Comments on: SEXIST BEATDOWN: I Don’t Hate You And I Don’t Think You’re Dumb And In Fact I Like You Also Kater Gordon Got Fired Edition

By: Samantha b.

Samantha b. — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:48:24 +0000

And a female writer for Letterman has come forth to say that she left the show due to a hostile work environment:
http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2009/10/david-letterman-200910

By: Feminist Friday on Mad Men Monday: Italy, Westchester, and Betty Draper « Straßgefühl

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:29:58 +0000

[...] add to the varied subtexts of the show that hasn’t already been said (and probably better) by these fine [...]

By: Davey

Davey — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:00:34 +0000

I hate to chime in on the one thing no one has any disagreement on, but the Mad Men thing is like some sort of media slash fiction, inventing relationships that aren’t there just because they can’t appreciate art from any other angle than whose hooking up with whom.

These sorts of disputes happen all the time in television and in every other industry on the planet. Aaron Sorkin has practically devoted a third of his writing to slagging former West Wing writer Rick Cleveland (seriously, google it), and nobody suggested that’s over sex. Granted he’s devoted the other two thirds to winning arguments with straw figures representing his exes, but, OK Sorkin’s a special case.

Also, I hate to say it, but that picture, even out of context, is a serious spoiler for season 3.

By: Samantha b.

Samantha b. — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:31:52 +0000

I don’t really care about consensual sex between adults, either, but I am sick to damn death of sex being posited as THE way for women to get ahead. If he hadn’t given her so much more airtime than other equivalent employees that he wasn’t sleeping with, it would all be a non-issue. The consensus seems to be- and, per the clips I’ve seen, my own judgment reconciles with this- that the airtime wasn’t given based on merit. That’s precisely when it becomes problematic for the rest of the staff, particularly for the women. I’m so bored with that shit.

By: Isabel

Isabel — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 06:39:49 +0000

i very much enjoyed this.

though, i will say that the main critique that has hit home with me re: letterman (& my initial reaction was very similar to yours, and also jill’s at feministe) was that actually it is slightly idealistic to think that a boss-employee relationship – especially in a case where it seems like, as with letterman, this was NOT an unusual thing – does in fact only impact the people involved. i think there is an argument to be made that a boss (especially a male boss) repeatedly having even totally 100% consensual sex with (especially female) employees sets up an environment in which there may be an implicit assumption among female employees that sleeping with the boss is something they should aim for, or something they will be professionally discriminated against for not doing. so, yes, in that regard i think i have come around to thinking (mm love my decisiveness there) that actually what letterman did was probably ethically pretty dodgy, in that it is possible it wasn’t dodgy at all but the more i think about it, the less probable i find that possibility. anyway i do still think we have so little information about the situation it’s impossible to make a definite call either way (agnosticism: not just for religion anymore!). but i think i’ve changed where i place my bets.

but this is still so many leagues away from polanski, i can’t even deal right now with the fact that people are equating the too because it upsets me too much.

By: snobographer

snobographer — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:50:45 +0000

Maybe he fired her because he stepped on some gum on the carpet, which he assumed to be hers. Or maybe he fired her for stealing that $3 in mad money from Peggy’s locker.

Sady? Are you the reason I keep getting a ‘Service ‘Unavailable’ message when I try to go to Jezebel?