Biden Puzzles Media With Bryn Mawr Reference

[oberliner]

The Washington Post quoted Biden saying that he had been taken to task for his American-flag lapel pin by a "very attractive woman who looked like she just finished a sociology course at Bryn Mawr college, if you know what I mean." Said The Post: "Judging by the blank reaction, most in his audience appeared not to."

http://www.brynmawr.edu/news/2007-12-06/karen.shtml

Does anyone get what he meant?

[insleeforprez]

1. I would guess that to be a reference

to the woman's sexuality. Perhaps slightly rude.

[oberliner]

3. Why Bryn Mawr?

Is there some commonly held belief about women from that school that he was alluding to?

[1corona4u]

5. Actually, Bryn Mawr

is an all girls school, perfectly prim and proper. It was his way of saying that the girl was prim. Read; straight laced.

Old news, and really, a non issue.

[frazzled]

13. Um, no--Bryn Mawr woman means "smart"

not prim and proper. It is a highly competitive school. Do you think smart women are all "prim and proper"? If so, that's really problematic. Smart women can be sexy, vivacious, provacative (in both senses of that word), and socially engaging. Sheesh, I thought we got rid of this "Margaret Mead" stereotype back in the '70s.

[1corona4u]

16. So, you're saying smart women can't be prim and proper?

FYI, I'm a woman...and I disagree with your objection.

PS-what a stupid topic. I wonder how long it took for the OP to dig up this totally irrelevant quip.:eyes:

[oberliner]

19. Go to news.google.com and type "Biden"

That's where I found it.

I was just hoping someone could explain the reference.

[1corona4u]

20. Well, it was a petty thing to post, and it was nothing

more that a feeble attempt to get "something" out there, that you thought would be an issue. I don't even know why the average rational minded person would care about it at all. I guess that's why the media was baffled...

[oberliner]

23. I like Biden a lot

I just thought it was confusing. Not meant to create an issue at all. Figured there might be someone here who got the reference.

[1corona4u]

24. Then, to show your support, why not PM one of his supporters...

We'd be more than happy to address it, before it becomes a mode of attack for the myopic minded on this board.

[PatSeg]

33. I think the poster really was curious as to what Biden meant

I don't think it was meant to start a negative thread. Being no one here really gets it, I can understand being curious.

[question everything]

38. As we have seen with other issues, we'd better air questions like

that here first. Sooner or later the Republicans will raise it - if Biden does well in Iowa.

Last summer I posted the photo of Obama standing at a respectful attention during the national anthem, while Richardson and Clinton put their hands over their hearts. Some asked about my "motives" (I actually admired Obama's stand) but others provided references to correct etiquette during the pledge and during the national anthem.

Now, when that photo is being circulated by the Republicans to show that Obama is "anti American" I was glad to go back to those references and to respond.

[1corona4u]

2. I do....

[CTyankee]

6. Well, what is it?

I can tell you, I don't get it...

[Fridays Child]

4. In other words, she was not a "real American."

It was arrogant and thoughtless. He threw well-educated, politically savvy Bryn Mawr women under the bus to paint himself as a regular flag-waving guy.

[1corona4u]

8. Oh stop the BS...

he meant she was prim and proper. Nothing more.

[Fridays Child]

9. I'm just as entitled to my interpretation as you are to yours. Now behave yourself.

:spank:

[AngryAmish]

45. wrong

He implied she was a lesbian, not a "real" American. It was a shifty, malacca type statement.

[1corona4u]

11. Yeah, well if you -would have gone to the link, you would have seen this;

For several days, bloggers and commenters offered analyses of the Biden quote. Inside Higher Ed asked an expert on the topic, Sociology Department Chair David Karen. Karen's response: "I don’t know what the senator means. But if Senator Biden is implying that sociology students at Bryn Mawr College are 'very attractive' and more liberal than he is, I wouldn’t spend any time trying to disabuse him of that notion."

CASE CLOSED.

[Think82]

15. In YOUR words

Nice spin, Ms. Now YOU go behave yourself.

[jillan]

21. Where did that come from? She's not an American?

:rofl:

[JerseygirlCT]

43. I don't get it

What is it you're reading into this here?

I'm not sure if there's a Bryn Mawr stereotype or not. My impression is of a very, very good liberal arts women's college. That's about as far as that extends. I imagine some pretty smart and savvy women are to be found there. Beyond that, I'm not sure what he was getting at. But I don't live in the area, either. Perhaps it's a more local thing?

[Warpy]

7. Seemed like a reference to an elitist with a little learning

rather than a slam at anything else. He could just as easily have said Harvard, the type is the same.

I don't think it had more to do with her sexuality than it did with her youth and inexperience plus a little learning adding up to be a dangerous thing, in this case a lecture to someone older and wiser over a triviality.

[pnwmom]

18. I think your guess is the best anyone here has made. Makes sense to me. n/t

[KingOfLostSouls]

10. Irish sarcasm

people with ten foot poles shoved up their ass and no sense of humor wouldn't get it.

[1corona4u]

12. LOL...mountains/molehills.

[KingOfLostSouls]

22. Exactly

I really do hate the "false outrage" squads. OH NO!!! HE SAID SOMETHING THAT WASN'T ALONG THE SCRIPT!!!


you ever watch soccer? it reminds me of that. like you'll see guys running and then some guy falls down and fakes like he got tripped and acts all hurt and outraged, to try to get the other guy a yellow card.

thats what they remind me of

"REF, YELLOW CARD YELLOW CARD!!! HE TRIPPED ME!! WAHHHH!!!"


sorry our candidate is smart, witty, and sharp and doesn't need scripted comments to lead.

[1corona4u]

25. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH HAHAHAHhahahahahahahah hahah

You are so damn funny...

[whirlygigspin]

28. now there's a campaign slogan:

"Take that stick out of your ass and vote Biden"

lol

:rofl:

[1corona4u]

29. Hi Whirly...

Happy Hanukkah!

[1corona4u]

30. AHAHAHAHAHA HAAHAHAHAHAhahahahahahahah ahahahh

OMG.....I can't breathe!!! TOO DAMN FUNNY

[murbley40]

49. Well said!! Best answer.

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. Studious, intellectual, 'Marian the Librarian' type who is slightly

out of touch with the real world, coming out of school knowing everything, but having experienced nothing. Limosine leftist.

Just my interpretation.

[Azathoth]

17. It means she was either a naive know-it-all or a lesbian

Depending on your point of view I guess.

[jillan]

26. Funny - when I read that, I took it that he was complimenting her.

He called her attractive and educated.

What the hell is wrong with that?

[1corona4u]

27. Well, apparently, we have become so PC obsessed in this country...

that you can't say ANYTHING anymore. Pretty soon, we won't even be able to say HI-because someone will think we are accusing them of being on drugs, LOL...

[jillan]

31. I can imagine the threads we will be seeing after the first of the year.

This is as petty as we can get! I'm waiting for someone to call him a racist because he said this :rofl:

[ginchinchili]

32. I know. I guess they want their candidates canned.

Nothing like well-filtered double speak to fire up Americans.

[PatSeg]

34. Everyone is over reacting

This is not a criticism, just a question.

[Stop Cornyn]

35. I'm presuming that whatever Biden meant, he lost votes at Bryn Mawr and among alumna.

[ecolt]

36. An Alumna's POV

Non-issue...BUT...

For the record, I graduated from Bryn Mawr seven months ago. And, no, the stereotype of Bryn Mawr (particularly with the "know what I mean" added) is not prim and straitlaced, nor is it "limosine leftist."

Bryn Mawr is very well known as a liberal college with a strong commitment to feminist ideals. Not the same as Harvard stereotypes at all. Saying that someone was a sociology major at Harvard would probably be taken to mean that he or she was well educated, probably wealthy, liberal in that general east coast way and a bit out of touch with reality. Applying it to Bryn Mawr specifically means that it's a woman, much farther to the left, and more than likely gay. At the very least, it seems to me (someone who has heard stereotypes and insults about Bryn Mawr from inside and outside) that he was implying that the woman was a massive b*tch, another of the stereotypes.

You could say that Biden's meaning was that a well-educated and self-confident woman (and don't you just love that he had to mention her attractiveness, as though that mattered) who disagrees with him is a joke. Losing votes at Bryn Mawr doesn't really matter to him, since it's a very small school that tends to be a bit more left-wing than he is (and, as of last spring, he wasn't high on the list of candidates you heard people talking about). He just took a cheap potshot at feminists, academics, and quite possibly lesbians all in one little comment.

[1corona4u]

37. Yeah, right...

I'm so sick of people who twist every word someone says into their own little psychosis. People who psychoanalyze
everything, like they were IN that person's head when it was said.....

Just happened upon the topic, did ya?


Welcome to the board...

[Eurobabe]

39. Egads Bryn MAWH

I went to college right up the street from there at Villanova. Bryn Mawr is synonymous with Main Line upper crust. Air's a little rarified there.

Maybe Joe was just making a little off the cuff joke?

[silverweb]

41. Exactly!

I lived in Haverford for a while many years ago and took a couple of courses at Villanova.

Mother was so veddy pleased and told everyone that I was living in the "Main Line" ... poor thing never quite forgave me from moving away from there.

:rofl:

[1corona4u]

44. Spot on....

and not only that, but apparently it's now a crime to say someone is attractive....what the fuck is this world coming to...pretty soon we won't need "freedom of speech", because it will all be so sterilized, to not to offend anyone...we'll just be walking around like a bunch of cyborgs...all saying the same thing...

[Eurobabe]

46. seriously, last night I was at a Lebanese rest.

and there was a belly dancer, she was quite beautiful. My husband and I were saying how to most westerners belly dancing is "objectification of women." insert eyes rolling here.

:eyes: :eyes:

[fujiyama]

40. OMG! ROFL!

WTF is with Biden and his dopey ass comments?

Then again everyone says he has a bad incurable case of "foot in mouth" disease.

[rucky]

42. I pick my presidents by what they wear on their lapels. n/t

[youthere]

47. Not me...I pick my presidents by their tipping habits.

[zulchzulu]

48. It's a Tri-State area joke!

Bryn Mawr College is known to the snooty Greenville set as a place where they hand out degrees like condoms at the Chester jail. It's like going to Charcoal Pit and ordering a salad if ya know what I mean...