Hillary in the pillory

She's still unfairly judged on looks.

from the August 9, 2007 edition

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But Hillary's V-neck was immediately analyzed sheerly in terms of cleavage (which was nonexistent in the photos).

Feminist academics often invoke the phrase "male gaze" – first coined by Laura Mulvey in her 1975 essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" – when trying to give their students a systemic perspective on the classic construction-worker catcall to an attractive woman. The "male gaze" is the sense that – as women – we are always being watched and evaluated.

At a time when the American public is bombarded with 24/7 news, the creators of media – male or female – have unparalleled control over the nature of that gaze. In this case, it was a woman who ostensibly catcalled at Hillary just as she was presenting a critical testimony about how difficult it is for the average American to afford higher education.

It's even more disempowering and paralyzing on the Senate floor than it is on the street, because it has public implications. Teenagers aspiring to be class presidents or little girls curled up next to their babysitters watching the nightly news get a damaging introduction to the media's "male gaze" and its effect on contemporary female leadership.

It is imperative that media leaders create more enlightened standards for political coverage – not just for Hillary's sake, but for the next generation of girls learning what it means to be both female and powerful.

For starters, appearance-based evaluation of presidential candidates should be limited across the boards. If a reporter is convinced that an aesthetic choice sheds light on a candidate's ability to lead – as it potentially could have with Mr. Edwards's hypocritical spending habits – then so be it. Clearly these moments are few and far between, and should stay as nongendered as possible.

Of course political humorists will still take potshots at our presidential candidates' looks, as will fashion and gossip columnists, but America's serious news outlets must draw the line.

At a time when we need rigorous, ethical journalism more than ever, it is not Hillary's V-neck we need analyzed, but her character, vision, and potential to make history as the first female president of the United States of America. Now that would be exceptional.

• Courtney E. Martin is the author of "Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: The Frightening New Normalcy of Hating Your Body." Her website is www.courtneyemartin.com .

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