Offender: Huffington Post

Media Outlet: Huffington Post website

The Offense: Who Has the Best Chest in Hollywood? (Photos, Poll), posted 9/26/09

NOW's Analysis: The Huffington Post exposes its tabloid side in this cheesy and insulting poll. Readers are invited to look at photos of women celebrities in which their breasts are prominently featured and then rate them on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is "gross" and 10 is "gorgeous" -- seriously, this is not a joke.

Yes, the Internet is full of this kind of exploitative, sexist junk, but shouldn't we expect better from the Huffington Post? The website links to a previous contest where readers voted on men's chests, but that's just a little different, don't you think? Women are constantly judged and rated on their physical assets and sex appeal, and the Huffington Post really doesn't need to be in the business of encouraging this practice. Not to mention, how old was the grade school boy who devised the rating scale? The use of the word "gross" is so degrading and juvenile that the folks at Huffington Post should be embarassed.

Take Action: Write to Huffington Post and tell them to stop exploiting women. You can also post a comment under the story itself (but you have to have an account).

Lisa Bennett, NOW Communications Director, September 28, 2009

More offenders in : Objectification of Women, Sexist Piggery, Internet, Media Hall of Shame

Rank this item with our Misogyny Meter: Currently 3.10/5 1 2 3 4 5 i

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Offender: One-A-Day Teen Advantage Vitamins

Media Outlet: Commercials airing nationwide and products on store shelves

The Offense: Bayer, the maker of One-A-Day Teen Advantage, is peddling sex-specific vitamins that claim to promote healthy muscle function for him (in a blue and green box) and healthy skin for her (in a pink and orange box).

NOW's Analysis: According to the One-A-Day website, among the the "top health concerns of moms and teens" are the fact that teenage girls need to have healthy (read: aesthetically pleasing) skin, while teenage boys should have healthy muscle function. In case potential consumers aren't picking up the difference, the vitamins come in color-coordinated boxes, the pills themselves have been dyed pink or blue, and "for Her" and "for Him" appear on the boxes in fonts that were clearly chosen to convey feminine or masculine vibes.

In reality, most of the actual ingredients of the two products are the same, working toward the same ends: supporting a healthy immune system, bone strength and energy. The issue here is not the contents of the pills, but rather the way in which these differences are marketed. The message sent to girls is that looks are paramount, and by contrast, their own strength is unnecessary or irrelevant. Likewise, boys are encouraged to be active and adventurous -- there's even a Major League Baseball logo on the boys' box, while the girls' box features a breast cancer awareness ribbon. But, why shouldn't girls be concerend with having healthy muscles? And surely boys would like healthy skin, too, right?

While having sex-based differences in nutrition is understandable -- women typically need more iron, for example -- the method of packaging and advertising that Bayer employs is insulting. Not to mention, promoting these sex stereotypes to girls and boys during their teenage years lays a foundation for a lifetime of buying into rigid gender roles.

Take Action: Write to One-A-Day Vitamins and Bayer and tell them what you think.

Jess Hobbs, NOW Communications Team, September 10, 2009

More offenders in : Media Activism, Advertising, Objectification of Women, Television, Internet

Rank this item with our Misogyny Meter: Currently 2.73/5 1 2 3 4 5 i

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Offender: Meredith Vieira and Andrea Mitchell on the Today Show

Media Outlet: NBC, airing on 8/11 and 8/12/09

Offense: Two mornings in a row the Today show focused on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's feisty response to a question about President Obama that reportedly was mis-translated into an inquiry about her husband's opinion on a policy matter. Anchor Meredith Vieira claimed that "some" were speculating that Clinton was either jetlagged or "jealous" of her husband, while correspondent Andrea Mitchell added that Clinton was "having a bad hair day."

NOW's Analysis: Ok, so we gave the guys at The Washington Post a hard time for their stupid beer video. Which means the folks at the Today show really deserve to be called out for their coverage of Hillary Clinton's recent trip to Africa. Rather than focus on the serious issues that Clinton was addressing on her trip -- including the use of rape as a weapon of war in Congo -- the Today show chose instead to concentrate on Clinton's response that she would be happy to speak for herself, thank you very much, because Bill Clinton isn't secretary of state.

Leave it to the mainstream media to emphasize this trivial drama and Clinton's hair over an important subject such as the ongoing epidemic of sexual violence against women in eastern Congo. Instead of doing their viewers a service by informing them about this critical issue, the powers that be at Today preferred to distract them with empty chatter.

The sad thing is, Andrea Mitchell even acknowledged that Clinton was going to be meeting with rape survivors later that day, and that she had already traveled to seven countries and given 22 speeches -- yet Mitchell just couldn't resist that "bad hair day" dig. Why exactly was it crucial to comment on Clinton's hair? We'd love to hear the reason. Vieira wrapped up the segment by saying that Clinton's response represented a "big bump in the road." Seriously?!

Plus, on the second day of trying to turn this misunderstanding into a political crisis, NBC's Ann Curry and Vieira admitted it was sad that the media were focusing on this angle of this story. Wait a minute . . . These women must have some decision-making clout at the Today show, right? Vieira is co-anchor and Curry's been there forever. They don't just do the segments the producers tell them to and read the words the writers draft, or do they? These women must have some power to help determine the news they report, and they should be capable of doing a far better job.

Take Action: Write to Meredith Vieira and urge her to cover some real news instead of jumping on any chance to bash Hillary. We've heard that other media, not surprisingly, also chose not to focus on the reason for Clinton's trip to Africa. Please write or call any media outlet you observe demonstrating sexism in its coverage of women while refusing to cover women's rights issues in depth. You can look up individual media contact info here. Finally, read about the crisis in Congo -- the story that many media outlets are ignoring in favor of meaningless "controversy" coverage.

Lisa Bennett, NOW Communications Director, August 13, 2009

More offenders in : Objectification of Women, Violence Against Women, Television, Media Hall of Shame

Rank this item with our Misogyny Meter: Currently 3.33/5 1 2 3 4 5 i

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