Last week, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) made some news by disclosing in a new book that older male Senate colleagues have commented on her weight in the halls of Congress, with one cautioning her not to "get porky" and another saying, "I like my girls chubby." See, said Jon Stewart on Tuesday night's Daily Show, even when it comes to rank sexism, "the Senate is gridlocked!"
Jokes aside, Stewart's point is a serious one: The Senate is stocked with old men who grope and make sexist comments to their female colleagues. And judging by the lack of surprise from women who've spent time covering Congress, there are probably more than a few of these guys. "Now, I'm not saying these comments would be appropriate in any context," Stewart said, "but there's a certain irony to being judged on one's physical appearance by a group of men who, if you squint, look, on a good day, like a bowl of dried fruit." He then made a slightly ruder comparison.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster showSpeed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top GrammysSpeed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own roomSpeed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talksSpeed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tourSpeed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamationSpeed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box officeSpeed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
