Welcome to the 21st exploration of the Planet of the Savage Strident DKos Feminist Supervixens!
This week: Madam/Mom Speaker.
"Feminist Supervixens" of every sex and gender are invited to participate in this feminists' circle. Our goal is to build a vibrant community of feminists here on Daily Kos. The emphasis here is on camaraderie and support, so if you're looking for an argument, we suggest that you go instead to room 12A, just along the corridor.
Previous "episodes" in this diary series have been written by hrh, with guest-host diaries from mem from somerville, Elise, righteousbabe, irishwitch, and aphra behn. Some more guest-hosts are waiting in the wings. Feminists who are interested in being a guest-host can email hrh at: feministsupervixens (AT) yahoo.com
This has been a great week for feminism. There will be more women in this new Congress than ever before - most of them Democrats.
If, as it looks right now, the new Speaker of the House is going to be Nancy Pelosi, she will be the highest-ranking woman in the US government - two heartbeats away from the Presidency.
According to a recent diary, Chris Matthews is already trotting out the sexist insults related to her voice.
Because what does a woman's voice sound like when it's the voice of command? To many people, as Tweety observed, it sounds like "fingernails on a chalkboard". We can guess that this is not only a sonic phenomenon, but a psychological one. The voice of a woman telling someone - particularly a man - what to do is perceived as unbeautiful and unpleasant. The same goes for the voice of a woman speaking out in public, loudly and clearly and assertively. Women who do this run the risk of being deemed "shrill", "strident", "grating", "abrasive". They may be called "harridan", "bitch", "witch" or worse. They go against the grain of what is considered appropriately feminine in this society. Our voices are supposed to be "ever soft, gentle and low", as nutty old King Lear would have it. Definitely not bossy. Only nagging wives/girlfriends and Moms are bossy.
Pelosi has made a joke about it, referring to her "mother-of-five voice". It's a funny joke, and apt, but I do wonder how many men in Congress or anywhere are going to tolerate the Mom Voice.
I was reminded of the many scathing attacks on Margaret Thatcher, that grand, commanding Warrior Mother figure. She really scared the shit out of people. Even liberals in the UK were calling her a "fishwife".
Much as I disliked Thatcher's politics, I did admire her style. There is a story that she once walked into a meeting of the heads of the EC, and announced: "Now, gentlemen, today I've only got time to lose my temper and get my way."
How about you, Supervixens? Tell us about your experiences being loud, assertive, bossy women and exercising your Voice of Command.