One blogger's double standard

Recently, Ines Sainz complained about the behavior of football players in the New York Jets' locker room. It has been reported that the men in question rather boisterously informed Sainz that they appreciate her physical endowments.

Here's what one Lori Ziganto had to say about it: 

Was it boorish and crass behavior on the part of the New York Jets? Sure. But, who ever claimed that professional football players are the epitome of chivalry? You think one would know that, having worked in the sporty field for years. Secondly, it’s not unexpected at all. On this, the science is settled: men like – and like to look at – hot chicks. . . .

Teachable Moment: If you truly don’t want to be ogled and whistled at, don’t, you know, go into a male locker room sporting a camel toe. 

On a related note, Ziganto reports that Playboy writer Guy Cimbalo published a "serial rape fantasy list." On that list was Michelle Malkin. Ziganto writes, 

Playboy writer Guy Cimbalo’s roster of women he wanted to hate f*** was online for less than a day before it was pulled. At the top of his serial rape fantasy list was Michelle Malkin, described as a “‘highly f***able Filipina’ and purveyor of ‘frothing idiocy’ Her hate f*** rating? ‘Worse than f***ing Eva Braun.’”  He even imagined that Malkin was somehow asking for it:

Malkin’s “tight body and get-off-my-lawn stare just scream, ‘Do me!’”

According to Ziganto, some blogger named Bonnie Erbe did not come to the defense of Malkin: 

Erbe called the article disgusting, sexist, and in Malkin’s case, well-deserved:

I also want to note that at least one woman on the list is so venom-spewing, she unfortunately invites venom to be shot back at her: Michelle Malkin. Her posts and her “routine” are so venomous and predictable, in fact, I stopped paying attention to her years ago.

Michelle Malkin invites sexual degradation because of her viper-like tongue? This is feminism?

Let's summarize what we know: 

• According to Ziganto, those who complain about the treatment of Ines Sainz are out of line because Sainz was asking for it. 
• Ziganto complains about the treatment of Malkin even though some people assert that Malkin was asking for it. 

Care to explain this to us, Ziganto? 

Here are some possible approaches to addressing this appearance of a double standard: 

1. Malkin was not, in fact, asking for it. 
2. Malkin was asking for it, but unlike the behavior of the men in the locker room, the Playboy writer's behavior was beyond the pale. 
3. Malkin was asking for it, but the Playboy writer is responsible for his actions and the football players are not. 
4. A reasonable person would expect Sainz's actions to elicit such behavior, but a reasonable person would not expect Malkin's actions to elicit such behavior. 

Here's how I address this: those who engaged in the behavior in both cases have to take responsibility for their own behavior, and they can't avoid that responsibility by complaining that someone was asking for it. It doesn't matter what someone else is asking for: you have to take responsibility for your own actions. And I find the actions of both the Playboy writer and the football players pretty offensive.

I suspect that Ziganto and people like her would opt for (4) above. But that won't work. Either they're not familiar with Malkin's work, or they don't understand how offensive some people really find it. That's why Andrew Sullivan's award for "for shrill, hyperbolic, divisive and intemperate right-wing rhetoric" is named after Michelle Malkin.

(I've been away for a while, so I thought I'd give you a little attention, Lori. I hope this is helpful.)