Cynthia Nixon won’t stand for Andrew Cuomo’s patriarchal thermostat preferences.
As the two New York gubernatorial campaigns debate the conditions of their upcoming debate, Nixon is irked that the Big Apple’s CBS affiliate seems to be “catering to all of the governor’s demands,” the New York Times reported on Tuesday. And that would include giving Cuomo control over the temperature in the venue. According to an email leaked to the Times, Nixon strategist Rebecca Katz demands the thermostat be set to a precise 76 degrees, invoking sexism to give the appeal an added boost.
From the article:
Ms. Katz said on Tuesday she had yet to hear back from WCBS-TV, and that 76 degrees was just an opening offer to ensure the temperatures were not uncomfortably cold. The Cuomo campaign said it was unaware of what temperature the room would be. The station declined to comment.
That’s some serious The Art of the Deal maneuvering. More than an effort to secure her physical comfort, Nixon’s negotiations sound like a power grab, albeit one predicated on an amusingly banal feminist cliche. Nevertheless, it’s part of the same aggressive strategy that’s actually allowed the actress to get under Cuomo’s skin over the course of their contentious primary contest.
But if 76 degrees is just the low-ball offer, what room temperature is appropriately gender-neutral? Where’s the line between sexism and fairness? Hopefully Nixon, Cuomo, and WCBS are able to answer that question and keep both candidates comfortable. New York voters are depending on it.
