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November 7, 2011

Sexual “Hermaneutics”: Bialek Accuses Cain

By Michael Shaw

Image001

Am I supposed to take this seriously, exploring its importance in terms of: gender roles and gender politics; or the ethics of the GOP candidates and the height of that bar; or the specific character of Herman Cain? Am I supposed to delve into the optics of the white blonde woman who was propositioned by the powerful black executive, and the disapproving expression of the famous legal defender of wronged women? Or, is this primarily a visual which, on a slow news day, serves as info-tainment, a bit of a buzz and a distraction from things that matter more?

Update: I appreciate the critique from the readership for being dismissive, and also failing to wrestle with the visual.  (I might have been thrown by the FOX, NY Post and the double-helping of TMZ). Here are some more specific thoughts:

1. Hate to say it, but a lot of people are going to judge the former Revlon employee and former TV cooking show co-host on that full figure and all the blonde hair.

2. Bialek loses something as an independent voice standing next to the TV personality and big game hunter, Ms. Allred. How much more effective would this scene have been if  Nathan Goldberg, Allred’s law partner, was standing beside Ms. Bialek, or between her and Gloria? She’s baggage.

3. Because almost everything political these days seems to share some resonance with the Occupy movement, Ms. Bialek’s accusations function as one more indictment of corporate culture. And, to the extent that culture remains male-dominated, her presence only emphasizes how much Cain and other executive 1%-ers (boys with their toys) feel they can play by their own set of rules.

4. Like “futurebird” below, I’m also curious how the racial politics play out. If this allegation (by a white, blonde Republican, and former fundraiser for Easter Seals) was directed at a black Democrat, I imagine we’d see a racist subtext running through involving black male hyper-sexuality and lust for white women. Because Cain’s constituency is primarily a white conservative audience, however, I think the dynamics are a little different. If conservatives rally around him, I imagine this will make Republican’s even more color-blind when it comes to Cain. On the other hand, if the allegations, from Bialek and others, do stick, I could see how Cain’s skin color and those racist stereotype might suddenly become a whole lot more present in the mind of those right-wingers.

(Note: post retitled from: “Cain Grabbed My Genitals”)

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  • Anonymous

    Yes!

    • Alex

      I agree.  Take it seriously on all of those levels.  This is the only woman I have seen who has been legally able or willing to go on the record about Herman Cain’s harassment.  She’s blond; he’s black.  So?!?  Must we have a slow news day for a candidate’s sexual misconduct to be highlighted?  Unfortunately, yes. Does it have to be a black man harassing a white woman to get such a photo? Unfortunately, yes.  Should you take the gender politics seriously?  Oh YES!  

      Today’s toxic politics– gender, racial, sexual, class– demand that we look carefully at any image we get from the mainstream media that even begins to reflect the world that the majority of us live in.  Am I sorry that this is the reality?  I am sorry that some people don’t recognize that it is. 

  • bks

    Herminator meet the Terminator.  Gloria Allred terminated Meg Whitman and now she terminating Herman Cain.   After saying that he was done talking about it, CNN is reporting that Cain will have a press conference tomorrow.   Never underestimate Gloria.  To paraphrase A CEO I knew, “She doesn’t f*ck around.”

        –bks

  • psychohistorian

    To futurebird’s question about whether Ms Hill. or this “white blonde woman” will be shown more respect, IMO the answer will obviously be reflected in the effectiveness of her actions.  If it, along with the stories of others bring Cain’s campaign to an end, then she will end up being shown more respect.  If the owned media can spin this shit as effectively as they did with Ms. Hill then the answer gets a bit murkier as will be reflected in the execution the ”white blonde woman” gets from the media.

    Good question though!

  • bks

    _Washinton Examiner_ has a fifth woman:

    http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/article/fifth-woman-raises-questions-about-cains-behavior

    I’ll make popcorn for tomorrow’s press conference.

        –bks

  • BooksAlive

    Listening to the press conference on XM radio, I had no idea of what the accuser looked like. CNN broadcast the entire statement. Then, Gloria Borger, asked her opinion by Wolf Blitzer, proceeded to muddy the story by professing that she didn’t know if Bialek was working for Cain at the time. Was Borger called on for analysis without even listening to the woman? Talking heads who don’t know important details yet barrel on with their analysis bother me immensely.

    Later in the day, I heard reporters refer to Bialek’s boyfriend as a pediatrician,  bolstering the truthfulness of her story.

  • Tardigrades

    My first impression was some one “smooshed” the photo or that woman on the right really has her nose out of joint. Sorry. 

  • Glenn

    Strictly on the visual alone – I was surprised that Bialek chose to present herself as she did. The conventional wisdom would be to appear more conservative, perhaps tie her hair back, tone down the makeup or lose the jewelry. OTOH, I admire her bravery in allowing herself to appear feminine and attractive rather than somber. She is who she is, and why should what someone else did to her make her change her appearance?

    Also, I’m amused that the TMZ superimposed over Gloria Allred looks like a crown on her head.

  • http://twitter.com/Screaming_Head The Screaming Head

    She’s too fat for America to care. Now the next accuser, Karen Kfashdoiraheifr (LOL), is hot, and I bet anything that they are going to come out with pictures of how hot she was 10 years ago when this sexual harassment allegedly happened. Then you’ll get the racial blowback.

    http://thepurpletruth.blogspot.com

  • Bugboy

    Something smells very Rovian about all this.  Caine never had a chance at the nomination with these “skeletons” in his closet, and his backers had to know it.  His backers are whom?  The Koch brothers?  It all seems rather staged to me.   They are all enjoying Citizens United.

    Caine is simply fluffing his book tour, he can’t lose.  What has Gingrich done for the last few cycles? He’s toured the talking head circuit hawking his latest “book” and threatened to run for President.

  • Bobby Hawk

    Allred is the same attorney that is brought in by the democratic-socialist party each time they need to destroy an opposing candidates character.

    She was used against Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003 where an ex-stunt woman claimed sexual assault, the suit was eventually dismissed 

    She was used again in 2010 against Meg Whitman in the waining hours of her California gubernatorial campaign, making allegations of misconduct related to an illegal mexican worker 

    She was used in 2011 against democratic-socialist Anthony Weiner, when she represented porn star Ginger Lee. This resulted in the expulsion of Anthony Weiner and a recall election that did not occur as the democratic-Socailist party had assumed.  They have since deleted the district in New York. 

    She has been brought in now at the peek of Herman Cain’s success to bring un justified allegations against him of sexual misconduct again using a witnesses of no creditability. Further the woman who actually made claims against Mr Cain, now refuses to speak out Karen Kraushaar

    She is the last line of defense in the democratic-socialist machine used to crush the opposition with any form of allegation she can bring publicly.  This appears as yet another political character assignation, undertaken by the democratic – socialist party against their opposition. 

  • futurebird

    “She’s blond; he’s black.  So?!? ”

    So this is a site where we talk about the visual resonance of news images and often their deeper roots in cultural semantics. These things are immaterial to her accusation and McCains actions. But they do activated certain stereotypes and tropes.Most of my friends are waiting to see if she’ll be treated with more or less respect than Ms. Hill was when she went after a round-headed black conservative.

  • Glenn

    In view of Alex’s comment regarding the racial aspect – Michael, it would be interesting to compare visuals and other context between the Bialek/Cain incident and the recent Dominque Strauss-Kahn incident, where it was a black woman accusing a white man. I know at some point the accuser held a press conference. I certainly know that her character was held up for criticism, whether deservingly or not.

  • Bobby Hawk

    All one need do is look at the historical use of Allred in specific Republican campaign situations to discover the truth behind this character assassination.

    2003 used against gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger 
    2010 used against gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman 
    2011 used against senator Anthony Weiner (to bring down one of their own who was out of control)
    2011 used against Herman Cain in a public character assassination, by an un-credible witness

    Ms Allerd seems to be the last line of defense used by the democratic-socialist party in an attempt to destroy credible opposition to their cause.  There exists after all a history of these same types of events, they are not therefore random in their occurrence. 

  • Alex

    Interesting?  McCain? I’m afraid that ”’Ms. Hill” was treated with no respect, and I expect that this woman will be treated with even less.

    But you are right, futurebird.  I look at this site because I can not read pictures.  I am a word person, and the words I see right now scare me.  My response was gut–you know… if this is the best we can hope for, then what…..? 

  • karen h.

    You may be right, she may be treated differently than Anita Hill and that may be due to race. Of course, two decades have passed since the Clarence Thomas hearings and I do wonder if the credibility issue will have more to do with the imbalance in gender power levels than race. Perhaps gender/power issues, without which sexual harassment or even assault wouldn’t happen, will determine the reaction to this accuser’s account. 

    Hard to know at this point.

  • futurebird

    I expect she will be treated with more respected. White women are generally taken more seriously in these types of situations. Oh and I mean “Cain” –doh.

  • Anonymous

    Of course S-K’s  character was definitely held up for criticism.

  • Anonymous

    Of course S-K’s  character was definitely held up for criticism.

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