[wildgift]

This isn't about that kind of sexism. It's about a softer sexism that's really about familiarity.

It's real, and it's a problem. Look at how Hilary Clinton was dealt with by critics and her handlers during her run for the presidential nomination. They were worried if she was feminine enough. I thought it was totally absurd, pointless, and even stupid, but I suspect it made sense to people in their late 50s and 60s.

In the same way, I'm kinda comfortable with the way Michelle Obama is treated by her supporters in the media - but if I stand back and really analyze it, it's patently sexist and offensive. Who cares about her domesticity? She was a CEO. What she brings to the table is being able to potentially work on policy or be a political operative. To people in their 40s (and maybe even 30s), though, this sexist treatment in the media makes us comfortable.

Even Laura Bush could have been an operative - but her party is old, and that just wouldn't fly. We're in the age of the power couple, and that's reality, but our biases and sexism will prevent this from being accepted for a decade or more.