Playboy Mix Of Sex, Hate, And Politics Demeans Conservative Women

By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog.

Yesterday, I was contacted by the executive director of SmartGirlPolitics.org, a conservative women's website, to stand up for conservative women treated despicably by the media. Here I am, doing just that.

Teri Christoph, whom I have never met, asked me to stand up for conservative women who were maligned by an online article on Playboy magazine's website. The article has since been taken off the site, but the gist of it was, indeed, disgusting, sexist, of course pornographic, and demeaning to conservative women. The article contained a list of conservative female media commentators whom the author said men would like to, er, have sex with but hate at the same time, or something nonsensical like that. Ms. Christoph sent me a link to a cached page of the now-removed article.

She also sent a link to a screenshot on another conservative website.

A couple of caveats are in order. First, I probably disagree politically with much of SmartGirlPolitics.org's agenda--I know I disagree completely with the group's position on abortion rights. But as a nonpartisan, I'm also a firm believer in supporting all members of my gender when attacked due to their gender. I am supporting these women herewith.

I also want to note that at least one woman on the list is so venom-spewing, she unfortunately invites venom to be shot back at her: Michelle Malkin. Her posts and her "routine" are so venomous and predictable, in fact, I stopped paying attention to her years ago.

Others on the list, however, are not venom-spewing at all. One woman mentioned on the atlasshrugs2000 blog is a regular guest on my PBS show. Amanda Carpenter, on the show at least, eschews personal judgment of people with whom she disagrees politically. So her inclusion on the Playboy list is much more offensive to me than is the inclusion of Ms. Malkin, although their political views may not differ greatly.

Lastly, I want to note Playboy is past its time and should just fold up and go away.

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By Bonnie Erbe