I want to start by stating that yes, I am a straight white male; but no, this Wespeak will not try to marginalize or discredit the presence of sexism in American society, or women who confront sexism on a daily basis. Some might claim that my status as a white male prevents me from understanding the true force of sexism and therefore excludes me from being able to legitimately comment, while others might say that I should shut up because I am guaranteed institutional power and was born with a political silver spoon in my mouth. All of these criticisms might be valid, but let’s try to forget, I don’t know, the color of my skin and my sex for the duration of this article. I am not necessarily one to talk about “good Wespeaks” (see “Yo, writing papers is HARD,” Oct. 20, 2006, Volume CXLII, Number 11). While I am not picking a fight on the presence of sexism, I do believe that serious comments on the condition of our nation like those Claire Greenwood ’09 makes in her Wespeak (“Stop the (Women) Hate,” Sept. 30, 2008, Volume CXLIV, Number 9) should not be as inconsistent as my joke Wespeak about Shredded Wheat.

Claire, I empathize with your frustration concerning the rampant sexism that has permeated the 2008 presidential campaign. There is no doubt that the continued focus on Senator Clinton’s and Governor Palin’s sex as a political issue runs counter to the principles of merit and capability that democratic political systems are founded on. However, I would hesitate to call such silence on the sexism of this issue “resounding.” The New York Times regularly publishes articles and blog posts discussing campaign sexism. The Washington Post has published around 30 since August alone. National Journal and Politico have also extensively commented on sexism in the election with regards to both Palin and Clinton in the past three months. These are nationally read news sources. While your idiot friends may have rattled off juvenile comments about both Palin and Clinton, the free press has not shirked its duty in discussing this as a prevalent political and social issue; and yes, news media outlets do on occasion print stories that reflect the social concerns of the nation (an exception being Fox News’ perpetual buffoonery).

I take issue with the idea that your anecdote from Eclectic’s Sex Party is somehow relevant to the presidential race. I might add that being drunk does not eliminate a person’s free will or the responsibility for their actions. Choices we make while drunk are still choices WE ourselves make, despite how hazy our logic may be. I find it disingenuous that you would simply hold world-historical forces and reified social norms responsible for actions that “lead to girls wearing lingerie and getting down with strangers.” I agree that there are some extremely fucked up social norms that influence the behavior of men and women, but your statement to me is the equivalent of me saying that I play sports because I have internalized male social norms. Newsflash: I don’t enjoy sports and therefore don’t play them, because as a grown person with half a brain I am not stupid enough to think that I have to do anything for anyone other than myself. Those out there who play a sport: more power to you for doing something you love.

The focus and content of your Wespeak indicate that you certainly recognize (“I have internalized sexism”) and have the capacity to overcome internalized norms, so don’t cheat your own power as a creative, intelligent human being by blaming teleology or structuralism or The Force for people’s actions. If a woman wants to go out in lingerie or high heels, that’s her choice. If she doesn’t, that’s fine too. Don’t hate on Palin, or anyone else for that matter, for being something that they love and understand. To claim that a woman cannot be proud of her husband and family without “hamming up” her female qualities in some act of internalized sexism is a slap in the face to proud mothers across this country. Don’t belittle their choices by making them contingent on something other than their own will.

In taking a stand against systems of oppression and exploitation, one must choose their words carefully to avoid not being taken seriously at all. That being said, my mother once gave me a valuable piece of advice: “You can’t take life too seriously, otherwise you’ll never get out alive.”

Keller is a member of the class of 2009 and is a contributing writer.