ABSTRACT
In 2016, Donald Trump’s common refrain that Hillary Clinton did not look presidential marked a significant gender moment during the campaign. As evidenced in media coverage, many believed it was nothing more than sexist rhetoric to say that Clinton did not look the part of a President. The goal of this chapter is to illustrate a pattern of discourse that focuses on and evaluates women’s bodies and appearances and to consider how these might shape people’s views of women in contemporary American society and politics. The chapter focuses on additional gender moments throughout the campaign when Clinton’s body – through her clothing, physical demeanor, and bodily functions – was made part of the day’s mediated discourse. Further, the chapter offers a context in which to understand the 2016 campaign by synthesizing a body of work by communication and media scholars who have studied the construction of women and women politicians in media. The chapter illustrates how conversations about Clinton (and others) represent a broader rhetoric about women’s bodies and a not-so-subtle form of sexism that fits clearly into the trope of women as the weaker of the genders.
