You've heard about that Obama girl video, right? Everyone's talking about it. But is it harmless fun or an insult to womanhood's long struggle to be considered equal to men? It's an issue driving a wedge between even the closest of friends—for instance, Huffington Post media critic Rachel Sklar and Star editor-at-large Julia Allison. We've obtained a transcript of a recent (private) clash they had on the subject, and we make it public here because, well, it's very important. Whose side are you on? The answer might surprise you!

Julia Allison: i watched the new Obama Girl video
Julia Allison: i found it totally inappropriate, demeaning to women, and reinforcing of sexual stereotypes
Rachel Sklar: oy. go ahead, gloria steinem
Julia Allison: I cannot believe you didn't have a problem with it!
Rachel Sklar: how exactly is that different from your little photoshoot?????
Rachel Sklar: no problem at all whatsoever. i thought it was hilarious
Julia Allison: because I don't profess to be about politics

Rachel Sklar: so unapologetic, a total spoof. neither does that video
Julia Allison: yeah, the first one i liked
Rachel Sklar: those videos are political HUMOR. big diff
Rachel Sklar: and by the way, you SO DO
Julia Allison: to you I do, but not to millions of teenage girls
Julia Allison: like "this is all women can contribute to politics"
Rachel Sklar: sure you do - anyone watching fox
Rachel Sklar: nah. disagree totally
Rachel Sklar: seriously
Julia Allison: teenage girls do not watch fox, and I don't go on fox in a bikini
Rachel Sklar: o-kay!
Rachel Sklar: go smoke a cigar in a black bra and undies with an old dude!
Rachel Sklar: or, go hop a flight to Milan courtesy of your latest paramour!
Rachel Sklar: if you're not going to stand on ceremony on that stuff, I can't see how you would stand on ceremony on this stuff
Rachel Sklar: just sayin'
Rachel Sklar: it's too bad, you woulda been great in the video
Julia Allison: but seriously, I think the second video really is demeaning
Julia Allison: it's so fucking in your face
Julia Allison: the point is they have these women PRANCING ABOUT LIKE SEX OBJECTS
Rachel Sklar: oh, my god
Julia Allison: as if that's ALL WOMEN CAN CONTRIBUTE TO POLITICS
Rachel Sklar: julia, you are a total fucking hypocrite
Rachel Sklar: sorry, but that is RIDICULOUS
Julia Allison: no i'm not!!! I'm saying there are TIMES TO BE A SEX OBJECT and there are TIMES NOT TO BE A SEX OBJECT
Rachel Sklar: "the point is they have these women PRANCING ABOUT LIKE SEX OBJECTS"
Rachel Sklar: you are hardly an authority on when those times are
Rachel Sklar: it is not for you to arbitrarily set
Julia Allison: just because I like being a sex object occasionally - does that mean that I have to support women being seen as sex objects 100% of the time, otherwise I'm a hypocrite??
Rachel Sklar: why do you get to decide when another hot girl can be in something glancingly political?
Rachel Sklar: ridic
Rachel Sklar: OCCASIONALLY
Rachel Sklar: haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Rachel Sklar: no
Julia Allison: because you know, it's two male candidates
Rachel Sklar: in this case, the spoof elements are so obvious that it's clearly not saying women are incapable of contributing in any other way
Rachel Sklar: it's spoofing the fact that that stuff sells
Rachel Sklar: and also
Rachel Sklar: pairing it with some pretty funny lyrics
Rachel Sklar: and imagery
Rachel Sklar: sorry dude i'm not with you here, in the least
Julia Allison: and it's these ridiculously hot women supporting them - it should have HOT MEN in it as well.
Julia Allison: OR they should have been supporting Hillary
Rachel Sklar: even if you didn't have your, uh, illustrious resume
Rachel Sklar: i would still say that I don't think those videos are sexist
Rachel Sklar: i honestly don't
Rachel Sklar: you are unreal
Julia Allison: That would have made it more fair!
Julia Allison: less offensive
Rachel Sklar: so the Hott4Hill vid is good in your books then?
Julia Allison: Yes.
Rachel Sklar: totally derivative, empty confection?
Rachel Sklar: dude that is ridiculous
Julia Allison: I'll tell you why. Because then it's not the TYPICAL "I'm a sexy woman cheerleading my big man political candidate"
Rachel Sklar: it is SO MUCH MORE SEXIST to say that a woman should support hillary because she's a woman
Julia Allison: No, I didn't say that.
Rachel Sklar: like women aren't capable of making those choices without your imposing them
Rachel Sklar: oh, well, as long as it's typical it's okay
Julia Allison: I just said that I have a problem with "sexy young women" supporting two male candidates
Rachel Sklar: dude, it is OBVIOUSLY A SPOOF
Rachel Sklar: it is OBVIOUSLY A JOKE
Rachel Sklar: and btw you LOOOOOVED the first video
Julia Allison: Yeah, and why did I like the first one, and felt really uncomfortable with the second?
Julia Allison: it must have GONE TOO FAR
Rachel Sklar: oh that's it! you are the unerring barometer!
Rachel Sklar: it was an escalation of the themes of the first
Rachel Sklar: think about it: Obama Girl loves Obama. What does that mean she will do when threatened?
Rachel Sklar: Stick up for her man.
Julia Allison: Why can we not draw a line and say "this is harmful to our girls"
Julia Allison: no, she doesn't!
Julia Allison: she didn't even know who he was!
Rachel Sklar: We can, if it's harmful
Rachel Sklar: i happen not to agree
Julia Allison: SHE'S AN ACTRESS/MODEL
Rachel Sklar: who cares?
Julia Allison: I DO
Rachel Sklar: you were a dating columnist talking about politics
Julia Allison: BEFORE I WAS EVER A DATING COLUMNIST I WORKED ON POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS, I WORKED ON THE HILL!
Rachel Sklar: you prance around in a fucking cheerleading outfit, just because
Rachel Sklar: dude
Rachel Sklar: who cares? sorry.
Julia Allison: BEFORE!
Rachel Sklar: okay then
Rachel Sklar: how often does that come up in ANYTHING YOU DO NOW?
Rachel Sklar: in any bio you have?
Rachel Sklar: I bet Star was totally all over that for your current job, which is talking about the stories other people write and report!
Rachel Sklar: becuase you're pretty and good on TV!
Rachel Sklar: like, come ON here Jules.
Rachel Sklar: do NOT get up on this high horse, it won't support you.
Rachel Sklar: this is not to say that you don't have PLENTY to offer
Rachel Sklar: as it happens, Amber does too - she's a fucking pro, first of all
Rachel Sklar: so obvious in those vids
Rachel Sklar: and she's super nice and sweet
Julia Allison: So wait - just because I have on occasion been a sex object and enjoyed it, I forever forfeit my right to have a problem when other women do things that I believe may be inappropriate?
Rachel Sklar: not at all - but that does mean you may be called out for hypocrisy
Rachel Sklar: Keep it about the work. And what that work is. Don't blast someone for not bringing X to the table when they were hired for Y.
Rachel Sklar: I have WAY less of a problem with Amber than I do with FoxNews, which has no qualms about slapping you with the title "political expert"
Rachel Sklar: Amber's not holding herself out as an expert
Rachel Sklar: She's holding herself out as what she is - the actress/model who plays Obama girl
Julia Allison: My point isn't that. My point is that I think three hot chicks in small outfits going against three other hot chicks in small outfits, over TWO MALE CANDIDATES sends the wrong message.
Rachel Sklar: added bonus: she's nice and has a sense of humor and is good on TV
Julia Allison: it says women can only be involved in politics if they're sex objects supporting men
Rachel Sklar: oooh, sends the wrong message!
Julia Allison: Yes!!
Rachel Sklar: better watch out, america - you'll be FOOLED!
Rachel Sklar: it does NOT say that
Julia Allison: TO THE YOUNG GIRLS!!
Rachel Sklar: oy
Julia Allison: IT SAYS THAT WOMEN CAN ONLY CONTRIBUTE INSOFAR AS THEY ARE OBJECTS FOR A FUCKING PARODY!
Rachel Sklar: dude, if you want to be a fucking role model to the young girls then password-protect your blog so it's available only to people 18 or over
Rachel Sklar: "Dana Vachon is the kind of guy you wanna fuck!"
Julia Allison: I'm half of a good role model
Rachel Sklar: "Off to Milan!"
Julia Allison: WHAT IS WRONG WITH GOING TO MILAN?
Rachel Sklar: well, I'm calling out your other half for hypocrisy
Rachel Sklar: absolutely nothing
Rachel Sklar: to me
Julia Allison: huh? it was with a guy I was seeing!!! I don't think there's anything wrong with that
Julia Allison: and this is a public video here
Rachel Sklar: but there is NO QUESTION that there are a lot of people who would sniff disapprovingly about you letting a guy pay your way to Milan
Rachel Sklar: one of many guys you were seeing
Rachel Sklar: dude, we are now talking about the sliding scale of social mores
Rachel Sklar: you can't seriously be this deluded
Julia Allison: I'm not deluded at all!
Julia Allison: I just think there are lines to be drawn, and I'm drawing them.
Rachel Sklar: as to not see what might be looked askance at with your various trips with various men to various places on various planes
Julia Allison: I actually don't see the problem with trips at all
Rachel Sklar: draw away
Rachel Sklar: i am drawing 'em different
Rachel Sklar: and then scribbling "hypocrite!!!" all over your picture
Rachel Sklar: one of them cleavy ones from feb. 14, 2007
Rachel Sklar: i think the one in the bra when you're looking in the mirror?
Rachel Sklar: so you can see your ass in the panties too? how 'bout that one?
Rachel Sklar: CHAMPION FOR WOMEN!
Julia Allison: but I wasn't endorsing a political candidate
Rachel Sklar: POWER TO THE SISTAHOOD!
Julia Allison: I never said women couldn't be sexy
Julia Allison: you're making a huge logical fallacy here
Rachel Sklar: okay so I'll wait to smack you down when you do
Rachel Sklar: SHE'S ENDORSING CLINTON! THAT SLUT!
Julia Allison: I wasn't wearing "OBAMA" butt underwear
Julia Allison: seriously, make a distinction
Rachel Sklar: HOW DARE SHE ENDORSE A CANDIDATE AFTER POSING IN HER BRA!
Rachel Sklar: You would wear Obama butt underwear in a HEARTBEAT
Rachel Sklar: and feminism does not stop at campaigning
Julia Allison: I think you're missing the crucial difference. I'm NOT saying that women can't be sexy or pose in sexy ways
Rachel Sklar: heaven forfend!
Rachel Sklar: btw
Rachel Sklar: i'm going to bring the discussion back up top
Julia Allison: I AM saying that having six sexy women fight over two male political candidates strikes me as a blow to feminism
Julia Allison: why don't we have HOT MEN fighting for Hillary???
Rachel Sklar: why should we?
Julia Allison: where's THAT video?!?!?!
Rachel Sklar: but anyway, if you want that, go make that video
Julia Allison: maybe I will.
Rachel Sklar: go crazy
Rachel Sklar: i will review it on my blog!

And that's where the conversation ended. We don't know about you, but it left us sweaty and wanting more. We're gonna go smoke a cigarette, calm ourselves down for a minute.

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