Stephanie Mould: Rush Limbaugh 'Slut' Comments Drive Georgetown To Defend Student Sandra Fluke

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/02/rush-limbaugh-slut-georgetown-john-degioia-sandra-fluke_n_1316400.html?ref=politics

            On the 29^th of February, Rush Limbaugh attacked Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown student, on his show and stated that she was a ‘"slut" and a "prostitute" after she spoke out on birth control insurance coverage’. She was fighting for Obama administration's ruling on coverage of contraception by insurance plans, and in return he claimed that "she's having so much sex she can't afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex" (Rosenthal). Although many people have come forward in their distaste for his harsh words, Limbaugh still had the confidence that it was perfectly acceptable to state his opinion on the matter in a close-minded way and it gives the impression that others can do the same without hesitation.

Although members of the Georgetown community publically supported Fluke, we live in a society where words of slander can be spoken openly in media and have almost no repercussion. As Kellner states, “media images help shape our view of the world and our deepest values. What we consider good or bad, positive or negative, moral or evil” (Kellner 7). And in this case, Limbaugh is sending out the message that woman openly speaking of sex, and taking the incentive to have safe sex, is immoral, thus you are comparable to a harlot if you believe that women should have access to not only condoms but birth control.

            Based on economic status, women are not fully in control of reproduction in this country. For those whose insurance will not cover contraceptives, or cannot afford them over the counter, women are at risk of pregnancy. And, since this weight is solely put on the shoulders of women rather than having an alternative for males, they should have equal access to preventative methods, at a low cost or none at all. But, since sex acts by women are too often considered to be solely their responsibility, and not the governments, it has been a slow fight to give access to contraceptives to them in congress.

            However, the text also shows the strong response that the public has had to his claims, and how although many people share his views, feminist efforts are also making strides. Limbaugh may have avid supporters of his claims and beliefs, but his listeners more than likely already shared his views, so rather than being persuasive he is solely reinforcing their pre-existing beliefs.  I believe it sends a stronger message that the president of Georgetown supports Flukes, and stated that "She was respectful, sincere, and spoke with conviction,"; "She provided a model of civil discourse. This expression of conscience was in the tradition of the deepest values we share as a people" in regards to her testimony, than the vulgar claims made by Limbaugh (Rosenthal). Whether or not the president or anyone else that supported her actually supported the message in her testimony, it is a step in the right direction to have that number of people publically supporting this woman and condemning the use of such slanderous words.

            In a society where you are either a saint or a sinner, I take pride in knowing that the causal use of the word prostitute in a negative connotation is slowly becoming stigmatized. As stated in Mayne’s article, a woman is either impossible perfection or impossible evil, and sexuality is the divider (Maybe 162). Unlike the male representation, which is limitless, women’s being is equated to sexuality, and whether or not they display it. In Mayne’s article it is stated that the whore is punished while the Madonna triumphs, and that view has continued to this day. It seems that Limbaugh would support this idea and while a virginal figure will succeed in life both socially and economically, the sexualized woman will have so much sex that she can’t even afford to buy a condom, a relatively inexpensive item, while an upper class woman would never have this problem.

But, the idea in her article is that “representations can function to both reinforce oppression and to imagine new identities of identity expression” (Privilege and Representation).

Although Limbaugh’s statements reinforce the preexisting belief that the problem is always female sexuality, it gives us the chance to imagine life without this stigma and also see the advances seen by the support of her community.

            The issue brought up in the article is a troubling one, while some men in this country find themselves confident enough to call strong women sluts in a derogatory way, others are confident enough to publically support the same woman. Limbaugh’s slanderous words were a step back in terms of feminism, but the backlash of his show within collegiate community and general public is a big step forward that can bring hope. I only hope that by people reading these texts in a feminist manner in increasing numbers will shine a light on the issue of women’s rights, and passing judgment on women based on their sexuality will disappear.

Works Cited

Kellner, Douglas. "Cultural Studies, Multiculturalism, and Media Culture." Gender, Race and    Class in Media. 3rd ed. Los Angeles: Sage, 2011. 7-17. Print.

Mayne, Judith. “Women, Representation and Culture” Reading Women’s Lives. Print.

Rosenthal, Max J. "Rush Limbaugh 'Slut' Comments Drive Georgetown To Defend Student       Sandra Fluke." Huffington Post. 2 Mar. 2012. Web. 3 Mar. 2012. WEB.