Thought for the day, 1 March 2025
RNZ: don't be dicks.
Photos of politicians carry weight, especially in a social media-orientated world. Editorial choice around photos sends deliberate signals.
[Picture description: An irrelevant and unflattering photo of the Prime Minister eating.]
Sometimes photos are chosen to lionise politicians: think a triumphant Trump after a bullet grazed his ear. Sometimes they're chosen to belittle. You can almost trace a politician's career arc by the flattering-ness of their photos over time.
And there are a bunch of problems with this.
We actually need to judge politicians by their policies and performance: an old-fashioned concept, I know.
Unflattering photos are the thin end of a crappy wedge. Judging people by their looks is the most basic of playground-taunting behaviour. Most of us wouldn't let our kids do it, so let's aim for better as grown ups.
Everywhere and always, when judging politicians by their looks is accepted, that judgement falls far more heavily on women than men. If you don’t believe me, ask yourself: by what physical feature do you know Jacinda Ardern? What aspect of her face has been mocked by hundreds on hundreds of memes? You know, right? But John Key, or Bill English, other male Prime Ministers before her? I guarantee you can’t name an aspect of their appearances so relentlessly made fun of.
The odd time men get judged by their appearances, it gets used as a way to legitimise what is a very clear gender bias.1 Lighten up ladies - it’s a joke! It happens to men too! About four percent of the time! But still! Where’s your sense of humour? Smile more, unless you have big teeth.
Judgement of women politicians’ appearances is a gateway. Open it, and all kind of effluent flows through - against women of colour, queer women, and trans and non-binary people. That effluent turns into actual threats and intimidation pretty damn quick.
That same judgement is way more likely to be weaponised against progressive or left politicians. Again, compare the mockery of Jacinda Ardern’s appearance to the mockery of Judith Collins, her opponent in the 2020 general election, and tell me it’s not a thing.
Men are people too. There are boys out there, growing up seeing stuff like this. If we want them to become awesome men, happy and healthy, focused on the content of their characters, we need to send the message they will not be judged by how they look - will not be expected to switch off their feelings and look some way or other for the camera. We should want better for our future leaders of every gender.
Christopher Luxon is allowed to eat. He’s allowed to eat without mockery: doesn't matter what you think of him. We all are.
No politician is beyond criticism - but if we don't respect their humanity, their dignity, it gets harder to make the case for our own.
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