Michael Bloomberg, a self made billionaire and mayor of New York, values women based on the shape of their ass and the height of the heel. Take a look at New York Magazine’s article on Christine Quinn.
Bloomberg seems like a total prick, but that’s not what’s shocking. What is shocking is the way Christine Quinn deals with it. Christine Quinn is the Speaker of New York City Council; in other words, on par with the Mayor. When she goes to meet with the Mayor, Bloomberg complains if her heels are too flat, her shoes too comfortable or she’s wearing pants. It’s not clear that she has ever pushed back on his complaints – it actually seems like she has toed the line.
And where has it gotten her? Christine Quinn has been a loyal and productive partner to Bloomberg for nearly a decade. She even quarterbacked a change in the law that allowed Bloomberg to grab a third term. She and the rest of New York are waiting on him to endorse her as his replacement. Not only has he not endorsed her, he has actively sought other candidates to run against her. Turns out judging her on her shoes was not merely about cosmetics – it was about respect. No partner or even protégé – Bloomberg regards her as his inferior.
Bloomberg’s conduct is not new. Men and women judge woman on silly criteria all the time. It’s the women that enrage me. How can you think that a guy who tells you how to dress, look and act isn’t also thinking in the back of his mind that you are not equal, not worthy, not up to the task. If you’re a woman who takes it because you’re making a bargain with some kind of devil, you’re never going to get your soul back. You will always be scraping for acceptance. You need to stop catering to such ridiculous ideas of your worth. You need to demand that you get to be yourself – productive, smart, competitive, sometimes better, and always free. Maybe if you don’t kowtow to his standards of femininity, you won’t need his endorsement to climb.
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