please? If you think someone's an idiot or a danger to the country, feel free to say so, but try to keep their sex out of it. Sexist insults have an impact on all women.
The Women's Media Center responds:
Despite the fact that women make up half of the population, we're only 17 percent of congress. Bill Maher's misogynistic comment about Sarah Palin hurts all women, not just Palin, and not just conservative women. By insulting her gender, rather than her platform or stance on issues, he insults women as a group.
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