Hillary Clinton and the adage of what they call you v. what you answer to
On Tuesday of this week (1/15), National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation broadcast a five-minute segment called, “First-Name Basis?”. Here’s the teaser:
Listeners comment on the implications of calling women by their first names and men by their surnames, and NPR Ombudsman Lisa Shepard talks about gender references and reporting.
Shepard and host, Neal Conan, review how, when Hillary Clinton was more or less “just” Bill’s wife, reporters called her “Mrs. Clinton.” Then, when she became a U.S. Senator from New York, reporters referred to her as “Senator Clinton.” Now, in her bid for the White House, her candidate materials typically refer to her as “Hillary.”
Yet, during the Democratic presidential candidate debates, the fact that some of the candidates are being called by their surnames only, as in “Edwards” or “Obama,” while Clinton is called “Hillary” has provoked a variety of reactions. Some NPR listeners’ letters express the feeling that calling her “Hillary” is derogatory, while others think that it’s respectful since it’s how Clinton wants to be addressed.
According to Shepard,
…the safest most correct thing is to call her Senator Clinton…Referring to her as “Mrs” I do think is denigrating. Last week she was referred to on All Things Considered as “Mrs. Clinton” and this was a story about “Mrs. Clinton will go home and huddle with her husband,” and I got a lot of e-mails about that…
Shepard says that people who have covered Clinton since the early 1990s have a hard habit to break because they called her “Mrs. Clinton” for eight years. Now, however, Shepard urges the media to be respectful and “…Call her Senator, which she is.”
This kind of name game is not new and the more permutations we develop, the more questions arise. As someone who freely uses all three of her names (Jill Miller Zimon) as well as “just plain” “Jill Zimon” (especially when it comes to signing zillions of ordinary forms, as opposed to IRS forms etc.), the last thing I am suggesting is that those of us who do what I do (use more than one form of our entire name) are unwitting contributors to the problem.
Rather, we need to get the law and common sense to come forward with us, rather than leave conventions alone and be forced to fit into a paradigm that no longer reflects the choices we make or that are available.
What do I mean? Let me give you an example:
During the 2006 election cycle, a lawyer by the name of Jennifer Martinez Atzberger, who currently works with the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland and using all three of her names, was thrown off a judicial candidate ballot for juvenile court judge because an opponent charged that she used her husband’s name, Atzberger, professionally, and only added “Martinez” to her campaign literature and filings in order to get Hispanic votes. However, Martinez Atzberger provided information to the hearing officers that indicated use of both her names, together and also indicated that on her driver’s license, she was forced to choose only one name because the license bureau could not fit her entire three name moniker on the license.
Imagine how this kind of scrutiny could wreak havoc in states that are cracking down without logic on voter identification practices. While I accept the burden to be as consistent as possible in terms of voter registration, driver’s license, social security and other government forms, utility bills and other secondary forms of ID may very well not have the same name, especially if your bills are in a spouse or significant other’s name. And lapses happen. When I got married, I didn’t know until about two or three years later that I lost all my frequent flier miles because I changed my name to include my spouse’s last name. There was no question that “Jill Miller” and “Jill Miller Zimon” were one and the same, but for the purposes of the miles plan, I ceased to exist between the time I got married and the time I changed my registration with the program to reflect that change – since all my travel arrangements after I married reflected my “Jill Miller Zimon” name – which isn’t what was on my frequent flier card.
Oy.
What does Former First Lady and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton who is married to Bill Clinton and therefore also legally Mrs. Clinton want to be called?
I’m guessing there’s really only one answer she would give: President.
11 Responses to “Hillary Clinton and the adage of what they call you v. what you answer to”
“her candidate materials typically refer to her as 'Hillary.'”
Superficial, like the voters she is targeting…
I think that she is called Hillary to differentiate her from her husband and not for any gender bias reason. Wasn't George W Bush referred to as W for much of his campaign for the presidency to reduce confusion with his father? We could refer to her as Rodham, but that would make Wonkette's job too easy.
And how many times have you heard just “Newt”?
“Hillary for President” screams her website and assorted campaign paraphernalia.
It can be said with love.
It can be said with respect.
Or it can be said with absolute visceral hatred (often accompanied by some level of wild-eyedness).
Regardless, she started it. It's her branding. And now Senator Clinton must live with it.
Idiosyncrat – interestingly, the report only once used language that suggested that Clinton prefers “Hillary” – there's no suggestion that I've seen that she actually cares. Rather, it's been listeners reacting to how journalists and others refer to her. Again – I suspect so long as she gets to “President,” she doesn't much care what she's called.
Mira – that was discussed in the piece and I believe you're right. When I write about her, I refer to her as Hillary Clinton and then Clinton if I'm in the same piece. People know I'm not talking about Bill Clinton, and if I was talking about him? I'd be saying “that former *%^@#$” of a president…
No – not really, just kidding. But I would just call him Bill Clinton or the former president.
DLS – why is it superficial to call people by their first name? I'm missing your point. As for journalists calling him Newt during debates, I'm thinking that that never happened – did I miss something?
This is all “Much Ado About Nothing”.
I don't see any controversy if she called “Hilary” or “Mrs Clinton”
I don't think it bothers her. It's a non issue.
Jill, here's one paragraph from her hillaryclinton.com website:
“Hillary was raised in a middle-class family in the middle of America. From that classic suburban childhood in Park Ridge, Illinois, Hillary went on to become one of America's foremost advocates for children and families; an attorney twice voted one of the most influential in America; a First Lady of Arkansas who helped transform the schools; a bestselling author; a First Lady for America who helped transform that role, becoming a champion for health care and families at home and a champion of women's rights and human rights around the world.”
Even the section on her being a US Senator reads:
“In 2000, Hillary was elected to the United States Senate from New York. As Senator, Hillary has continued her advocacy for children and families and has been a national leader on homeland security and national security issues.”
The rest is similar. Hillary this, Hillary that. She clearly likes the branding — or at her campaign people do, and by extension she does.
Idiosyncrat – agreed – her preference is for Hillary. I was meaning to make it clear that she wasn't the person who instigated any actual need for a report or investigation as to what the proper attribution to her should be by journalists or anyone else, that she hasn't been said to be complaining about what they call her
I agree with you – she wants and is making the choice, “Hillary.”
Jakey – I'm going to disagree with you on the Mrs. Clinton one – of course I can't say whether it bothers her or not. I don't know and I haven't read one way or the other. But if it were me – and that's what NPR listeners were calling in saying – I would not want to be called Mrs. Clinton while Obama and Edwards etc. are called either Senator or by just their surname. On this point, I agree with the ombuds – that the most appropriate thing to call her is Senator Clinton, since that's who she is and it recognizes her current work in government. That's my opinion – clearly, there's probably a few million of those around on this issue!
Thanks.