With Sen. Wendy Davis earning widespread praise and support for her courageous filibuster in the Texas Senate last week, some on the right apparently have decided to adopt an old tactic often used against influential women: make her physical appearance an issue.
We first saw this vicious post on a new anonymous blog – realwendydavis.wordpress.com – yesterday. (The blog’s tagline: “A closer look at the Left’s new feminist superhero.”)
The post asks in its headline: “Wendy Davis: Surgically Constructed ‘Human Barbie Doll’?” It then goes on to compare her physical appearance today to how she looked more than two decades ago. From the post:
Somehow, during the past two decades she has been transformed from a frumpy, pleasant looking but plain-faced, flat-chested brunette with thick, messy hair, into a buxom blonde with excellent facial features and sleek, long, perfectly coiffed hair, like she stepped straight out of Vogue.
For someone who in the early 1990s was a feminist activist in law school, and who is currently posing as a champion of women’s rights, standing up to men who seek to dictate the way women should live, she seems to have devoted an unusual amount of attention to her physical appearance.
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Current photos of Senator Davis depict someone who is not just more physically attractive, but who arguably seems younger than the woman in her yearbook photo, even though that photo was taken 22 years ago. Her transformation is arguably more startling than that of women who have used plastic surgery in an effort to become “Human Barbie Dolls” (see, for example, “before” and “after” photos here). You be the judge: Wendy Davis, superhero, or superfake “Human Barbie Doll”?
Who is behind this new attack on Sen. Davis? That’s unknown (right now). But to succeed in their efforts to have government police women’s bodies and intrude into their private medical decisions, apparently some on the right are willing to use any tactic, no matter how disgusting.
I’m no psychic, but I feared that would come. It’s classic.
All i see is that she changed her hair. As do most women.]
Wow…just…wow.
she’s a woman so let’s attack her on her appearance. these people are so last century. women will see right through this and not like it one bit. Wendy does look better now … so what’s your point? I know plenty of women who weren’t into cosmetics in their youth but then learned usually because of their professional lives to enhance their appearance through different clothes, hairstyle, etc. so what??
I would refrain from giving this idiot the attention he is seeking. Let him/her remain anonymous and unknown.
Why give a ridiculous blog like that publicity? She’s in politics – of course looks matter, even if they shouldn’t.
Anonymous posts about public figures in matters of public policy are, almost always, works of cowardice. If you say it, stand by it and stand up for it as publicly as those whom you want to diminish hand degrade. By all means call attention to this pitiful sophomore and her or his blog so we can all see just how tiny she or he is.
Let she who has never dyed her hair, plucked her eyebrows, or learned over years what hairstyles suit her best cast the first stone.
I’ve changed my hairstyle over the past 25 years. I must be a Human Barbie Doll, too.
I’m wondering where they’re going with this. Are they implying there’s something unnatural, maybe even supernatural about her good looks? Is she a vampire? A modern day Elizabeth Báthory? I’m almost inclined to believe this is a parody, especially as they use the ludicrous libertarian wingnut Glenn Reynolds as an example of how people are meant to age….
they are only announcing their rank idiocy to the world…
They must really be scared of Wendy. Typical RepubliScum tactics. Probably Rush “I’m losing sponsors like crazy” Limbaugh will call her a slut next.
I dare any of those people to do what she did. It’s not like they are G. I. Joes.
Oh, right: here’s an articulate, capable, competent and powerful woman who’s messing up our plans. Since she also happens to be pretty we can’t go the usual route and dismiss her as an ugly hag, so let’s question how she got to be so attractive…
They are making fools of themselves. That is a cheap shot.
Keep it up guys. You’re going to really rile up the women of Texas! Then God help you….
If he’s all about personalities he’s got a problem with issues.
The women of Texas are already riled up and so are the men that support them.
Why is a filibuster courageous? Why is some idiot’s blog suddenly the voice of republicans? This article is guilty of the same tomfoolery of the blog in question. Does nobody argue about issues anymore?
A filibuster is a cheap way to prevent lawmaking no matter what side you are on. I guess it’s OK if you really think someone’s freedoms are at risk (and also truly think that your point doesn’t take away the freedoms of others).
But this article and most of the comments here so far have been childish to say the least. Can we divert our attentions to the actual issue?
Sen. Davis took a public stand (literally) for 13 hours on a very divisive public issue. She couldn’t eat, drink or even lean on something throughout. And she made herself a target for political attacks (attacks like the one on the blog we linked to). That’s courageous, and certainly more so than so-called “filibusters” in the U.S. Senate that don’t require a senator to speak at all. We didn’t say that blog is “the voice of Republicans.” But you’re right, whoever wrote it is an idiot (as well as a coward for doing it anonymously). As for focusing attention on the actual issue, we couldn’t agree more — which is one reason why we found that anonymous blog post so offensive and why we called it out.
Go ahead. I like Barbie. She looks a hell of a lot better at 50 than they do. All they got is ugly—and it goes all the way to the bone.
She is our Palin!
I doubt that very much. To qualify her brain would have to be a watermelon, and I don’t know many watermelons with law degrees from Harvard University. Let me guess? Yours is what— Honey Dew?
Moving there in 16 more days!!
so is the war on babies