Mars and Venus Dissect the Spitzer Scandal on the TV Talk Shows

[groovedaddy]

Many a man stared at Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s news conference on Monday and thought, “There but for the grace of God go I.” So did a lot of women, only they were looking at the stricken face of his wife, Silda Wall Spitzer.

And on television, at least, men got the first word.

The news that the Democratic governor of New York was embroiled in a prostitution scandal broke around 2 p.m., and by then opinion shows were dominated by men. Accordingly, there was a lot of talk about a “victimless crime.” On CNN James Carville suggested that Mr. Spitzer’s enemies might have set him up, and argued that Mr. Spitzer need not resign. Tucker Carlson of MSNBC said the whole thing was “nauseating,” but he was referring to the high-handed moralizing at Mr. Spitzer’s expense, not the governor’s ethical lapse.

It wasn’t until Tuesday morning, on shows like “Today” and “The View,” that female commentators could really unload, and they did, mostly on panels with titles like “Why Men Cheat” and filled by psychologists, self-help coaches and anthropologists. The biggest issue was not whether the governor would resign or face criminal charges. It was whether Ms. Wall Spitzer was right to stand by him, and even more urgently, whether all husbands stray, and why. It got testy at times.

“Are you saying the women should feel guilty, like they somehow drove the man to cheat?” a visibly aghast Meredith Vieira of “Today” asked Dr. Laura Schlessinger, a radio host.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/arts/television/12watc.html?th&emc=th

[katty]

1. apparently, Mrs. Spitzer was encouraging her husband to

not resign. I think most couples know when the sex/intimacy is:

great
good
generally ok
not good
not happening much at all
and finally: no sex

I think this is an intelligent couple and they were/are aware of the status of their relationship.

[supernova]

2. Daytime TV

for women is very similar to "women's magazines."

It's always all about us doing the heavy lifting to keep the relationship going. WE need to be sexier so he won't stray. WE need to compliment him more so he'll feel valued. WE need to thank him endlessly for taking out the trash on Wednesday evenings so he will keep "helping out."

I haven't watched Daytime TV in over 20 years. It will rot. your. brain. Both sexes.

Elliot Spitzer does have a problem keeping it in his pants. So do many powerful men. But he was also set up I do believe by one of the the banks he has investigated over the years. Wouldn't surprise me in the least.

[katty]

3. yes, it sure is and adverts to make you 'more attractive' abound

it is just littered with msgs to women: you are not good enough-ever and more products get sold.

[supernova]

5. Exactly!

It's always designed to play on our insecurities and vulnerabilities:

You're not sexy enough, you're not pretty enough, you're too smart, the house is too messy, you don't cook well enough...... on and on and on it goes.

[katty]

6. a never ending vicious cycle, mainly to sell products $

[groovedaddy]

4. More: The Myth of the Victimless Crime

WHAT do we know about the woman Gov. Eliot Spitzer allegedly hired as a prostitute? She was the one person he ignored in his apology. What is she going through now? Is she in danger from organized crime because of what she knows? Is anyone offering her legal counsel or alternatives to prostitution?

“I’m here for a purpose,” she said in a conversation with her booking agent after meeting with Governor Spitzer, according to the affidavit of the F.B.I agent who investigated the prostitution ring. “I know what my purpose is. I’m not a ... moron, you know what I mean.”

Her purpose, as a man who knew patiently explained, is “renting” out an organ for 10 minutes. Men rent women through the Internet or by cellphone as if they were renting a car. And now, in response to the news about Governor Spitzer, pundits are wading into the age-old debates over whether prostitution is a victimless crime or whether women are badly hurt in prostitution no matter what they’re paid.

Whose theory is it that prostitution is victimless? It’s the men who buy prostitutes who spew the myths that women choose prostitution, that they get rich, that it’s glamorous and that it turns women on.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/opinion/12farley.html?th&emc=th

[knitter4democracy]

7. Great editorial

I couldn't agree more.

[lightningandsnow]

9. It's the men who "spew the myth" of prostitution?

Um, from what I've heard, I beg to differ. Check out this website and tell me what you think. http://www.spoc.ca/

From their website:

Mission:

SPOC is a political and social group whose main objective is to work toward the decriminalization of sex work through political activism, community building and public awareness. SPOC is a grassroots, volunteer organization made up of current sex workers, former sex workers and our allies.

Also, I sometimes feel that people are kind of taking a page out of the religious right's book on this one. Yes, sexist attitudes are bad. But it's wrong to have sex with someone you don't really love? Then should we all just save it for marriage?

Plus, this argument is a little heterosexist as well. You know, there are male sex workers.

[noamnety]

10. You're confusing two things here.

One: saving sex for marriage/casual sex.

Two: Purchasing women as commodities.

The religious right has an issue with the first part, and frankly doesn't seem to care about human rights.

The leftist feminists who have a problem with prostitution - as an industry - aren't saying that marriage should be a precondition of having sex. And in fact, there is a school of thought that marriage itself is inherently an oppressive patriarchal institution. "The Marriage Contract" is believed by some to be a form of prostitution, because not having sex is grounds for divorce/annulment, which can mean that a spouse loses their health insurance, or is put out on the street - refusal to have sex can literally become a death sentence.

Implying that those two objections to prostitution stem from the same place is incredibly wrong, because in fact they come from nearly opposite places. It is not a "right wing" position to say that humans should not be buying other humans.

What I see lacking in your arguments is any discussion of the increase in human trafficking that occurs when prostitution is legalized. You are avoiding that inconvenient truth in the same way that some people manage to avoid treating collateral damage in Iraq as if it has a real human cost.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

8. i think prostitution should be legal. thats been more or less my thought in all of this