Challenge #5: Women in Debate

Debate has been a major part of my life since the beginning of my freshman year. This past weekend was one of my favorite tournaments of the year, the Glenbrooks. As a debater from the Glenbrooks, it was my job with my teammates, to run our half of the tournament. I was one of South’s Student Directors, which, for followers who debate meant that I sat at the main tab table, checked in all the ballots, and answered many, many questions about room assignments and bathrooms, and for followers who don’t debate (which I highly recommend) meant that I was the person everyone came to for help finding debates and resolving minor crisis.

In my view from main tab, I was able to clearly see the lack of female participation in policy debate, from looking at ballots with all-male names to seeing few women walk past me. Debate has long been acknowledged to be male-dominated environment, which has led to cases of rampant sexiam. Some say times are changing – we’ve had women win college nationals, and be the top speaker (best debater overall) both at that tournament and the high school national tournament, but I’d disagree. To take this weekend, for example: this was the first year that 3 female students ran the Glenbrooks, and there were only 5 women in the top 25 speakers at the tournament. Not a single one was in the top ten. And this is one of the largest tournaments of the year!

So, why do so few females participate in debate? The common argument is how women are treated by men. Often times, women get perceived as ‘bitchy’ when they try to act like their male counterparts, or make any attempt at being aggressive. Some think that judges are inherently biased against women, and give then lower speaker points, making it harder to be successful. Others just point to the gender disparity on teams, and recognize that maybe as a high school girl, spending 72 hours per weekend with boys who tend to make racist, sexist, and mean comments to you doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.

While all those points are valid, I’d like to add another one: how women treat women. The few women who survive dealing with the men in debate tend to be competitive, ruthless and judgmental. I’ll be the first to admit that, in my attempt to make myself feel better about my chances of winning, I've judge female opponents. I’m rarely judging them on what I know about them as a debater – it’s usually about how high her heels are, how short her skirt is, or who I know she’s friends with/has dated. In reality, none of those things matter. Yet, it’s what debate girls tend to focus on. We’re probably quicker than the boys to call another girl bitchy because she was mean to us in cross-examination, even when we know that we do the same thing when we answer questions.

As women in debate, we walk a fine line. But we should work to cooperate more, because we all love the activity, and we'd like to see more women/girls in it. We should prevent ourselves from being a barrier to that inclusion. More on this topic to come later….

If you're interested in helping prevent sexism in debate, please sign this pledge. 

Ciao♀,
Charlie

Semifinals: 1 female debater, 3 men 0 female judges, 3 men.
Congrats to Kat Sears (far right) for winning this round (and the tournament!)

Challenge #4: The Media

            

Even the promo poster needs a man

            My high school had its first, glorious 3-day weekend since Labor Day this weekend. I celebrated with my favorite introvert activity: Netflix. I watched The West Wing this summer, much to the enjoyment of a few of my classmates (see their blogs here and here), and now I’m watching Scandal, a more recent political thriller. The show is the only show on television to place an African-American woman in the leading role, the fabulous Kerry Washington.

            Washington’s casting and consecutive success in the role of Olivia Pope, Washington DC’s communication ‘fixer,’ and secret mistress of President Fitzgerald Grant, has led to both criticism and praise. Like mentioned above, she’s the only African-American star on TV and is the first African American female star on TV since Teresa Graves in 1974.

            1974?!?

            America went 38 years without an African-American woman heading up her own TV show in primetime. In the words of Seth and Amy, Really!?! When you take into account all the long-running TV shows, but also the many that tank after a season or two, that’s a lot of TV and that speaks volumes about race and gender within our country. It’s something female actresses shouldn’t stand for.  

            That fact alone ensured that Washington created a buzz when the show started, and Scandal has continued to make waves with the topics that it covers: from mocking the constant political drama of Washington (see the multiple sex scandals Pope has to deal with, ranging from a Governor’s cheating wife to allegations of two Supreme Court Justice nominees and even President Grant himself, three times) to predicting a PRISM-like scandal with a government program called ‘Thorngate.’ From dealing with problems like these, it’s received acclaim, but there’s also been some heavy criticism.

            Most of the criticism, unsurprisingly, centers on Pope’s relationship with the President. There’s the race side, which led to an awkward Season 2 Sally Hemings reference, and also the gender card. Pope, for the majority of the show, is cool, calm and collected and acts the part of one of the most powerful women in Washington. However, when it comes to ‘Fitz,’ she’s a mess – always making bad decisions and getting herself and her friends into trouble.

            Why?  Why do smart women on TV always have a male Achilles’ heel? It’s been seen repeatedly, whenever there are strong female roles on TV. There’s even a test, re: the Bechdaltest, to prove just how male-centric women on TV are made to be. You’d be surprised by how many famous shows and movies fail. I hate to throw around the word patriarchy, but this is exactly what even seemingly-feminist shows like Scandal are propagating. I understand the star-crossed, meant-to-be-but-can’t lovers’ plotline, but does Pope really have to make so many mistakes to extend the plotline?

            What I loved about The West Wing was that it was political and didn’t let relationship get in the way of that beauty. CJ Cregg, the show’s leading lady, flirted with a reporter for all seven seasons, but the relationship didn’t blossom until the very end when writers were tying up all lose ends. It allowed Cregg to do her job, the same job as Pope had – White House Communications Director – and come into her own as a successful woman. If Pope had been able to do the same, I can only wonder where the character would be now.

            Even amidst my criticism, I’d highly recommend my readers to watch Scandal, on ABC Thursday nights. Pope, for all her flaws, is still an incredible character and Washington does her justice.

          Cia♀,

          Charlie