Here We Go Again

[Content Note: Misogyny; dehumanization.]

Time's latest cover features a silhouette of Hillary Clinton, positioned so that the points of the M in their masthead function as horns:

cover of Time as above described, featuring text reading: 'THE CLINTON WAY: They write their own rules. Will it work this time?'

After being called out on it, Time's response was to post a short piece titled: "34 TIME Magazine Covers That Appeared to Give People Horns," linking to a Buzzfeed piece showing a similar thing happening to other cover figures, and concluding: "Any resemblance to cats, bats or devil horns is entirely coincidental."

Oh. I guess it doesn't matter then.

Except.

Time has repeatedly been made aware of this dynamic, so it's a pretty paltry excuse to say, "Oh, this happens a lot; no intent to literally demonize Hillary Clinton; it's just a coincidence."

Because even if it wasn't their intent to cast as a devil a woman who is "writing her own rules," it is their basic responsibility to not feed into misogynist narratives about powerful, rule-breaking women, who are routinely dehumanized as monsters, witches, harpies, demons, devils.

Which is to say nothing of the fact that Hillary Clinton, as an individual woman, has been subjected to shit like Hardball segments asking "She-Devil?"

"Entirely coincidental" isn't good enough. Not by a long shot.

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