Pimped Out Politics: Is It OK If She Likes It?

Bridget Wright — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:25:28 +0000

(Disclaimer: This post is NOT meant to ignite or offend any particular political party or opinion. It is simply meant to shed light on and analogize the correlation between politics, business and women)

Pimp -noun
1. a person, esp. a man, who solicits customers for a prostitute or a brothel, usually in return for a share of the earnings; pander; procurer.

[Image Source: sxc.hu]

Whenever a woman allows herself to be exploited in any manner or for any reason, she is selling out, or rather “pimped out” and her pimp gets a huge chunk of the revenue, giving her a small token. The pimp sees multiple benefits in having this woman do his bidding, finding the highest bidder for his wares (her). He convinces her that she is valuable, but the only way she will excel is if she lets him ~~control~~ guide her towards success.

But is it ok if she likes it?

Pimps have nothing to lose in the pimp-nating(?), but everything to gain. The pimp always fares well, coming out on top, while the pimp-ed does not, come out on, well, not on top. (clearing throat).

I can remember a time during my aspiring professional career when I worked as a manager for a staffing firm. Well, before I became a manager, or rather when I was offered the manager’s position, I was told that they wanted to “shake things up a bit.” They felt like I could do some shaking. They felt like a change was necessary, with a fresh perspective and a fresh focus. You see since I was a woman and a person of color, the national staffing firm felt that the double-dagger-duo-description would look great for the corporation and wonderful in the local community. The change would (potentially) skyrocket sales and attract new clients. I was even asked specifically to go to with the sales manager to visit a client that they had been wooing for a while but couldn’t crack. I was asked to accompany her because I was “Black and could help them get a foot in the door.” What !! Well, I did take the job. I got a “promise” in getting a salary pay raise once the numbers were up (2-4 months), an expense account, my own office, an administrative assistant, flexible hours and a voice in decision-making. I loved it! Although the promise of ‘later money’ made me pause, I shrugged it off, knowing that I could increase sales with my marketing savvy – - or would it be because of my Blackness? Or my womanness?

In the political environment sparked in the last couple of weeks over McCain’s choice for Sarah Palin as his Vice-Presidential running mate, are we seeing a pimp in process? Are there multiple benefits to others besides Palin for her name and presence being on the Republican ticket? Has she been made promises that will materialize later if she just gives it up and says what her ~~pimp~~ party wants to hear? What happens if she doesn’t cooperate? Does she get replaced with another willing vessel? Or, will she stay on, baited with promises and a chance to win the (client) over with her physical description?

Going back for a moment to me being a manager: I took the job with all of the perks and promises, but was disappointed much later and saddened to make several discoveries, although not surprised:

1. Clients did not want to do business with me soley on the “because I’m Black” qualification. They wanted to know about my experience, my sales background, my marketing strategies, my conversion rates. You know, important business factors. Well, I had none significantly to speak of. The only experience that I had prior to taking the job was managing a small client base with about 15 employees.

2. Never wait for a later promise of compensation. If you can do the job without the money, then they can do the job themselves. This screams of pimp-dom because the pimp gets to enjoy benefits of your added-value (increased sales, more voters, etc.) without having to pay for it.

3. You get what you pay for and you pay for what you get. Bottom line. If you invest quality, you reap quality. As a staffing manager, I was only able to offer my charm and charisma. Apparently that was not enough as I failed to deliver everything that I had promised in my executive management plan. I reaaaallly wanted to show them what I could do, but it just wasn’t there. I simply was not ready.

4. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, why would you think it’s a cat? If it seems shady, it most likely is shady and there’s nothing you can say to justify it. It just is what it is. I felt like I was being used by my staffing firm. Had lots of suspicions, but chose to ignore them in lieu of their phenomenal promises. We shouldn’t be so naive.

So, if a woman knows she’s being expolited for what she has or who she is or what she represents, is it wrong if she likes it? I mean, if she doesn’t protest to it and actually helps herself along, is it wrong? If it’s not wrong, it’s not pimping then is it? Perhaps a business transaction maybe?

Without delving too deeply (or deeper) into my obvious political undertone ranting, I will say this: Often in politics, candidates try different “things” in an effort to sway voters their way. Sometimes controversial, sometimes palatable, often obvious, political parties try whatever they think will work in their favor. It’s not necessarily “wrong” but it does call into question motives, sincerity and genuine intentions. So if a political candidate or a woman in business knows or suspects she’s being used, she has a couple of options:

1. Work it girl! Get into the game, play hard and find your rhythm. If you don’t do it, they’ll just find another female who will, right?

2. Pointedly, unequivocally and decidely object to the very idea of being used. And become (possibly) unemployable and unemployed.