The Cat Fight Mentality: Impacts on the 2020 Presidential Election

Cardi B and Nicki Minaj. Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston. Princess Diana and Raine Spencer. Society LOVES to fan the flames of celebrity drama. While it can be a nail-biting, popcorn-munching form of entertainment, there is a reason why women and especially women of color, are pitted against each other. The roots of the cat fight mentality are planted within systems of patriarchal oppression, colonialism, and racism. Although we have seen some amazing strides during this fourth wave of feminism, that does not by any means translate to the eradication of centuries worth of oppressive conditioning. As we enter the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, it is critical that we examine the perspectives from which we scrutinize our candidates not only to promote equality, but to ensure that we do not popularize archaic paradigms that ultimately damage us all.

According to an article published by the New York Times on November 7, 2019 titled “Who’s Running for President in 2020”, there are 21 presidential candidates running in the 2020 election. Only five are female… that is a mere 24% AND I rounded up. Female candidates are already a minority in this upcoming election, given that the other 76% of candidates are male. Thus, it is crucial that we heighten our awareness as a society. Our debates and analysis of these candidates must be focused on their political views and strategies rather than discussions that perpetuate patriarchal views, such as the cat fight mentality. It is only with this awareness that we can begin to give each candidate a fair chance.

In most industries, but especially in male dominated industries, females are often pitted against each other. Women are conditioned to view one another as competitors as society has told them there is only room for ‘one’. While there is value to be found in a healthy sense of competition, this mindset goes far beyond a fair rivalry. This is a phenomenon that I like to refer to as the cat fight mentality. In essence, women are pushed to interact with each other in a manner that is contradictory to their character in order to gain notoriety. Their personalities are then further diluted as the media portrays them in an animalistic manner. Phrases such as “being catty” or “claws out” reflect the way in which society expects female competitors to interact with each other. This is absolutely evident in all industries, but perhaps the best example can be found in the music industry. 

The cat fight mentality is blatantly represented in the rivalry between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj. These are two strong women of color who have released game-changing pieces of work and overcome mountainous barriers to attain their present successes. Yet, we as a society have put them in a position in which they cannot support each other but must tear the other down to compete for the ‘one spot’ allotted. Therefore, we encourage them to rip each other to shreds. We have developed the expectation that they throw drinks, shade and insults in order to get to the top. 

Let me put this in perspective for you. We would never, NEVER expect Harry Conic Jr. and Michael Bublé to duke it out over who is the best white male crooner. Not only have we never expected these men to act in this manner, but the notion of only one being the champion seems somewhat ridiculous. They are both talented, charming and successful men in their own right. There is plenty of space for both. This begs the question, why are these four individuals in the same industry (different genres, but same industry) treated and viewed in ways that are blatantly and severely different?

The cat fight mentality did not just develop overnight. It is the culmination of centuries worth of oppressive systems and mentalities. It lays its foundation in two major concepts, the first being the way in which society expects women to behave with each other. Society expects women to be combative in a manner exceptionally different from the way we view men in competition. Females are supposed to fight in a manner that is dehumanizing and animalistic in nature. i.e. the claws, the way in which insults are hurled are supposed to sound very violent, visceral, or “shrill”, the pulling of hair, being “catty”, etc. Basically, the mental image of a cat fight is less than dignified to put it mildly. In addition, these fights have been historically sexualized. Songs, movies, T.V., even books depict women fighting each other as pleasurable to the male gaze.

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The second aspect of the cat fight mentality is the unspoken societal expectation that there can only be one. One person must be better than the other, and that person must have to claw their way to the top. This is due to the lack of space for minorities in most places. Minorities have been shown by society that there is only so much room to give, attention to be had, and success to be attained. It is the evolution of these two systems that has brought us to essentially a degrading gladiator games women are measured against and forced to compete in if they are to attain “success”.

I believe it is also important to note that women of color experience the cat fight mentality in a different way than white women. Women of color experience it as an intersectional means of oppression due to their race in correlation with their gender. Not only has being combative become a reflection of one’s gender but as most people of color have experienced, society views their actions as a reflection of their race. Women of color are frequently sexualized and exoticized, and the cat fight mentality does not exist in a vacuum outside of this layer of oppression. In fact, it plays a significant role in terms of how one is conditioned to view women of color.

The cat fight mentality is a system of oppression. What makes it so effective is that it has become so subtle. Not all systems of oppression are overt. In fact, most operate in ways that if one has not specifically been educated on the subject, their knowledge of its existence in their lives may never be actualized. The cat fight mentality has become an idea that affects the way we view all women. It is a lens through which we perceive female competitors. It can be found within “jokes”, gut feelings, or blatantly disrespectful comments about any woman who feels the need to assert herself. It puts women in a box of dehumanization. Perhaps one of the most tragic side effects of this mentality is that it does not allow the woman herself to be known. It distorts the way we view her, so that who she is and what she fights for may never be truly known. 

It is essential for all Americans that we do not engage in this type of rhetoric during the 2020 Presidential election. If we genuinely want America to change for the better, no matter what side of the isle you are on, we must be conscious of our underlying thoughts and perhaps prejudices. The cat fight mentality takes place in the shadows, however by shining a light on it we have the opportunity to take the power back. I genuinely believe that this is not an insurmountable task. It will require us to make space for voices and opinions we might not normally hear. It will require us to unabashedly look at the metal baggage we never asked to carry, yet somehow have picked up. Lastly, it will require us to be aware of the way others are thinking and speaking of our candidates. We cannot change other people, but we can open the door to allow them to change themselves. If we truly want to give each candidate a fair chance to accurately represent their truth, then we must first change ourselves.

Vogue Magazine