Gendered hate speech and political discourse in recent U.S. elections and in postsocialist Hungary

Abstract

Illustrates gendered political discourse in the U.S. through a case study of the 2008 presidential campaign. While the campaign turned into a plebiscite on gender and sexual politics with Hillary Clinton and other female political figures depicted in the most traditionally misogynist terms, Barack Obama has in some leftist circles been seen as an empathetic figure who transcends both race and gender, although from the political right he has been attacked with racist and feminizing stereotyped invectives. In turn, in Hungary, deep-seated gender stereotypes continue not only unchallenged in post-socialist society but in public discourse have actually gone backwards. While the rise of masculinism is the primary characteristic of gender relations in Hungary today, ironically it also forms the bedrock of Western liberal democracy where gender stereotypes are deep-seated and where the backlash against women in the public sphere has been ongoing. © Purdue University.