Is Obama a Misogynist ... ?

[french frank]

but who actually asked for the apology? It doesn't appear to have been Ms Harris.

It just says: "There was a quick reaction on social media sites, with some people accusing Mr. Obama of being sexist and others defending his comment as harmless."

Plus two women named who are both journalists.

[scottycelt]

It just says: "There was a quick reaction on social media sites, with some people accusing Mr. Obama of being sexist and others defending his comment as harmless."

Plus two women named who are both journalists.

I'm not sure about 'just says' but that again begs the question of why ... oh never mind!

[Padraig]

If you ask me there are too many demands for apology going on these days. So much so that an apology is no longer worth the paper it's written on. However, it does present opportunities for sincerity, humility, and even a wayward tear or two, as well as excuses for outrage, hurt pride and downright viciousness.
Sorry.

[amateur51]

It's good to see that while a few of our other deliberately provocative members have quit this spot of late, the gruesome twosome that is scotty & MrPee can be relied upon to post way outside their paygrade, as I understand the current argot has it

[Mr Pee]

It's good to see that while a few of our other deliberately provocative members have quit this spot of late, the gruesome twosome that is scotty & MrPee can be relied upon to post way outside their paygrade, as I understand the current argot has it

Thank you, as ever, for that helpful and insightful contribution.

[Padraig]

It's good to see that while a few of our other deliberately provocative members have quit this spot of late, the gruesome twosome that is scotty & MrPee can be relied upon to post way outside their paygrade, as I understand the current argot has it

A big grin does not quite undermine the suspected slur on unnamed members as well as direct unflattering comments on scotty and Mr Pee, both of whom come in for unfair treatment here.

[Serial_Apologist]

If you ask me there are too many demands for apology going on these days. So much so that an apology is no longer worth the paper it's written on. However, it does present opportunities for sincerity, humility, and even a wayward tear or two, as well as excuses for outrage, hurt pride and downright viciousness.
Sorry.

This reminded me; I should explain that my nom de plume on this forum is in part accounted for by one of my faults, as illustrated by the following exchange with a one-time girlfriend:

Me: I'm sorry
Her: You have nothing to apologise for - you're always on the defensive, always apologising when you have no need to.
Me: Sorry about that!
Her: There you go again!
Me: Er.....

[teamsaint]

This reminded me; I should explain that my nom de plume on this forum is in part accounted for by one of my faults, as illustrated by the following exchange with a one-time girlfriend:

Me: I'm sorry
Her: You have nothing to apologise for - you're always on the defensive, always apologising when you have no need to.
Me: Sorry about that!
Her: There you go again!
Me: Er.....
-

sorry to hear that, S-A.

[Serial_Apologist]

sorry to hear that, S-A.

[french frank]

I'm not sure about 'just says' but that again begs the question of why ... oh never mind!

My view: as soon as there's a 'story' lurking, some journalist will pop up and say: You seem to have caused a bit of a stir here, Mr President - will you be issuing an apology to the Attorney General?

And that's the point where anything you say will be criticised. They don't want a full explanation: they want a Yes or No.

[mercia]

I want to hear from all the other attorneys-general - have they taken it as a slur on them ? [are they all men ? ]
Dan Amira of New York Magazine says Mr Obama is very even-handed with his compliments - men, women, penguins - complimenting is a thing he likes to do apparently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22050548

[Flosshilde]

This comment seemed particularly true -

at the LA Times, Patt Morrison responds by asking: "How many times have women squirmed as they've had to listen to men make remarks like this, clumsy efforts at a compliment that wind up sounding embarrassing and even demeaning?" Insults can be easily challenged, she writes. "But a woman who tries to fend off an inapt compliment ... risks being critiqued as humorless, and more graceless than the man who made the remark."

so basically they're damned if they do, & damned if they don't.

[scottycelt]

This comment seemed particularly true -

at the LA Times, Patt Morrison responds by asking: "How many times have women squirmed as they've had to listen to men make remarks like this, clumsy efforts at a compliment that wind up sounding embarrassing and even demeaning?" Insults can be easily challenged, she writes. "But a woman who tries to fend off an inapt compliment ... risks being critiqued as humorless, and more graceless than the man who made the remark."

so basically they're damned if they do, & damned if they don't.

Not if they don't ... or at least they are only damned by the great humourless and graceless ones themselves. There is absolutely no evidence that Ms Harris even wanted to fend off the 'inapt remark'. I much prefer the rather more balanced account of Robin Abcarian of The Los Angeles Times.

While beauty may well lie in the eye of the beholder, the President merely noted that Ms Harris appeared to be better-looking than any other attorney-general. As far as I'm aware his comments have not been disputed, merely his right to express an opinion on the matter. He (Abcarian) then goes on to say that good looks are an obvious bonus in politics, particularly for women, who are happy to be found attractive but nonetheless don't want to be judged on that alone. That is perfectly true and justified, and the President was certainly not guilty on that count, praising Ms Harris for her many other attributes. I also do wonder if Kennedy, Clinton and Obama would ever have made it to the top job shorn of their comparatively youthful and handsome looks ... what do you think, Flossie?

I see Obama apologised to Ms Harris for 'the distraction' rather than his actual comments. While no doubt those awful Republicans will be sniggering with uncontrolled glee, and exploiting every possible aspect of the President's situation, it is quite clear that much (if not all) of this 'distraction' is coming from some of his natural supporters, as the article itself states. Some of these will work in the media and be journalists and bloggers and are obviously not at all happy that their Main Man should suddenly let the side down and become so 'insulting' by complimenting a female colleague on her 'good looks'.

Of course, so-called 'sexism' in the beauty stakes can work both ways ... as once noted by everyone's favourite newspaper.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2180448/How-Thatcher-adored-useless-pretty-faces-despite-reservations-colleagues.html

[amateur51]

Of course, so-called 'sexism' i

If you were a woman, what would you call it, scotty?

Ooooops, category-error, requiring use of imagination

Drop the mocking inverted commas, Big Boy

[french frank]

I quite agree with you, scotty, that people with an axe to grind like to cause a stir. I rather felt that about the title of your thread and the thread itself .

I don't take the feminist line at all: I simply feel that to make statements in public about someone's personal appearance is bad manners.