If it should turn out that women come to hold more power than men, sexism is sure to continue.

When I look at that photo, and consider how perfectly fitting it would be to replace those boys' faces with the likes of Limbaugh, Savage, etc., it is just astounding to me - that democrats, so called progresives, would behave in exactly the same manner as those right wing good old boys. And that there would be so many excuses made for them is so telling.

It really was different 20 years ago or so - I remember when both men and women on the left would have been outraged by that behavior, and all the behavior during the primaries. Now, it's mostly the women, and most men on the left are being silent about it or participating in it or calling the women who speak out about it 'outrage addicts', 'male bashers', etc.

You'd think it would give them pause that they don't differ one iota in this behavior from the likes of Limbaugh and his ilk, but that doesn't seem to matter.

At what point does sexist behavior get taken seriously?

My father was a racist.  He respected women.  To this day, his female students (if they notice my name & ask if there's a connection) become effusive about how my dad pushed them during the fifties, sixties, & seventies--sports, education, business, theater, the professions--he told them ladies could have it & he taught them to want it.

But my dad was a hurtful racist.

I'm neither sexist nor racist.  The change can & will occur, over time.  It's a relentless battle against stupidity, family traditions, stereotypes, & the lame stream media.

Shirley Chisolm:

"Of my two handicaps, being female put many more obstacles in my path than being black."

"I've always met more discrimination being a woman than being black."

he may be joe wunderkind (though, so far i am underwhelmed by his purported wunderness), but he clearly lacks the emotional maturity necessary to play with the big boys/girls.

1. Favreau's post on his FaceBook page is exactly why the transition team demanded that all FaceBook material be disclosed. Surely he broke the spirit of the transition team's rules, if not the letter.

2. Favreau's actions undermine the authority of Obama Secretary of State. If Obama won't discipline those who disrespect her, how can the leaders of other countries be expected to respect her?

3. Favreau's actions create workplace issues for the Obama administration. Can women staffers be confident they'll be given  equal treatment in the Obama administration? Why? What if the cutout had been an image of a woman staffer, instead of Hillary? Should Favreau be disciplined in that case?

I think Obama's been doing a good job these past few months and I'm really looking forward to Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State ... but this business brings back some of my very bitter feelings from the primary campaign. My dismay at the overt and covert sexism and misogyny and the immaturity of certain behavior during the campaign - it all comes back so vividly.

Did anyone besides me notice that the lofty statements in the beginning of Obama's victory speech on election night mentioned many oppositions that were being bridged - but failed to mention women or gender? I heard nary a mention of women, and now that we know more about speechwriter Favreau,I am not surprised.

I found the absence glaring the first time, and even more galling now.  
Text of beginning of Obama's speech from cnn transcript:
"Hello, Chicago.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, . . .
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, ... they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled."

Calling people "sweetie " is not innocuous, just like calling a black man "boy" is not innocuous.

Referring disparagingly to little yappy dogs as "girly-dogs" is not innocuous.

Groping a cardboard cut-out of a female politician is not innocuous.

None of it is innocuous.  That is the whole point.

Monica Lewinsky suffered the most from the scandal and didn't have a real voice or a real support system to protect her. In a lot of these posts, Bill's sexual history and Hillary's involvement in it, seems to be the elephant in the room.

Nah, Mom tought me better manners....

But it's sure interesting to see how deeply invested some folks are in denying that a mimed sexual assault could be offesnive, and attempt to draw equivalancy from anecdotes like a waitress calling them "Sweetie".

Here's a clue - when the waitress is in A_position_of_superiority_to_you_in_the_existing_hierarchy,  then when she calls you by a sexual diminutive you may feel opressed.

When she's dependent upon you, her customer, for her job, it's virtually impossible for her to behave oppressively towards you.

Now, on the other hand, if your boss grabs your junk and says he's sure looking forward to giving you a "good review, Sweetie", then, yeah, you've got a point.

Has Maddow mentioned this scandal?

I was watching when Maddow showed the photo and expressed her disgust.

I agree that there's a larger issue of sexism that we should be addressign.  A problem I have is that many of the media figures dissecting the style choices and hairstyles of political figures are WOMEN.  There are all sorts of programs programmed for WOMEN that call into question the propriety of careers for mothers, etc.

I think sexism is too broad a charge, in most cases.  An individual act may not reflect the overall lifestyle and belief system of a person.  I don't believe in excessive punishment for individual acts...had Favreau been shown to have exhibited a pattern of behavior that indicated, shall we say, systematic hypocrisy, then I'd be more convinced that his career should be forfeit.

I'm all for equal pay.  I'm all for equal opportunity.  For choice.  But, I'm certainly a victim of social conventions that have me opening doors and paying for meals and vacations, etc.  And, please, those of you who want to freak out about that last sentence, get real.  Men pay.  Men who don't pay are talked about in extremely deprecating ways by women...as an employer of a largely female staff, a staff comfortable about airing their views in front of the boss, I get to hear a lot...and these are accomplished, professional women.  

Further, statistics show that women are uncomfortable, in the main, when they earn more than their male counterpart.  The man is diminshed in their view.  So, you've got issues that go beyond how men should treat women, but moreso how we should treat each other and what gender roles really mean.  There's always a temptaion to see bias, even in innocuous situations, if one is a member of a group that has encountered systematic discrimination.  I'm the last guy to say that women have been fairly treated in society and in professional life.  But women should also remind themselves that there are plenty of women out there that not onle reinforce the traditional stereotype for men predisposed to seeing it, but also advocate that.