April 8, 2013

Google Logo Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm

Come see me speak about benevolent sexism & Kamala Harris TODAY at HuffPostLive!

By Melanie Tannenbaum

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

I am incredibly excited to announce that I will be part of a panel today at HuffPost Live discussing the media uproar over Obama's recent Kamala Harris compliment. Along the same lines of my last two blog posts, I'll be explaining what benevolent sexism is, discussing how it might relate to this fiasco, and trying as hard as I can to effectively convey the point that you can note how Obama's remark is indicative of a wider cultural problem/tendency yet still think that Obama himself is actually a good guy/not a "sexist"/generally does really good things for women. We'll see. I have come to learn recently that the Internet is really not a very huge fan of nuance.

ANYWAY, if you would like to watch the panel, see me speak about all of this stuff, learn more about my thoughts on the matter, or generally be part of what will surely be a very interesting discussion, please tune in this afternoon/evening at 5:30 EST (4:30 CST)! The discussion will last about 30 minutes, and here is the link for the livestream: http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/how-to-talk-about-a/515eeebe78c90a2f2e0001d2

The discussion should also be archived after the event, so if you cannot catch it, no worries! You can always watch it later on.

Melanie Tannenbaum is a freelance writer and science communications consultant currently living in the Bay Area. She received her Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2015, where her research focused on the science of persuasion and motivation regarding political, environmental, and health-related behavior. For more info, see her personal website.

More by Melanie Tannenbaum

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe