Gender News Day

Mikaela says:
So much out there today on gender from different angles...

One is from Slate, looking at how women in Iowa are viewing gender in the Presidential race. Seems women are pissed that men seem to be attacking Clinton more viciously because she's a woman. But their own critiques of Clinton largely mirror what the men have been saying in those very attacks... Oops!

Next is from Robert Novak in the Washington Post on how Fred Thompson as ruined his support with conservatives because he blundered by bringing up that he doesn't support criminalizing young women or their doctors in trying to outlaw abortion. Seems that's just a spurious argument posed by radical pro-choice activists... as opposed to a logical outcome of, well, passing laws that make it a criminal act to get an abortion. Our mistake. Sorry for the confusion! He concludes that the only candidate social conservatives will support is John McCain, because all the others are back-peddling on the issue.

The last, and somehow my favorite, is the article in Slate reporting that coffee shops consistently take longer to serve women than men, even when you adjust for "frou-frou" drink prep. times. In fact, the young, the ugly, minorities, and women all get second-class service. Men get their coffee, lickety-split. The article goes on to say market capitalism will solve the problem, just give it some time. Yep, that's worked in other discrimination cases. Give me a break! And my damn coffee! The solution? Patronize coffee shops with all-female staff, which the article claims equalizes the service time, at least in the case of women. I'm sure the uglies still have to wait in line. Our world is depressing, isn't it? (That said, my own anecdotal evidence would suggest even in all-female server establishment, men get waited on faster and with less attitude. Even at my favorite coffee shop...)