Condoleezza and sexism

[Amy Z]

Amanda:

> > > Should I mention the couple of articles in reputable magazines 
> that
> > > referred to her as "Condi"?

John:
 
> > As, I might say, do several prominent members of the Bush-Cheney
> > 
> administration. ::cougharifleischercough:: 
::coughjohnashcroftcough::
> > ::coughcolinpowellcough::

Caius:
 
> the sort of latitude traditionally allowed between intimates 

Certain journalists *love* to imitate this kind of thing.  Thus she's 
"Condi" so that the reporter can hint that he/she rubs shoulders with 
Rice, Ashcroft, Fleischer, and Powell and doesn't just quiz them at 
press conferences.  I think it's affected, but not necessarily 
sexist--know what I mean?

And while it is fine for Ari, John, and Colin <ahem> to *call* her 
Condi face to face--presumably this is what her friends and colleagues 
do call her--I still find it a tad affected (again, not sexist) when 
they do so in public settings.  E.g. my dh had the writer Tobias Wolff 
as a teacher, and no one who knows him calls him Tobias; he is Toby.  
Nevertheless, when discussing his fiction with others, he refers to 
him as Tobias Wolff, the name on the book jacket.  To do otherwise 
would be name-dropping: it sends the message, "I'm in the inner 
circle."

Pardon me, I'm off to read Bill Buckley's column.

Amy Z