Among the nicest things the Democratic smear machine called Sarah Palin was "Caribou Barbie." Just about everything else they called her was much worse.
The term "Caribou Barbie" started within days of Palin's nomination for Veep in August 2008. By September 2, 2008, the term was spreading throughout the left-blogosphere, as
Michelle Malkin noted at the time.
The term so took hold that it even was the subject of an
SNL skit in October 2008, with Palin delivering the punch line in an attempt to make light of the term.
It later was used by NY Times columnist
Maureen Dowd:
"Caribou Barbie is one nutty puppy."
The treatment of Palin was sexist --
including liberal women who mocked Trig Palin and thought it the worst thing in the world that Palin had the audacity to bring him on stage with her -- but not just because of the term "Caribou Barbie." That term was the least of it.
The "Caribou Barbie" name was part of the myriad of accompanying
photoshops and
sexualizations of her, using any excuse to make
sex jokes. Palin wasn't just turned into any Barbie, but a
sexy librarian and
bikini model not just in the blogosphere, but from stars such as
Stephen Colbert.
With Palin it wasn't just the use of the term "Barbie," it was the full package of sexualized attacks, including from
mainstream publications.
[caption id="attachment_66047" align="alignnone" width="400"]
(Newsweek magazine, feature article, November 23, 2009)[/caption]
