Blog #22

Sotomayor, was discussed in the media during her nomination to the Supreme Court. Not only were the news reports but also reviews from professional organization and an extensive number of comedian skit about her and the investigation process. There was a great deal of media input that illustrated the gender and race bias she faced. One of the most grievous offenses was the extensive discussion in the media of her temperament. Her detractors described her as outspoken, difficult, temperamental and excitable. The gender bias is an expectation for a woman to have soft and kind demeanor. Aggression and directness are considered masculine characteristics and while they are characteristics that have carried her far in her carried and qualified her as an astute and effective lawyer they were used against her in the media. Scott Moss form the University of Colorado Law school, stated: “ [S]ome of the complaints struck me as suspiciously common attacks on outspoken, high-powered women. How many men are criticized for being "very outspoken"? Do Sotomayor's critics see it as a bad thing that [Supreme Court Justice Antonin] Scalia frequently is "overly aggressive" on the bench and in his notoriously entertaining public speeches?” He concluded that these type A characteristics were praised in men but used against Sotomayor. The racial bias fell more toward the low expectation Anglo’s had for Latinos. In review of the literature it was point out that for Anglos in general there is little to no differentiation in subtypes of Latino Americans and that seen as a group the stereotype is that they are not smart, can be lazy unreliable and aggressive. A host of unsubstantiated comments were offered about Sotomayor not being bright enough for the job. Throughout May 09 comments suggesting she was “not so bright” circulated and were repeated despite her clear exception performance in school and in her career. For people who hold the stereotype about limited capabilities there is easy acceptance of general suggestion of this deficiency. Clearly as a woman reaching beyond expectation of Americans at large the immediate resistance leap to the low level of prejudice.