Ivanka's Daddy Problem

A newspaper headline today touted Ivanka's upset with her father during his PR fiasco about grabbing pussy. Evidently, she was sadly disturbed that he wouldn't apologize to women of the world for his 'locker room talk'. Yet, in spite of being horrified by his predatory behavior, she moved into the White House and remains his closest adviser. I believe that is called identification with the aggressor. The following is a definition from Dr. Jay Frankl:

"When we feel overwhelmed by an inescapable threat, we “identify with the aggressor” (Ferenczi, 1933). Hoping to survive, we sense and “become” precisely what the attacker expects of us—in our behavior, perceptions, emotions, and thoughts. Identification with the aggressor is closely coordinated with other responses to trauma, including dissociation. Over the long run, it can become habitual and can lead to masochism, chronic hypervigilance, and other personality distortions."

Ivanka's image is that of a post-millenial feminist: a woman wanting all the benefits of being a free white woman of privilege, but not one willing to oppose the misogynistic rhetoric and politics of her slimy father. As a female cake eater, you can't have it both ways, Ivanka. 

As a woman raised in the feminist movement of the 70s, women fought hard for equal rights. History has forgotten how women of my age used to be fired from their jobs for being pregnant, had no access to credit, had virtually no representation in Congress, and were almost unilaterally denied any career advancement. I remember it all too well. Hilary Clinton's loss had more to do with her being a woman than her politics. We still live in a patriarchal culture wanting to deny woman equal rights, access to birth control, and bitterly opposed to women as political leaders. But all one has to do is look at women's movements around the world to know we will continue to move forward and we are an unstoppable force. No wonder why Hulu's resurrection of Margaret Atwood's brilliant novel, "A Handmaiden's Tale", is so popular-we are frightened to see the comparisons to Trump's America.

Too bad Ivanka's elitist upbringing has isolated her from the reality of women's daily struggles. She could be a potent force championing women's issues. Not knowing the definition of complicit is a sad indictment of her denial and lessens the chance of any insight changing her clueless self-absorption. This daddy's girl may know daddy is unbalanced mentally/morally/politically, but she will use her darling daughter charms to push her and her husband's agendas. Forget what she espouses in her interviews. She is skilled in the art of 'meaningful' emotional media engagement. Being booed in Berlin at the W20 Women's Summit demonstrates that women who work to better the world see her for what she really is. We see by her behavior she is just another parasitic hypocrite engorging her wealth by pretending she cares about causes only if she can also promote her brand.

Being a daddy's girl, Ivanka has her dad wrapped around her fingers. Just today the State Department finally took down an ad promoting her book off their website. There are no ethics too egregious to cross with Ivanka and her daddy. Sadly, she like her father are both ardently addicted to fame, power, prestige, and money. We live in a new world where the 1% can now do whatever they want. The costs of maintaining their Mar a Lago lifestyle at the taxpayers expense is only one example of their duplicity.

Thanks to Jane Goodall for taking Ivanka to task for using Ms. Goodall's words in Ivanka's vapid attempt at promoting her women who work book. Without understanding what abysmal assaults women are facing from daddy's politics, Ivanka will just be another one of his Barbie doll girls with no insight, no intelligence, and no substance.