Demeaning is in the eye of the beholder

Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla is shedding light on the short-sightedness of Internet software like Google Adwords: apparently, the bits and pieces are showing poor judgment in choosing which sites to place Government of Canada ads on, including a site that demeans women by showing them naked. See the article here.

Now, I am the last person who will defend posting GoC  ads on such websites. But the concern about demeaning women is a little over the top, especially coming from a Liberal MP. After all, these are the same people who think that maternal and child health in developing countries must include abortion, a mentally and physically damaging procedure. How is the commoditization of childbirth and childrearing working for us after all? Divorce rates are soaring, as are rates of paediatric mental illness and rates of weak-men-who-can’t commit and women-who-have-much-better-things-to-do-than-mothering.

It reminded me of a recent episode of House where the “good doctor” meets a starry-eyed idealist medical student (see Office Politics). Asked if she would lie to a patient to save his life she answers “Of course not!” then asked if she would lie to her grandma after receiving an ugly tea cozie for Christmas she said she would… “but that’s not the same thing!”. House replies “So you won’t lie when it matters but you will when it doesn’t. Congratulations: you’re fired!”

Apparently, demeaning women by making sure they don’t learn the nitty-gritty about abortion is fine… as long as you don’t show them naked. That would be demeaning.

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