Mothers and Whores: The Relationship between Popular Culture and Women in Politics

Abstract

This research paper argues that the intimate link between popular culture stereotypes and the media manifests in, and influences, the experience of women in politics. It analyses two major stereotypes and applies these themes to the 2008 campaign coverage of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin. These examples are used to support the argument that female politicians receive asymmetrical media treatment relative to their peers as a result of popular culture stereotyping.