The Election Debate - a masculine space?

[Peabody]

Now, I'm a bit drunk and quite tired, so I'm not sure how long I can stay with this. But I am starting to feel that these debates could potentially turn off some women because they are so masculine.

To qualify such an outrageous statement, I'd like to cite the tired old cliche that men are about competition and women about co-operation. Looking at the body language of the election debate, it could be argued that three men jostled for alpha male position. Some women are uncomfortable with confrontation and agression. They don't like to see one person get humiliated for another to score a point. Is the debate format, as it currently exists, a masculine space that could alienate female viewers/listeners?

(I'm just interested in this as a question to discuss - I have an open mind on this)

It's a masculine space because all three candidates are male

and yes they are jostling for alpha male position as they want the top job in the country

or am I not looking deep enough into your argument

Uh, thanks, CaptainUnderpants. Think I'll go to bed and discuss this with DH.

bet he is really looking forward to that

Wish they'd invited Caroline Lucas as Leader of the Green Party! (only female Leader of a political party in the UK)

She would have been brilliant.

Well, PeaB, I'm just a bit drunk, and I've been up all night, but I quite like seeing politicians humiliated, I think we're entitled to our money's worth.

Particularly, as a struggling single parent, I remember the humiliation I was subjected to by the likes of Peter Lilley and his 'I have a Little List' speech in 1992 as Secretary of State at the DSS, when all the while, the Chateau Lafite those grasping, avaricious bastards were spilling down their Jermine Street shirt fronts and claiming on expenses was more than I got in a month to keep my kids on.

Peabody, I think you've got a point, the format of these 'debates' was particularly bad as there was almost no interaction between the candidates & hence no opportunity to really get to the bottom of what divides the candidates & why. Also no real opportunity for finding consensus, should any exist. In fact I think the whole election/parliamentary system is masculine in that sense, it is not the debate/knock about/disagreements per se, it is the fact that there must be a clear winner, there is no room for compromise or changing your mind (heinous political sins). However, there is hope on that front I think as clearly gb & DC realize they can't afford to piss off nc in case they need him later. So in some areas they seem to be prepared to negotiate. Proportional representation would be a massive step forward too.

This is the reason why a proportional representation system would be more favourable to women, both as parliamentarians and as voters. It encourages co-operation as opposed to adversarialism.