Fox News slipup brings issue of military sexism to the forefront

Once again, a Fox News host has made an insensitive remark on air, leading to national outrage. This time, however, it is not just average citizens who are upset; members of the U.S. military are also furious. Last week, Fox News host Eric Bolling referred to the United Arab Emirates’ first female fighter pilot, Mariam Al Mansouri, as “boobs on the ground” because she is a woman. Not only did Bolling make a ridiculously sexist comment, but his colleague, Greg Gutfield, also made a joke about Al Mansouri’s inability to park her aircraft because she is a woman. “After she bombed it, she couldn’t park it,” Gutfeld said.

In response to Bolling’s comments, Fox News began receiving letters from viewers, including the military, chastising him for his insensitivity. According to New York Magazine, Bolling apologized, saying, “I’m sorry for what I said. I believe that Major Al Mansouri is a hero. She’s courageous, brave and she deserves our praise and not inappropriate jokes. She has my admiration and my very, very sincere gratitude.” Gutfield, however, did not directly apologize for his comment. Instead, he quipped that viewers should know he “makes very hacky jokes knowing that they are hacky.” On top of that, he added, “And of course, women in the UAE can drive. That’s the real joke …They can drive, and I can’t. I don’t even have a driver’s license.” It’s an understatement to characterize these comments as upsetting.

According to New York Magazine, male and female American veterans involved with the Truman Project wrote an open letter to Bolling and Gutfield in which they said the hosts’ remarks about Al Mansouri were “unwarranted, offensive, and fundamentally opposed to what the military taught [them] to stand for,” and that the attitudes expressed by these two might potentially weaken the fight against ISIS.

“We need to send a clear message that anyone, male or female, who will stand up to ISIS and get the job done is worthy of our respect and gratitude,” read the open letter.

With this outrage from the military, however, questions of sexism’s portrayal in the military arise. There has always been an inclination to deny women the right to serve in the military, as evidenced by the years of struggle it took for them to finally be allowed into the military. Because of the stereotype that women cannot handle the physical and emotional rigor of the military, a culture of sexism has arisen within the ranks, despite the best efforts of those trying to combat it. According to USA Today, the struggle to make sexism equivalent to that of racial slurs has been in progress for almost two years. The permissive environment that has been created, however, seems to have trickled down to even the military academies where, if such issues are not dealt with soon, the culture of sexism within the military will only get worse.

According to Time, the Pentagon found this year that sexism is routine in military academies. In fact, there have been incidents at West Point and the Air Force involving documents or emails that were offensive to women, and apparently, “many students at the academies see sexual assault and crude behavior as an almost accepted part of their academy experience.” For some people, though, the experience of programs similar to Reserve Officers’ Training Corps in college was better than in high school.

According to the Harvard Crimson, Carolyn F. Pushaw, one of the university’s Naval ROTC students, said that when she was in high school, she took part in a military-style program that was not connected to ROTC. She found it to be a somewhat negative experience.

“There was surprisingly a lot of sexism,” Pushaw said. Pushaw also “found that in ROTC it’s a lot more equal.” While everyone’s experience in ROTC or the military academies might be different, there could very well be a correlation of differences in regards to the amount of sexism displayed in ROTC as compared to military academies.

Though Fox News failed in an attempt to convey the news because of the network’s misogynistic and insensitive comments, the need to address sexism in the military is essential. The comments are a reminder that the media is not the only breeding ground for sexism. The lift of the ban on women to serve on the front lines last year has been a step in the right direction for gender equality, but there is still a long way to go. Hopefully, with stricter programs cracking down on gender inequality and sexism within the military, the institution can continue to grow positively and continue being the incredible force that valiantly serves this country so selflessly, to which we are all thankful for. As Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said in regard to women who are allowed to serve on the front lines, it is “the responsibility of every citizen to protect the nation.” The need to respect women has never been more crucial.

Chelsea Hernandez is a senior majoring in English (creative writing). Her column, “Foot in Mouth,” runs Wednesdays.