A Women's Place is in the Media
Today, women in the public eye are under constant scrutiny. What they say, how they say it, what they wear and what they don’t wear is dissected and picked over then packaged up for our consumption under the guise of, ‘journalism’. Moreover, some women have even had their careers ruined by a media generated narrative which masquerades as ‘journalism’.
This particular issue is being widely discussed owing to the documentary ‘Framing Britney Spears’ which tells the story of how popstar Britney Spears is now in conservatorship with her father and how the media and paparazzi played a huge part in the decline of her mental health. Spears was slut shamed, hypersexualized, and hounded by the media for years. Unfortunately, this type of media attention has not been reserved for Britney Spears alone as other young women in the music industry also became targets of these ‘hacks’. Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift come to mind. Both were mercilessly berated by the media for not only being sexually confident women but also two of the most successful artists of this generation. They are not the only victims to the media's vendetta against women, the list goes on. Women of colour are particularly subjected to this abuse and held at a much higher standard than their white counterparts. Women of colour are portrayed as ‘too aggressive’ and ‘too confident.’ Serena Willams and Simone Biles are two of the greatest athletes of all time but are both under constant attack by the media for simply living their lives. As Kamala Harris was about to take her oath of office as the first woman, not to mention woman of colour, to become the Vice-President of the United States, commentators felt obligated to tell their audience about what she was wearing. When Joe Biden took his oath audiences were spared the fashion critique.
An orchestrated and sustained media attack on successful women has completely ruined some people’s lives. One of the tragic examples of this is TV personality Caroline Flack. Sadly, Caroline Flack took her own life in 2020 and many blame the media for this. Caroline Flack was often subjected to abuse, demeaned and vilified by the tabloids. In today’s society, women in the public eye are subjected to caustic criticism when compared to their male counterparts. Men like Chris Brown have charges of domestic abuse and allegations of rape brought against him yet his career has gone from success to success.
Equally, women in politics face the same backlash, especially here in Ireland. Instead of discussing a woman’s political beliefs, her appearance is often discussed in a disparaging manner. These attacks often happen on women who hold high positions in their political party, such as Michelle O’Neill, Naomi Long and Arlene foster. In TV interviews women are often interrupted, talked over, and spoken to in a condescending way. Mary Lou McDonald was subjected to this abuse during her time in televised debates during the 2020 General Election. She was laughed at not only by her male rivals but also the media. Recently the Irish Independent published an article regarding TDs taking a pay raise and used Mary Lou McDonald as the cover photo for the article despite McDonald announcing she will not be accepting the pay rise. This stunt would never have happened to a man such as Leo Varadkar.
Moreover, these women who break gender stereotypes are portrayed as angry, aggressive, bossy women when their male counterparts are passionate, assertive leaders. A political move by a woman is calculated yet when it is done by a man it is strategic.
For decades, there has been a distinct media imbalance in the treatment of men and women. These double standards have seen women demeaned whilst their contribution is often devalued. These calculated attacks have had detrimental effects on some women in terms of their personal lives and their careers. For other women, media misogyny has proved to be a strong deterrent in considering public office.
Clearly, society is uncomfortable with confident, clever and assertive women. Women who exude a sexual confidence are deemed to be ‘fair game’ by a media which systematically sets out to degrade and neuter them with slurs and name calling. What can be deduced from the ruthless treatment of women by elements of the media is that there are some who feel threatened by women. From Rosa Parks sitting on a bus to Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese rising to the highest office, with Mary Lou McDonald predicted by many to become the first woman Taoiseach, women are taking their rightful place as leaders. However, the increase in women coming to the fore in all fields is all the more significant when it is placed against the backdrop of a campaign to deter their rise in every aspect of society.
Le Emer NicRoibín