Have You Come a Long Way, Baby, Since 2008?: One Major Step Forward with Missteps Along the Way

Abstract

ABSTRACT The 2020 American election saw a record-breaking number of women vying for the Democratic presidential nomination and ended with Kamala Harris shattering the second-highest, hardest glass ceiling—the vice presidency. This significant event should not be taken for granted, but it is a mistake to assume sexism is no longer prevalent in American politics. This essay furthers our 2009 analysis of media frames that applied Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s archetypes of women leaders—iron maiden, sex object, mother, pet—to coverage of women seeking the presidency and vice presidency since 2008. We find substantial evidence that the iron maiden and sex object are still common frames and evolved based on changing trends, specific women, and racial stereotypes. We conclude by arguing these frames have real-world implications for how women candidates are evaluated and how they might impact a woman’s chances to win the presidency.