I still have a love-hate relationship with Megyn Kelly. She’s capable of such witticism, intelligence and dare I say, good journalism. But she’s also a conservative shill with a complicated relationship with… most things. Especially feminism. Megyn is still shilling her book, Settle For More, all about the crap she’s been through in the past few years, with Roger Ailes (who sexually harassed her) and Donald Trump (who also harassed her and targeted her publicly as one of his enemies). But even though Megyn will stand up for women and some women’s issues, she still refuses to identify as a feminist because, in her words, that would “alienate half the women in the country.” I think that bothered me so much because I actually think she’s right – if she identified as a feminist, half the country would hate her. And that sucks. Anyway, Megyn has some other ideas about those mean ol’ feminists. She thinks feminists… did something to Melania Trump…?
Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly’s relationship with feminism is …complicated, to say the least. “My problem with the word feminist is that it’s exclusionary and alienating,” she wrote in her recently published memoir, Settle for More. But many of Kelly’s own beliefs could be considered “feminist:” She defended maternity leave on air, stood up to sexist attacks, and grilled Donald Trump’s campaign manager on his sexist comments. And, in an interview for Net-a-Porter’s Porter magazine scheduled to hit newsstands December 2, Kelly again played into her illusory identity of a feminist icon by defending Melania Trump.
“She’s been subjected to some really staunch feminism, and I’ve been really offended on her behalf,” Kelly told the magazine. (It’s unclear whether Kelly meant to say “staunch sexism,” or what “staunch feminism” means; we emailed the editors of Porter to ask for clarification and they confirmed the quote is correct.)
Kelly went on, “The New York Times called her a trophy wife and a mannequin, which is f-ed up and really offensive. Just because she’s gorgeous doesn’t mean you get to dismiss her. She speaks I think five languages. She’s a mother. She’s a supportive wife. She’s an entrepreneur. I don’t know how successful her businesses are, but she’s out there trying. Screw them for saying that.”
Here’s what’s wrong with this: everything. As a feminist, I wanted Melania and Ivanka Trump to show signs of life, signs that they understood that Donald Trump’s words and actions were and are unacceptable. And as a feminist, I was disappointed in what they said and did, not how they looked. The feminist critique of Melania isn’t based on her looks, it’s based on her words and actions, or her lack of words and actions. Every step of the way, she cosigned her husband’s politics and behavior, whether it was defending the “grab them by the p-ssy” tape, or justifying her husband’s fascist rhetoric and denying that he could and should be compared to Adolf Hitler. But there I go, subjecting Melania to my staunch feminism. WTF does that even mean?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
She’s an idiot and I will never like her because she’s also a racist. Next.
Please that woman is a trophy wife who would not be married to Trump if he was 50 thousand a year Trump. I still believe she came to this country as an escort under the guise of a model. She’s not bright at all and I bet she brings nothing to the table as first lady. Did Michelle even say anything about her after their meeting? Something like she’s a smart intelligent woman.
I may be crediting Melania with too much intelligence here, but I think she came a way from that meeting with Michelle and said…”Wow, I got nothin'”. Hence, no move to the White House and no attempt to be a First Lady, not just this year, not ever.
Trump only picks young beautiful women to be his wives and doesn’t expect anything out of them except to be quiet and look beautiful. That’s the definition of a trophy wife. I expect her to be gone once he leaves the White House and moves on to the next young thing that catches his eye (and yes a big EWWWWW!).
I meant Megan Kelly but sure Melania is waiting till she can flee. I wish she wouldn’t do it on taxpayer money though.
Agreed. If Melania is a good this and a great that, well then step up to the plate ma’am. Show the world what you got. Wow me. Don’t worry, I’ll wait.
It’s ironic that Megyn Kelly denies being a feminist when she seems to be the poster child for problematic white feminism. Very me first. Very don’t criticize me. Very don’t criticize my white girls. Crickets on everything else. GTFOH Megyn.
Ashamed 2 b–that’s an interesting thought and I think you are right. Michelle probably told her, in the most general terms, about the job of FLOTUS and Melania thought, I can’t do this. Can’t and won’t. So she’s hiding behind her son, apparently forgetting that Mrs. Obama had two even younger children. I’m sure Michelle was her gracious, well-spoken self and MT just can’t compare.
Melathingya is a vacuous puppet. Makes me physically ill. Did she ever admit she STOLE from Ms Obama? Apologize? Soulless fembot and I’m almost thrilled her escort arse won’t be in the White House- save for the fact Her towered clositering will cost taxpayers one million per day!!!!
Melania is unfit to be FLOTUS:
She is uneducated. She lied about her US visa ( too many discrepancies). She and Trump lied about how they met. They claim to meet in November 1998 – “after” he separated from Marla Maples. Fact is, he met her much earlier and helped her get magazine cover photo shoots. But that would mean he was cheating on Marla, so the whole fake meeting at the Kit Kat club story was staged and a later meeting date was invented.
Melania was already in her mid-20s when she came to the US. That is way too old to establish a professional career as a model in the US. How did an unknown model get magazine covers? On her own? Nope – with Trump’s help – well before 1998 when Marla was still his wife.
Melania claimed to have her own apartment in New York. Models in New York all share apartments with other models. Rent is too expensive. Yet Melania was able to afford her own place. Strange.
But Eastern European women were working as escorts in New York, meeting rich men who took care of them financially. The whole story of how and when they met is a farce. She was Trump’s mistress during his marriage to Marla.
Melania’s says whatever Trump or his campaign want her to say. She supports him blindly. This includes many, many lies. She has no integrity. She does not belong in the White House and neither does Trump.
Thanks to staunch femisim, we can confidently assert that she would be a dishonest moron in any gender.
I feel like “staunch feminism” is the news anchor Barbie way of saying “feminazi”
Yep Shambles, probably so. She learned her new post Trump dogwhistles in a hurry. I have no use for this woman or any of Fox News’ Aryan Nation blonde fembots.
WHICH ONE YOU TALKING ABOUT BOTH ARE CLOSED RACISTS
I bet the “five languages” that she speaks are as true as her “Architectural Degree” 😉
So what. She’s boring in multiple languages.
But she WAS a mannequin. Models act as mannequins to display clothes. And how is pointing that out “staunch feminism?”
Yeah, I think she’s just toeing the GOP anti-feminist party line so that she can sell more books. Just a guess.
Oh come on, that is a stretch. Calling her a model is one thing, it is respectfully acknowledging her job. A mannequin implies that she isn’t even human and has no brains. It was a total dis.
What a load of crap. Kaiser is right on talking about all the things Melania co-signed by staying silent. She also lied about a lot of her accomplishments and plagiarized, and deserve to be called out on them. That’s called truth in journalism, not “staunch feminism.”
Also, rather than worry about alienating the other half, why not use it as an opportunity to educate them? They should be feminists too, and if Megyn would start standing up and saying “yes I am, you should be too, and here’s why”, maybe some of those women would get on board as well. She’s contributing to the problem on one hand, but trying to have an image as a strong intelligent woman on the other.
Here Here! If she were to stand up and educate those that do follow her, then it would make the country a better place & I’d have loads more respect for her.
I couldn’t agree more. Staunch feminists would argue that Melania can do what she wishes with her life. And then they might call her out for plagiarizing and not calling her husband out on his blatantly sexist attitude.
If 50% of these women are horrified about feminism, I don’t want them in my club. . And please, Melania deserves all the shit coming her way. Tighten up that pussy bow, there’s turbulence ahead!
If the shoe were on the other foot, we never would have heard the end of the “illegal alien escort scandal”. Give me a freakin’ break. And if I hear one more person say “feminist” like it’s a dirty word, my head will explode. I owe my current identity to feminists, they were crucial to my development (even if you want to call it flawed white-girl feminism).
Enough already.
Staunch feminism. Staunch. feminism. I know those two words, but together and from Megan Kelly’s mouth, I just don’t know what she means. Still not sure if I should be offended or proud?
I am a nasty woman, and a staunch feminist. Has a nice ring to it.
I am a staunch feminist as well, detritus. And the idea of using the word “feminism” as some kind of negative quality that a woman can be subjected to is just ignorant. It’s like saying poor Melania has been “subjected to” equal rights. So now I know what an idiot Megan Kelly is.
Whenever I think Megyn Kelly is sounding reasonable and smart, she does something like this.
It’s crazy, because she fights for women’s rights. The internal dissonance she must have shdm
I’ve been subjected to some staunch feminism, too. As a result, I have a career, equal pay, and birth control. Staunch feminism rules.
t.fanty, you’re on fire today!
I think more people should be identifying as staunch feminists.
Like honestly, both those words stand for awesome things, and staunch gives it a very Winston Churchill strong vibe.
AMEN
Right. Feminism isn’t on a scale–you either believe men and women are equal or you do not.
The idea that feminism could be staunch (or…what, wavering?) is rather ridiculous and speaks to someone who doesn’t really understand the term to begin with.
She’s made her entire platform about how she isn’t a feminist, except she is.
She wants to position feminists as the scary ‘other’. The man haters, which she – the indomitable Megyn Kelly, is most definitely not.
If you notice, she says staunch, a very masculine sounding word, to identify bad feminism. Manly feminism. Bringing up the idea of those angry bull dykes. Which plays directly into the political commentary of the right, where feminists are man-hating lesbians. She’s crazy like a damn fox.
It’s really messed up. I can’t help but think that Megyn is a feminist at heart (sort of, I believe she thinks she is the equal to any man). She has sold her soul and her gender out to succeed, which in the end includes selling out her morals. I don’t think Megyn is loyal to anything except herself.
@deritus
You nailed it! Exactly
To me, those two words aren’t even the real problem because I know what she’s referring to but “subjected”? STFU. How can you be subjected to equality???
I don’t see how calling Melania Trump a trophy wife is terrible. The fact that the orange pig married her is proof that this is exactly what she is. He wouldn’t marry anyone else but a woman who’s willing to be a trophy wife. Maybe Ivanka if she wasn’t his daughter. …. This is not a good topic for Mondays.
I sincerely from the very bottom of my heart hate that somehow men have tricked women into betraying other women. Granted it’s inevitable because for some women to succeed they need to buy in to the norms currently in place. Enter Megyn and all other ‘cool girls’. Megyn takes cool girl to a whole new level because of her platform and exposure.
Cool girls don’t want to subject men to equality, they’d rather talk about how they are cool and better, and how most women still suck. They don’t want us to subject women to equality because then we take away their pedestal.
Feminism is “exclusionary”? WTF? It’s the exact opposite.
What a moron.
Lol, it can be sometimes, but generally not to pretty white ladies. Also, she needs to look up the definition of intersectionalism before I will accept her criticism on that front.
The sad part is that if she wanted to take apart ‘feminism’ as she sees it, the tools are there for a decent critique. She just completely dropped the ball because she doesn’t even understand the basics.
Megyn Kelly wasn’t around and perhaps does not know that we still do not have an equal rights amendment. It never got the required votes.
Thanks largely to Phyllis Schlafley who travelled around the country, making potloads of money, telling women to stay home and be Stepford wives. And UNISEX BATHROOMS!!!😱😱😱 The horror! Just another Repub hypocrite-“do as I say, while I’ll do anything I want to.”
Yes: I was a proud nasty woman, and now I am a proud nasty woman, and a staunch feminist. I can live with that.
I don’t think that word means what she thinks it means.
Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
I remember a MTV show where Trump and Melania were on. It was an interview that ended with the host asked Trump to spin for them to show off what he was wearing. He told Melania to spin and she did. Sorry that bit earned Melania the title trophy wife.
Didn’t MK defend maternity leave only after SHE needed it?
Yup. She criticized maternity leave before she had children. As soon as she had a baby, maternity leave was an unalienable right.
This is why I can’t stand her and I’m sick of people giving her a pass because “she’s not that bad”. She is so f*cking self-serving. Oh, and don’t forget RACIST.
She’s legitimately one of the most dangerous.
She’s smart, ambitious and does not GAF about who she runs over.
She didn’t support the women against Ailes until it because politically beneficial.
She is too fucking smart to play for the wrong team, it makes her so, so scary. Smart bigots are the worst because they can sometimes convince other people they are right.
Haha Megan Kelly doesn’t know what words mean or how to use them correctly.
I staunchly feminize this statement.
I think I get what she is saying but I don’t agree with her.
My co-worker doesn’t identify as a feminist. She says for her and others feminism in their eyes judges women who are ‘submissive’ and ‘compliant’ instead of feminism being more about respecting that every women has their choice about how they would like to be (be it a ’50s housewives or a working, outspoken, independent women).
But feminism doesn’t mean we blindly support all women and not criticize when they do something wrong.
I’m a feminist and spent over a decade as a housewife. I’m independent, outspoken and a hard worker. Those things didn’t disappear when I was at home taking care of my family. It is kind of offensive to suggest an either or dichotomy.
This. I presently stay at home to care for my children. It is actually a valid choice in the same way that choosing to continue to work is and it doesn’t mean I’m any less intelligent or a feminist.
The irony of the ’50s housewife’ is the fact that it was an invention promoted to encourage women back home from the jobs they’d held during the war.
It’s been one of the more successful cons alongside red-suited santa and a solitaire diamond engagement ring.
Advertising, such as it was during the wars, was all about the strong capable woman with economic power who could go out to work just like men as famously captured by the poster below which was about sent during the war :
http://www.adweek.com/files/imagecache/node-blog/blogs/rosie-the-riveter-hed-2013.jpg
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosie_the_Riveter
History shows that this type of advertising, particularly Rosie the riveter proved such a success that women went to work in their millions, even if they were getting paid much less than men.
Post war, women were bombarded with images of suzie homemaker housewife to extent it amounts to brianwashing/gaslighting to the opposite effect. Adverts used were the reverse of what had been advertised during the wars. Very few, if at all, showed women as capable in any other sphere except the home or selling grooming services.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=1950s+advert&client=tablet-android-samsung&prmd=ivsn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiCm_axj93QAhXHiSwKHSgODOoQ_AUIBygB&biw=768&bih=1024#tbm=isch&q=1950s+advert+housewife
It’s amazing how much that gaslighting took because people will actually defend this mythical time in women’s lives. A gaslighting in service of taking jobs away from women and giving them to returning service men.
It’s no coincidence that the second wave of feminism happened almost immediately because women refused to take it.
The 1950s housewife is as mythical a creation as the utopian past that all politicians invoke when trying to win elections.
LAK that was SO interesting! I didn’t know a lot of that, so thanks for posting.
Exactly. I’d like to add that this was also something for families who could afford it. The “housewife” with “no job”. My mother, who’s nearing 70, says she grew up with “working women” in her family. By that she means 1) a household with kids was NOT what it is today, it was actual physical labor (no washing machine, cooking with a fire stove, etc. etc.) and 2) many women either helped out in the family business (in the case of my grandparents a furniture store for which my grandfather made the furniture and my grandmother ran the store) or did similar things that weren’t considered “jobs”. This idea of the man working while the woman stays at home (and ostensibly only does a little housework here and there) is a myth.
Well said!!! +1
How the hell is one “subjected” to feminism? It’s not bullying.
“When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.”
True feminism means recognising your privilege as well. I think that is the part Megyn has issues with.
How is it an accomplishment for Melania to speak several languages when she grew up in a country that speaks 8 official languages and probably more unofficial ones?
Agreed but the people who voted for Trump don’t know that and/or don’t care. Sound bites like that sound impressive and that’s all that matters in this day and age. Grr.
And I technically can speak at least 2 because I know how to say hello/goodbye in Italian, Spanish, French, etc. Speaking a language can mean many things. I speak it, but am not fluent in languages other than English (my bad really as I have a brother fluent in Spanish).
There are languages we speak at home, languages we speak officially and languages we speak for business.
Very few countries have the same language for all 3. Britain is one of those countries because English is one of the languages used in all 3 situations unless the Brits in question gave a different ethnic heritage.
What 8 official languages? Slovenes I know that grew up in Yugoslavia speak Slovenian and Croatian ( Serbian, Bosnian). The other languages she speaks arent really because of the country she grew up in. And people in Yugoslavia rarely knew all the languages that were spoken in Yugoslavia. Pretty much everyone knew Croatian/Bosnian/Serbian, but the others were only spoken by native speakers.
Firstly, you missed my larger point that her speaking several languages isn’t an accomplishment when she comes from a country that has several languages as official languages.
That doesn’t mean i expect her to speak every single one fluently, just that i expect her to speak several languages as a minimum to a varying degree, a point you later make that everyone speaks 3 different languages at minimum.
Re:8 official languages, that information comes from official guide books to the country. According to your own official pages, Slovene is the official language, then you have Serbian, Croatian, Romani as the main immigrant languages, and finally Hungarian, Italian, German, English as the taught foreign languages.
Given those options, i’d assume that she speaks/understands Slovene, has an understanding of the next 3, and since she speaks English, was either taught or self taught it.
In my experience, Europeans tend to speak several languages even if they aren’t formally taught said languages.
Therefore in her case, it’s not an accomplishment.
Those languages are languages of minorities that are spoken by minorities. Hardly anyone apart from the Roma speak Romani lamguages. Yes, she might have gotten more exposure, which made it a bit easier, but not much.
This is such a weird argument. By that account everyone in the US should speak Spanish.
And the example of Lupita is not good because the situation in Kenya is completely different from the one in former Yugoslavia.
Only Slovenian is an official language in the whole of Slovenia. There are only 2 minorities with official languages in the country, Italian and Hungarian, but they are geographically limited, and she does not come from the right area (she’s from Sevnica) to be taught or even exposed to them “naturally”. In school she would be taught (then) Serbo-Croatian and 1 or 2 other foreign languages (usually English, German or French). Perhaps Latin if she went to a specific highschool, but not to the point of fluency. You can have Romany language in the schools with Romany children but this does not affect the rest of the population.
Whatever languages she speaks, they are not the result of her background. However I doubt she speaks many languages fluently. Her English is barely sufficient and her Slovenian is surprisingly bad. I can imagine she counted Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian as three languages (many people here do that) while in truth she speaks a mixture of those and weirdly-stressed Slovenian. Which is zero fluently, really.
I don’t believe she can speak many languages. That’s another rumor put out there to make her seen intelligent, along with the university of Slovenia b.s.
Oh, thank the heavens, it’s not just me who believes this. She can barely put a sentence together in English, I doubt she speaks 5 languages fluently.
She may be able to speak 5 languages but she really needs to concentrate on her English. It’s terrible. She’s been here 20 years and she still sounds like Borat.
Melania SAID she can speak five languages, according to Kelly. But MT also said she’d graduated college with a degree in architecture. Which was a lie.
And that she’d written her speech herself. Which was a lie.
And that she’d entered the U.S. and didn’t work, according to the rules of her particular visa. Which was a lie.
So she speaks five languages? Really?…Until she proves it, it’s a lie.
I’m trying to give the woman the benefit of the doubt even if she is lying.
Coming from her country, it’s not hard to speak more than one language. Whether she speaks 5 may be questioned, but we can at least give her English however bad her accent and whatever language(s) she speaks from her birth country.
LAK, her birth country gave her exactly one native language (Slovenian). In school she would have learnt the mixture of Serbian and Croatian, a language that literally does not exist anymore, therefore she cannot be fluent in either of these two unless she took care of this, which I doubt because nobody did. And later she would learn one or two languages in school, depending what school she went to, but at least one of those not to the fluent level. She is not from an area where she would be exposed to the languages of minorities.
I’m slightly younger than her and we speak on average one foreign language (with different degrees of knowledge) and that mixture of Serbian and Croatian. No way she can get 5 languages from her environment by being a Slovenian from Sevnica.
I doubt she speaks 5 languages fluently. She probably knows bits of them or she took some classes. But that’s not the same as being able to read a book in a foreign language or have a debate. I mean, hearing her English, a language she’s used for what, 20 years?, being this bad, she’s no natural for languages.
So when the Squinty One is legitimately criticized for say, plagiarizing a speech or dismissing her husband’s sexism etc, it’s bad, but you can basically suggest that Hilary Clinton has had people killed (and this is an actual thing that has been said since the first time she was FLOTUS), and it is fair game.
Megyn Kelly’s hypocrisy is staggering. But unsurprising.
+1,000,000
Am I being more than usually dim? I don’t understand: if I were called a “staunch feminist” I’d be chuffed to bits. Does she think it’s an insult?
The whole frigging world has gone completely barmy.
“The feminist critique of Melania isn’t based on her looks…”
And yet she was called a mannequin (which you conveniently ignored).
Have some Tic Tacs, honey.
Eh. “Mannequin” is often used to describe one’s stiff posture. Would “statue” be better/less offensive?
Because does not come across as an animated, warm woman a la Michelle Obama…she just kind of stands by Trump’s side like a…well, like a mannequin.
*shrugs*
“*SHE does not come across”. Sorry…need coffee.
Or a trophy wife. Who she is the very definition of being.stands by her man, looking pretty, supports whatever he does. Doesn’t offer opinions of her own. I don’t see how that’s being sexist to call it what it is. If that’s what she wants to be, fine. But let’s not pretend she’s more than what she is becaus Donnie is about to become President. That’s not dircted toward you, kitten, just a general statement
Well that’s the thing, Snowflake, on the other side of the fence we have men and women who are practically heralding this woman for being attractive and “classy”.
Melania hasn’t accomplished anything yet and let’s face it, she likely will not as she seems to be entirely uninterested in the FLOTUS role, yet she is already being praised by Trump’s fan base for merely looking the way she does.
Important to note that some of these people are the same ones who criticized Michelle based on her skin color and appearance.
@Kitten. I don’t see classy, attractive, or glamourous. I see a hard as nails, pulled and tweaked typical Real Housewife.
I see hard and selfish.
Mannequin? Pshaw. I prefer “marionette”.
If she meant sexism l, I completely agree with her ( I can’t believe I’m saying this). Melania has been subjected to very harsh sexism and misogyny, and not to mention xenophobia. She wouldnt be called the things she’s been called were she not Eastern European (ish) and a former glamour model. Let’s not kid ourselves, she would not be called a mail order bride or a prostitute if she was French, or Canadian.
And that is sad because it takes attention from the real things she should be criticised for.
She wouldn’t be called these things if her husband, whom she supports, didn’t call others the same. It’s, merely, pointing out that her husband’s vile words and accusations apply to her. Holding up a mirror, that’s all. If she were French or Canadian, it would be the same.
Hillary was subjected to very harsh sexism and misogyny; not Mrs. Trump…and, it was much more insidious (the misogyny toward HRC).
So because Trump uses that kind a rhetoric it makes it okay for others to do it too? You sound like one of his supporters.
And it would not be the same was she Canadian.
@Locke Lamora
“So because Trump uses that kind a rhetoric it makes it okay for others to do it too? You sound like one of his supporters.”
A la guerre comme à la guerre. You have your style; I have mine. I have no interest in pussyfooting around. I have no interest in PC. I, SURE AS HELL, know what feminism is and am, 1 trillion%, a feminist. Equal opportunity for all… including Mrs. Trump.
@Locke Lamora
FTR, I NEVER, once, called Mrs. Trump a “mail order bride or a prostitute”, but, I have no problem with others calling her that, if, in fact, that’s what she is. No problem in calling men out, either. Facts are facts.
I’ve called her out on being as cutthroat, mendacious, dangerous, Janus-faced, hypocritical, repulsive and self-serving as the rest of that family.
But she’s neither. She was a model who got into a relationship with a wealthy man. Eventhough prostitution is defined by having sex for money or other benefits, it normally excludes partners in a monogamous relationships. There are different words for that. And she surely wasn’t a mail order bride.
I agree to some extent. Some of the criticism is absolutely sexist (the shaming for her pictures, for example), but others are legitimate. She is a trophy wife. She married a deplorable man many years her age for security and money. And she continues to defend her money .. er, her husband … even when she knows his actions are indefensible (i.e. Pu$$y gate). She has lied about her accomplishments (or allowed her husband to lie about her accomplishments, which to me is the same).
Just because a woman is called out for being a crappy person, that does not make it sexism.
I don’t believe feminists shamed her for the pictures but quite rightly called out the GOP hypocrisy for defending them. Republicans who said these pictures meant nothing (which I agree with) are the same people who were furious because Michelle Obama showed her arms. And the same people shaming women for being on birth control, having an abortion, heck having sex that isn’t between and married man and woman.
100% agree with everything else you have said.
@NastyWoman
“Just because a woman is called out for being a crappy person, that does not make it sexism.”
EXACTLY
@Louisa
+1
I didnt say she shouldnt be called out for being a crappy person. And I agree about the hypocrisy of republicans. Yet people are not callimg her out solely for that. They are callin her out for her ethnicity amd proffesion. I stil think that calling her a mail order bride and prostitute is xenophobic and misogynistic.
Eh. She had a choice about placing herself in that scenario.
And if she didn’t – well, I suggest getting the hell out of that marriage. She may not have known what he was when she married him. But she has no excuse now.
How does one place himself in a scenario where he is a recipient of sexist and xenophobic slurs?
“Melania has been subjected to very harsh sexism and misogyny,”
No kidding! His name is Trump.
Perfect.
I had a moment of respect for her when she stood up to Trump and Newt. Then she releases her book after the election, typical. She still is and will always be a Fox girl with no substance.
This^^
Pleeeeeaaaase …. Ofc, this self serving asshole has nothing to say about the torrent of insults Michelle Obama received from day 1 as a black woman.
Regarding Melania, well, she is no angel after all….
Yeah, what’s up with that? Like Nancy said, fox girl all the way. She’ll put forth this image of a rebel, goes against the rules, but she always lines back up with the Fox News crew. Obama and Michelle had to put up with so much racism and they didn’t get the poor you treatment from Megan. But cause Trump ran under the Republican ticket, now we are supposed to toe and normalize them.well, eff that. Would y’all say that’s an example of white privelege? Or do you think it’s more of a he’s the next President, we have to come together? Were was all this come together stuff when Obama took office?
White privilege definitely plays a huge part here. On some feminist website, I have already seen more defense of Melania than Michelle in 8 years. Anti-racist activists often defended MO but (white) feminists were nowhere to be found.
The mere fact that people wonder if Megyn is a feminist when she actively works against woc is peak white feminism as its finest
Not so alienating as being classified with criminals and the insane.
But hey, poor trump.
Entrepreneur? What on earth has Melania’s done that makes her an entrepreneur?!
married Trump.
So Hillary isn’t a feminist because she cosigned her husbands behavior?
“I actually think she’s right – if she identified as a feminist, half the country would hate her.”
We already do.
I think Megyn used the wrong term, but she does have a point about the NYT piece. Did anyone else bother to go read it? It’s from September 2015, so you have to keep in mind that at this point we really knew nothing about her – she hadn’t committed plaguarism or defended the pussy grabber. Quotes include:
“At his feet his future wife, a woman striking in her beauty and docility”
“the passive role played by the candidate’s wife, one seeming to predate gender equality, in an embrace of values from an era when a potential first lady might be less likely to have served as her husband’s former law firm mentor (as Michelle Obama once was) than his carpet ornament.”
Why don’t we see her [more often in the campaign]? “Republicans take a traditional view of marriage and she is not a traditional spouse.”
“Asked whether Mrs. Trump is likely to make a proper first lady, Ms. Kramer paused for a beat before responding, ‘I don’t think we vote for the first lady.’ ”
The NYT was attacking her for being passive and docile and assumed that meant she was less equal. As a feminist I have a problem with that. 3rd wave feminism – gender rights means having the choice to do whatever you want without your gender being an issue. Gender shouldn’t be an issue if you’re a successful lawyer; gender shouldn’t be an issue if you’re a nude-model turned stay-at-home parent. So Megyn got it the wrong way around. The problem wasn’t the NYT being too staunchly feminist, the problem was the NYT tossing around ancient stereotypes about women and “proper” behaviour. The NYT were being sexist.
I’m having trouble here because I’m not detecting any lies in the NYT quotes you posted. She IS a seemingly docile, stand-by-your man type of woman, no? I’m not saying that’s bad…but very typical of the “Family Values Party”. If you recall, Laura Bush wasn’t too different–she didn’t accomplish much nor did she seek to accomplish much in her role as First Lady.
It’s Melania’s right to take a submissive, passive role of course, but when you are proceeding a woman like M. Obama, people will inevitably compare, fair or not.
Really the only criticisms about Melania that have bothered me are the ones that slut-shame her. That, and I think we could ease up on the criticisms of her face. No need to get personal, plenty of other stuff to pick on.
The description is accurate, it’s the tone I have a problem with – it seemed to me like the NYT was implying there’s something wrong with being passive or docile. If there had been just one or two things I probably wouldn’t have noticed anything wrong. None of them are particularly bad. There were just so many of them, they added up into something quite problematic.
For example, I have an issue with the NYT asking some random if they thought Melania would be a “proper” first lady. If Fox News had asked that about Michelle (9 years ago), we’d all assume it was racist dog-whistle implying that she couldn’t possibly be proper, right? Journos don’t just ask completely random questions. It must’ve been in their mind that someone might say “no, Melania isn’t a fit candidate for First Lady” or they wouldn’t have asked the question. Back in 2015, what reason did the NYT have to go there? The only reason they might think she would be improper is: she’s too passive or she modelled naked. What’s wrong with either of those?
Comparing her to Laura Bush makes sense. But would you think it fair to say Laura reflected an era that “predated gender equality”? Was she comparatively retiring because she was playing out a certain gender role or was it just her specific personality that made her that way? I find it sort of sexist for the NYT to jump to the conclusion Melania doesn’t have gender equality because it disregards her as a person (with a personality) and just assumes her behaviour is due to her gender (role).
Also, while it makes sense to compare her to Michelle and to Trump’s previous wives, NYT also compared her to a “carpet ornament” a “mannequin” and “any number of trophy spouses in New York, Palm Beach and Paris”. Those are distinctly gendered stereotypes. If we were talking about a First Gentleman, would NYT have used those phrases? They also quoted another random who described Melania as “not bitchy”. Not their word choice, but they chose to use the quote.
Plenty more examples, but like I said, nothing terribly bad, just a lot of little things that add up into an article with a nasty sexist slant.
The truth hurts. It’s not about gender-rights, doing what you choose. It’s about making a freaking doormat of yourself, voiceless and powerless, while married to a raging, domineering, sexist, misogynistic autocrat. This choice is abominable for human beings or other creatures.
It’s really not that complicated. You either believe in the total equality between all sexes and genders or you don’t. Will we ever stop being afraid of that word? Will we ever be able to fully embrace it and all the things that it represents?
I know, wtf is wrong with saying you’re a feminist? Imo, if you believe in equal pay for equal work, the right to vote, you’re a feminist. Whether you want to call yourself that or not. Yes, some feminists might be too hardcore for you or you don’t agree with everything they say, but in your actions and beliefs many women are feminists. If you call yourself a Christian but you don’t agree with everything your pastor said, does that make you not a Christian? No! I think some women are afraid to say they are a feminist because they feel they will alienate men. But that’s when you explain what being a feminist means. Making feminist a bad word is way for society to discourage women from standing up for their rights.
I go back and forth on this topic. To me, it’s just another example of the euphemism treadmill.
Sometimes I feel like you do. But other times I wonder why fight it? If people have a negative association with the word, just move on to a new word. For example, 99% of us now use mentally disabled instead of the r-word. So why not drop “feminist” and use “equalist” or whatever, something without negative connotations?
Because, in my opinion, doing that would be giving in and conforming to those negative connotations, instead of making them disappear.
Take away your words, and they take away your power. That is their aim, for you to be ashamed, defensive, quiet.
Megyn Kelly is a staunch megynkelly-ist and has always played all sides against each other for the benefit of Megyn Kelly. She speaks (against Donald Trump) or remains silent (only talking about Roger Allies after his downfall) after calculating the cost/gain to herself. She could be a champion for the conservative every-woman, but it probably market tested too low in her desired demographic groups.
+1
Yup. She’s a self-serving opportunist… plain and simple.
Very well said. Spot on.
Her allegiances are fluid, like Drumpf’s. As long as there is something in it for her.
I do think that Melania has been subjected to some pretty hypocritical sexism and xenophobia. All this “mail order bride” and “glorified escort” comments make me uncomfortable. Why do you care so much about Melania’s past as a glamour model and why are you so insistent in bringing it up? There is SOOOOOOOOOO much to criticize about Melania, I’m curious to why so many people settle on her past jobs and her status as an inmigrant*.
*Though I guess this makes more sense since it goes to show Trump’s hypocrisy, he wants to deport everyone, yet he somehow forgot he married an inmigrant and had a son with one.
Not just Trump’s hypocrisy, Melania as well. Remember that interview when she blasted illegal immigrants all the while saying she did everything right to come to the US ? No, we know she was lying as per usual. There is also the plagiared speech. If Melania is the hill white feminists want to die for, they can miss me
Melania speaks 5 languages? She can barely speak English. Bwahahahah!
Megyn’s really messed with her face–she was much prettier before all the tweaks.
Um, I actually think Melania has tweaked her face lots more. I can say that because this is Celebitchy and she put herself in the public eye.
I cannot abide her face simply because she is saying things now about Trump post-election that she was quiet about prior. She helped him get elected and I have no respect for her “I can have my cake and eat it too” attitude.
So, wait, we elected Trump because he’s “direct” and “non-PC”, but there’s something wrong with calling Melania a trophy wife and a mannequin? I realize that 2 wrongs don’t make a right, but I guarantee you that if Melania spoke up when her husband called other women, mothers, and entrepreneurs fat and ugly, she would NOT be subjected to staunch feminism now.
There was a blind about her wanting to renew her contract with fox and how she had alienated many of their viewers with her trump criticism. Looks like she’s pandering here
You all give this woman way too much credit. Like a clock she’s right twice a day but the rest of the time she’s as deplorable as the people she surrounds herself with and profits off of.
I love that Melania doesn’t seem to give a crap what anyone thinks. Me too.
“She’s an entrepreneur. I don’t know how successful her businesses are, but she’s out there trying.”
Did I catch some shade in there?
Can someone please explain what this “nasty woman” thing is? I get the sentiment but how did it start? I don’t particularly like being called nasty lol
IIRC Trump called HRC “such a nasty woman” at the end of a debate. He’s not used to women who don’t kiss his fat orange behind. So other women adopted the phrase as a good thing.
MY problem with her is not her, it’s the Trump supporters. Like, I am not judging or against her posing nude, but she did. And all these ppl acting like Melania is so much classier and dignified than Michelle Obama. These same ppl would be in such an uproar if Michelle had done anything similar. Annoying double standard.
+10000
Classy is as classy does. To me going from posing nude when starting out as a model to marrying a rich bully to be pampered in a golden gilded NY tower is not the problem. Diminishing genital grabbing as “locker room” talk, lying about your education and early immigration and pretending not to know you ripped off a true classy lady’s speech is poor taste. So is talking about online bullying without first making sure your husband doesn’t do just that.
SHE IS A TROPHY WIFE, Jesus H. There’s nothing wrong with that if that’s what she wanted, but ffs. A spade is a spade. Melanie has herself has said as much. And frankly, if she thinks that’s the worst a First Lady can deal with, she might want to look at the coverage for the past four years on Michelle Obama.
We don’t have any way of knowing how intelligent she is or anything about her personality because she does not show us. Which, I understand wanting privacy, but signing on to being FLOTUS is not where you get privacy. I don’t care what she looks like and no one’s holding that against her that I’m aware of (though, for the record, I personally don’t find her all that attractive and don’t get it). So either step up to the plate or divorce his ass, take some money and your son and gtfo. I know what *my* choice would be LOL
Totally agree with Shannon. Melania wanted an easy life. Now that Trump is going to be president, her gig is up.
This is Melania’s playbook:
Why study hard in college – just drop out after one year of enrollment.
Why do any legit modeling when appearing nude/tacky is a shortcut.
Why get a real job doing anything besides nudity/near nudity for a “career”.
Why work hard when Trump-big bucks can cover her expenses.
Why criticize others about their undocumented status, when she has lied about her visa.
Why not have a completely selfish life spending Trump’s money, shopping and enjoy being rich – simply by getting married, without any other accomplishments.
Why not claim to be a successful business woman with beauty/jewelry line – financed by Trump and not due to her own efforts.
Now – why not step up and take on the role of FLOTUS and contribute to the country and society? Answer: Too much work, effort for the “I’d rather have an easy life of luxury Melania, that’s what I thought I married Trump for”. Americans – what have you done in this election?!
I had to think about words when I encountered a woman on the sidewalk in my neighborhood angrily defacing the window of a local bar because some idiot inside had called her “c*&^”. It seems not at all surprising in the age era of Trump.
My answer is this:
“Prostitute” – someone who accepts legitimate pay for providing a service.
“C*&^” , AKA “vagina” – something men are born from
“Feminist” – someone who believes in women. We are visible, we are present. I will respect Melania when Melania becomes visible.
If anyone wants to provide more definitions to turn these slurs around, please chime in!
Has she done something to her face? It seems off these past few months. The haircut makes her look alot more older as well, she should have kept it longer it made her look younger and suited her face composition.
Megyn Kelly wouldn’t have the job she does, make the money she does, or have the right to say the things she says without feminism. She’s an idiot who doesn’t understand what she’s talking about, and she needs to do some reading and research! So tired of all these women slamming “feminism” when they really don’t have a clue. Feminism is not anti-woman, it’s about equal rights for women! It’s about fighting for women to have the right to vote, to speak their minds, to be their own person…not just property of the men (first their father, then their husband).