The Gateway Pundit is shocked that Sandra Fluke is 30, suggesting that it’s clear evidence of some crazy conspiracy. Meanwhile, The Daily Beast correctly reported this fact nearly two weeks ago: ”Sandra Fluke, a 30-year-old Georgetown University Law School student, had been contacted earlier in the week by committee minority leaders after Democrats saw a video of her speaking about the mandate at the National Press Club on February 9,” Matthew DeLuca wrote at the time. Doing a quick search, the only sites we found incorrectly reporting her age were conservative media outlets … and HuffPo.
Do you know what’s actually stunning?
The fact that it’s 2012 now and we’re still tolerating this crap. Somebody wants to speak to Congress on an issue. Rush Limbaugh calls her a slut, a prostitute, and all sorts of other things. And whatever. That’s Rush Limbaugh. He’s a shock jock. Howard Stern for conservatives. We expect him to say disgusting things to get the attention he thinks will muffle his tears as he cries himself to sleep at night. So whatever. We’ve known the truth about bullies since elementary school. We’re used to that. People listen to Rush Limbaugh to reassure themselves that they aren’t the biggest douches in the world.
But other conservatives think that so long as they don’t use the language Limbaugh used it’s okay for them to do the same thing.
Coed? Oh. You mean a female student? The term you used to refer to as “coeds” when you were shocked and offended that they let women into your alma mater. The term that nobody uses anymore—except to sexualize or disapprove of female students.
30 Year-Old? You mean the age you are when you’re a law student when you spent a few years at an actual job after college? The age that isn’t remotely unusual for law students to be? But why is this a problem? Is it that you were expecting a frail young and extremely sexual creature and now you’re angry that you can’t dismiss her for that reason?
Women’s Rights Activist? So … right. If you’re testifying before Congress, you’re either an activist, a baseball player on steroids, or a shamed corporate villain. Of course she’s an activist. What did you think? “High, I’m a wilting Georgetown law student. Is this the right room for torts class?”
And what’s the point of all of this shaming and stereotyping? It’s simply to ignore whatever Sandra Fluke had to say because of her gender and then act like the conservatives are somehow victims of a Machiavellian plot by Democrats to somehow let women talk.
So screw Rush Limbaugh. Screw Gateway Pundit and the entire conservative blogosphere. Screw all of you who think that Sandra Fluke’s age and gender are remotely legitimate reasons to disregard or diminish her message. And finally, screw the rest of us. Because it’s 2012. And we’re still putting up with this shit.
(via shortformblog)
