The WELL: inkwell.vue.401: Rebecca Traister, Big Girls Don't Cry: The Election That Changed Everything for American Women

#78: person of crevice (obizuth) Mon 31 Jan 11 19:11

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:11:00 PST

indeed it has. and thanks, fawn, for hosting so ably. [Read entire topic]

#77: (fom) Sat 29 Jan 11 12:25

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 12:25:00 PST

I hope you keep checking in! This has been great. [Read entire topic]

#76: Rebecca Traister (rtraister) Fri 28 Jan 11 07:36

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 07:36:00 PST

Oh, and thanks Fawn for such great discussion leadership and such smart questions. Bye, all! [Read entire topic]

#75: Ted Newcomb (tcn) Thu 27 Jan 11 21:14

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 21:14:00 PST

Wishing you every success. [Read entire topic]

#74: Fawn Fitter (fsquared) Thu 27 Jan 11 19:54

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:54:00 PST

Do please come back! It's been great hearing from you! [Read entire topic]

#73: Rebecca Traister (rtraister) Thu 27 Jan 11 13:25

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:25:00 PST

Thanks, Lisa, and everyone here for such a lively, smart conversation. I've had a great time! And I will likely check back in if you all keep talking. All my best, Rebecca [Read entire topic]

#72: Lisa Harris (lrph) Thu 27 Jan 11 12:58

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 12:58:00 PST

Rebecca, thank you so much for your time here in Inkwell.vue. We will likely continue discussing this long after you've moved on. Please feel free to come back whenever you can. [Read entire topic]

#71: Ted Newcomb (tcn) Wed 26 Jan 11 15:37

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:37:00 PST

"As for the future: I really do things will be different. Not fixed."

Being an optimist myself I really like that thought. It's exciting times we are living in. I just take it for granted that several women will be running next election, w/o a pause for thought in most of the electorate.

Would like to see that avalanche. [Read entire topic]

#70: Pamela McCorduck (pamela) Wed 26 Jan 11 14:47

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:47:00 PST

What you're talking about is what complexity scientists call "the sandpile effect." You steadily add sand to a pile and it grows and grows and grows until bam! Suddenly the pile turns into avalanches and the whole landscape is changed.

It happens. [Read entire topic]

#69: Rebecca Traister (rtraister) Wed 26 Jan 11 13:18

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:18:00 PST

Thank you, Julie! I have to say that one of my main motivations for writing the book was to not let the story get forgotten. There was SO MUCH history made, sometimes in intricate and small ways, and because I sensed a reluctance to deal with it head on as it was happening, I feared that there would be a reticence about chronicling it, at least until it receded so far back in our memory that we couldn't quite grasp or remember it anymore. So I'm especially pleased by your comment.

As for the future: I really do things will be different. Not fixed. Not without repeats of last time, and history in general, but that an awareness has been heightened. For example, if Hillary Clinton were to run again, I think that both she and the country would approach the experience in very different ways -- I think she learned a lot about the power of presenting herself as a woman, and I think the country learned a lot both during (and since) her run about its own reactions to her.

I also think that if another woman were to run for president, as I hope is likely -- and perhaps inevitable, from one side of the aisle or another -- in 2016, many of us will have a sharpened awareness, a more extensive vocabulary, and an increased sensitivity about how she is treated. I also think we will all be a little more used to the idea. I think there are media people in place -- in part thanks to the events of the last election, from Maddow to Couric to Sawyer to some of the female comedians like Fey, Schaal and Bee -- to help us interpret.

Again, let me stress that this does NOT mean that I think a future ride will be smooth, or without the depressing regressive, sexist behavior we saw in 2008. We just saw some repetition of those things in 2010. I obviously don't think that it's a slam dunk for a woman to win the presidency the next time one tries -- it depends on the woman, and even if she's a great, competent, brilliant one, she might lose for reasons related to her gender. But I do think that we are a country that has changed, perhaps imperceptibly, since 2008. And sometimes imperceptible change is all it takes to push us a little further. And then a little further after that . . .

Again, I'm sort of stupidly optimistic. [Read entire topic]