On Sex Scandals and Gender

On Sex Scandals and Gender Anthony Wiener, the former Congressman running for Mayor of New York. photo credit: AP I thought so. It seems like sex scandals and politics are synonymous. Historically speaking, one thinks of JFK. He was one of the most iconic Presidents to ever live, admired for his short but impressive political tenure. He is also remembered for his romp with a famous blonde. The 1990‘s in the U.S. brought forth the internet, cell phones, and both the President and the Speaker of the House being embroiled in sex scandals. The internet and political sex scandals have become fast friends. In recent years alone, multiple members of Congress resigned after allegations of lewd conduct (some of which was through the internet), and it turns out that even the head of the CIA cannot get away with having an affair. There has been a governor-love-child scandal, a governor-prostitution-scandal, and a Republican presidential candidate brought down amidst allegations of sexual harassment. It seems, though, that we may have turned a corner when it comes to political sex scandals. Forgiveness and a return to public life may be possible for those who were previously involved in scandals, at least in New York. Currently, both Anthony Weiner and Elliot Spitzer have made serious bids to be the Mayor and city Comptroller, respectively. In recent polls, it seems that the two men stand a very good chance to be elected. I find political sex scandals fascinating, in that they seem to be a boys‘ club. I can think of no female politicians who have had sex scandals affect their careers. When I think about women whose careers have been affected by scandals of a sexual nature, I think of pageant queens and teachers.   Vanessa Williams, the first black Miss America, who resigned in the wake of a nude photo scandal. photo credit: people.com It’s interesting, because the nature of the scandals are different. The scandals of many male politicians tend to be predatory in nature (sexual harassment, solicitation, etc.). Female scandals tend to be brought on by people sharing explicit materials without the women’s permission (sex tapes, nude photos, etc). I’m speaking very generally, of course, but it’s a good testament to how our society works. Pillars of sexism like the assumption of access to women’s bodies and third parties commandeering women’s bodies for financial gain make it unsurprising that no female politicians of note have behaved in a way that would lead to a sex scandal, or at least they have not been caught. That brings a kind of relief, because the repercussions they would face might be far worse than male politicians. Krystal Ball, a commentator for MSNBC once suffered a scandal of her own when racy photos of her were leaked while she ran for congress unsuccessfully. She penned a piece for the Huf fington Post addressing the issue, stating that sometimes the sex lives of women leak into the public sphere. She calls on people to abandon the idea that female sexuality and professional aptitude are mutually exclusive. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Recently I attended a conference in New York City, the aim of which was to empower and motivate young women. One of the panels that I attended was about social media, and the women featured on the panel discussed what to put on the internet and what not to put on the internet. Such phrases as “it’s a different set of standards for girls,” came out of their mouths, with one blogging professional saying that she wouldn’t hire young women whose online personas she deemed unsuitable. It’s moments like those in my life that make me doubt that, if Anthony Wiener and Elliot Spitzer were women, they would be welcomed into New York City political races with open arms. Criminal, predatory, and hypocritical behavior aside, in a broad sense, sex and sexuality are really nothing to end a career over. Prince Charles, a new Grandfather, is an accomplished environmentalist and future King of England. Behind him are the days when his sexual phone conversations with his then-mistress Camilla Parker-Bowles became public. In some cases, people have taken sex scandals and built their careers off of them (here’s looking at you, Kim).   It really worries me that attitudes about sex are so utterly Victorian when it comes to public figures. I can honestly say that, were I a public figure, if anything explicit from my own personal life ever leaked into public, sure, I’d be embarrassed, but what would I really have to apologize about? Having a life? I think that forgiving Spitzer and Wiener is a step in the right direction. I don’t condone their actions, (some of which was criminal), but I do respect their admitting their mistakes and moving on with their liv es. I just hope that if the opportunity arises, people will extend that same courtesy to women.