This thing is not OK. (Old news: Sarah Palin's fashion choices.)

[azurelunatic]

This one hit me during the 2008 election or thereabouts, and I got my rageface on. It got shoved to the back of the list what with other stuff, but. I'm not sure whether this counts as racist or not, but it's certainly culturally unaware bullshit with a side order of smug self-justification. That is a fucking kuspuk, you Outsider. This is traditional Yup'ik dress. Whether by appropriation or assimilation, it is worn by any local who happens to own one. Mama could dig out family photos of tiny!me in a rather regrettably tomato-red one. Sarah Palin is a white woman. I disagree with a whole lot of her politics. She is also a fellow Alaskan, and she is wearing a piece of Native Alaskan clothing, which is traditional to her mother-in-law's tribe.

You can say that it's a bad photo. (It really is. Fisheye lenses are not good for anyone's looks.) You can criticise her hairstyle. You can suggest that the kuspuk in question might look a little ratty, or that red trim is really not the best choice for setting off pink cloth. You might even be a little daring and suggest that this particular kuspuk is the Alaskan equivalent of "mom jeans" (and then I'll invite A GOOD PORTION OF MY FELLOW FEMINIST FRIENDS over to your place to respond to your suggestion that there's something inherently wrong with mom jeans to start with, or wearing them to the supermarket). YOU DO NOT FUCKING CRITICISE THE KUSPUK ITSELF.

I would be having approximately this level of angry response if you told me that this guy is wearing a stupid-looking hat. This is not an acceptable target. This is not OK, and this is personal to me.

Comments

[sporky_rat]

I will agree with you that the pink is not her color at all and the red doesn't help, but other than that, you're right, what that person is saying is awful.


By the way, when do we get to see pictures of tiny!Azz in a tomato red kuspuk?

[azurelunatic]

[sporky_rat]

omg CUTE and looks sooo very warm! totally awesome, Azz!

[azurelunatic]

Now, for bonus cute, imagine me in this without the insulated lining/mittens/ruff, clambering about on the tailings pile from a gold dredge, picking up interesting (fist-sized, *adult* fist-sized, sometimes larger) rocks, and stuffing them in the nice big front cargo pocket.

Then I fell and couldn't get up, and was Very Upset when Mama said that I would have to take out rocks, and would not be able to bring home more than I could actually carry.

[norabombay]

Given that she was AT THE SUPERMARKET with a TINY INFANT? I'm thinking that clothing snark is utterly inappropriate period. She's got all the bits that need to be covered, covered.

The end result of this is that I now want a Kuspuk, as I actually really like the design and they look comfy. That said, as I've never even been to Alaska, I think I'll leave that to others....

[azurelunatic]

Take a cruise! Then you'll have an excuse.

[1_mad_squirrel]

I find it kind of ironic that she wore Native dress. As governor, didn't she make considerable effort to take away Native rights?

[azurelunatic]

It seems to be so. Though I confess that I did not pay attention to her term before she was called to the national spotlight, as I'd moved out of state, and my parents (who are white and do not hunt) were not complaining about her. Since my parents both have fairly liberal politics, I had been under the assumption that her own local politics were not badly remarkable. GOES TO SHOW.

[houseboatonstyx.livejournal.com]

Good for you! I disagree with a lot of Palin's ideas, but these personal attacks on her are mysogny.

[leora.livejournal.com]

I generally dislike attacks on a politician's outfit anyhow. If you can't find something reasonable to attack, then just accept it's a good politician. In this case, I feel there were many reasonable things to criticize her for, so shut up about her fashion choices. Unless the fashion choices are making a negative political statement (such as say having swastikas on them, but really what politician is going to do that in the US?).

I really did dislike the sexism that both Palin and Clinton faced when they were running. I vastly dislike Palin as a political candidate, but it's so easy to be negative for good reasons, there's no excuse for diving into the bad ones.

[houseboatonstyx.livejournal.com]

Most of the negative things I've seen said about Palin are either misquotes or trivial. I disagree with her conservative policies, but admire her personally.

As for her hairstyle, I was in census training with some very smart small town women and several wore that sort of bangs. Must be practical, don't have to keep flicking them out of your face.

[leora.livejournal.com]

Ah, I lost all respect for her pretty early on when the info about her letting her region bill rape victims for police services. I believe that police services and the investigation of crimes is rightfully paid for through taxes, and when you are a victim of a crime, you should not be billed for availing yourself of police services. Yes, I know they billed insurance companies, but that isn't actually different. I also know that apparently several places have accepted this utterly disgusting practice of charging victims for police investigations, but I am also opposed to any of those politicians. And she never, ever (to my knowledge) gave a valid reason why she did it. She didn't explain why it was politically necessary for some greater good. So, she was either criminally negligent by allowing it to pass without her knowledge when it was her job to be aware or she supported it. And either way, it's a vast attack on rape victims.

It would take a lot to win me back after that.

And it's not just political. I have trouble admiring a person who can allow rape victims to be treated that way. The lack of empathy of thinking it's okay to have the charges show up on your insurance... then letting the victims need to fight with their insurance companies over the charges they paid to investigate the rape... the increased likelihood of any rape victim raped again deciding to not report it, just as after I learned how my health insurance worked I started decreasing my use of vital medical care, because there was too high a cost, and even though it might save my life, I couldn't afford it. And a might get someone arrested is even slighter and less motivating when weighed against having to constantly fight your insurance company over a reminder of a vastly traumatic experience. Having to repeatedly be reminded, while talking to uncaring people.

With my health insurance, if they denied payment one of the later steps in the process was a telephone conference. Having to do this over explaining why a surgery ought to be covered while you are still sick, but you can't afford to wait, because you're going broke is bad. Having to have a telephone conference with a bunch of strangers to explain why you needed to have data analyzed from your rape... that's horrific.

[iroshi.livejournal.com]

When was the last time you saw someone dissing a MALE candidate's choice of fashion? "Dude, that was one ugly tie?"

[leora.livejournal.com]

I don't know, because it isn't the sort of thing I tend to pay attention to or remember. I remember them criticizing Obama for not wearing a flag pin.

It feels to me like the sort of thing that isn't done, but I haven't checked. And I thought that only female politicians get attacked for trying to juggle family needs with running for high offices, but when I actually did the research it turned out several males had been attacked for that. So, maybe it is pure sexism and maybe it isn't. But regardless - it is stupid. It's really stupid. Because I don't think it has a bearing on how well the person will do in office.

[amiga500.livejournal.com]

So, why does a piece of clothing having history mean it can't be in poor taste? The blog writer could have been more informed, but SP herself does tend to bring a rather trashy element to, well, anything she happens to wear. I'd blame her choice of hairstyles for that, mostly.

[azurelunatic]

It's not just history, it's a level of local ubiquitousness that would be similar to criticising John McCain for wearing a hat that combined the really horrid color choice of virulent purple and screaming orange (a Suns hat).

[amiga500.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'd go there! Not that I can really imagine such a thing, but yeah, I'd be amused by him doing anything the least bit youthful.

[azurelunatic]

[pauamma]

I can't see the details well enough to tell. Are there hoodless kuspuks, or is the hood on hers pulled back and hidden from view by her position? (I'm assuming you and the column aren't talking about the onesie the baby is wearing.)

[azurelunatic]

You know, my memory is fuzzy on the details.