My husband and I have similar careers. We’re both writers and while our careers have taken different trajectories at times, we both write for TV and even more specifically, comedy/variety.
As a woman, I have often been in his shadow and have worked hard to earn my own reputation as being a good writer. A few years ago I thought I had achieved this: I had sold a book, had a screenplay optioned and be
en steadily employed on the same show for over seven years. And then I got my first job after that. The Executive Producer called me up and said he had read my jokes and thought they were good. And then he said, “Did your husband write them?”
Was he joking? I don’t care. I pretended he was because I wanted the job and I was trying to make nice. But the fact that he made it at all speaks to a bigger problem: the belief that women can’t be funny on their own and that a woman in the same career as her husband hasn’t earned it by herself.
It’s why I hate hearing how Hillary Clinton feels “entitled” to the nomination; that she’s gotten where she is “just because of who her husband is” and that you don’t want to live a life with just Clintons and Bushes in office. (Neither of whom have been there for the last 8, by the way.)
Hillary is a woman who has been accused of driving her husband to cheat, faking a brain aneurism and having cankles. Trust me, she doesn’t feel entitled to shit. She knows because of who her husband is she’s had to work twice as hard just to be considered half as good and the sad thing is she’s actually twice as good. The New York Times called her “one of the most broadly and deeply qualified presidential candidates in modern history,” and that’s still not enough. No, the day Bill won that election Hillary’s internal monologue was like, “FUCK! Now nothing I do or achieve on my own will be seen that way.” His failures are her failures but his successes are her opportunism. And the fact that she’s still taking this shit means that she has the strength to actually do this job. I’d be on a goddamn island somewhere.
I’m done trying to “make nice.” You don’t have to like Hillary, but if you’re saying she’s just where she is because of her husband, you’re part of the sexist problem. Because if it wasn’t for her husband, she’d probably be President already. And I’m tired of making nice about it. If you’re saying she thinks she’s entitled, you’re no different from the asshole EP who looked at me suspiciously because I had the audacity to be in the same career as my husband and be good at it. If you think she thinks she’s entitled, you can unfriend me. Because if you look at her like that, that’s how you look at me.
And PS I’m not voting for a Clinton. I’m voting for a Rodham.
16 thoughts on “Why I Won’t Be Silent for Hillary”
Right on, sister.
Way to go,Tess!! I love your fighting spirit,and this comes from a man who has long known the truth that women are FAR superior to women!! My wife and I think you are wonderful, and we have your back!!!
PS-my mistake! I meant”women are FAR superior to men!! “(See what I mean?)
Hillalujah! Virtual high-fives to you.
Yes! She is not only highly qualified, as the parent of 2 girls I would love for them to see the possibilities she can open for them.
Would you please just continue to get down with your bad ass self? Brilliant analogies, syllogisms and correlations! This is a woman doomed to be held hostage to her brilliance and the way she has had to play the game…as we all have.
What a perfect day, you have some great friends. I am so so looking forward to this collaberation, surpried it took this long. Will definitely be adding to my Karin collection. Great posts this week, listening to the National as we speak, thanks! x
lamely, "Well, if it was right for him…" We all laughed because everyone knew that's not how it would have gone down, so to speak.'Oh yeah, because feminists are always advocating for the rights of rapists to do what they will. The sad part is, the rest of your ilk will gladly lap up the lies you puke out because it justifies their hatred. Remind me, how's your god feel about bearing false witness again?
One more thing: Pandora Radio going through an iPad plugged into a Bose Wave makes for damn fine listening all day long while working at home.
) and Craig made for the perfect man-with-no-name… and yet, the story suffered terribly from an absence of continuity and *gee-willakers* setups and payoffs.But hey – at least these writers have sold.And… 8 credited writers. Who knows how many others fingers had worked this one, w/out credit.
I love your designs. Even your poster of inspirational things is adorable – especially your wonder pup. 🙂 Thank you for sharing your inspirational sites – I am off to explore!
That’s a smart way of thinking about it.
Look at Bangladesh right now! They’ve had two days of shutdown and protests in the street. Clashes with the police too. It looks as if they don’t need a king to have trouble. All those demanding an instant republic at the cost of so much misery and bloodshed take a good look and think!
Whoops.
Hillary lost…get over it!
I’m so pleased to have “found” you and can’t explain why i didn’t do so sooner.
I look forward to reading as much as I can find of what you write or say.