11 November 08
My feminist hackles are raised real high
So consider this a warning. Run away while you had the chance.
I honestly had the intention of sitting down and writing a nice little post for Publicious but I read a message on Twitter earlier today that got me so angry I have stewed and stewed and stewed. So get out your bowl and your big spoon.
Pundit Mom pointed out a great story about the 20 top women who have influenced the Tech world. The story includes their pictures and descriptions of them and the work they’ve done and why it has had such an influence on the web as we know it today.
Warm fuzzies, right? Yay, Fast Company is recognizing that women are influential and inspirational and great at business and code-writing and are creative. Sigh!
Well, then she pointed out the comments on Digg. Sigh. Take all those warm and fuzzy thoughts, wrap them up in a stinky, soggy towel and throw them under a bus.
The first comment says that “gender and Web 2.0” are irrelevant. Seeing as how I doubt the commenter considers gender irrelevant when deciding who to date, and considering how Web 2.0 is what has caused the current web boom and keeping people employed, I find the comment suspect. But not specifically sexist.
Thankfully I only have to see the comments related to the next comment to get my sexism. Or the next one, or the ones after that. And just when I think I’ve seen enough sexism and stupidity online, I get amazed again by things like “you can probably drive a bus into her vag” or “Do her, do her, Oh who hasn’t done her, do her, lose the pigtails and we’ll talk”.
And this is what gets me irate. It’s not like these men are saying how these women haven’t done something that has affected the internet and technology fields, or even “this other guy” has done so much better and you should write a story about him. Nope, they resort to saying how the women are either too ugly to bother having sex with, ruminate on how easy it would be for anyone to have sex with her, or even create slightly violent descriptions about sex involving her (witness the bus:vag above).
And the part that really gets me tickled red, is the part where I know (and if you’re reading this you probably know, too) that these men are intimidated easily and seeing 20 women who have done amazing things and gotten great success online just makes it harder to accept the fact that they’re just guys, with boring jobs, not getting noticed. And its hard enough accepting the fact that you’re a boring average Joe, but reading about successful women turns that frustration and disappointment into rage. And what better way to express your rage with a woman (who has done nothing to you!) than by thinking of her in solely sexual terms, where she is an object, a victim, easily hurt, or dismissed.
And these arguments pop up repeatedly on the internet. See any description of a successful woman and what you’ll get are comments like those on this Digg post. But if you saw a similar post where there were 20 successful men in tech, you’d get a certain group of women writing about how the group is all male. But I’ve yet to see anything online EVER where men written about in a wrap up are reduced to their sexuality in such overwhelming numbers. Occasionally a “Wow! He’s cute” or “What a hottie” but not once have I seen a conference line up of men with comments like “I’d do him, wouldn’t do him, I’d do him if I was drunk, Who hasn’t done him?”
And you know what? The petty and childish side of me wants to turn all the women who are sick of seeing women described this way on a group of unsuspecting men and have them treated to the same treatment. But I know that simply switching the gender in an instance like this won’t change anything. Making men the butt of sexist and objectifying comments isn’t the solution.
The investigative journalist that resides deep within my soul and wil one day break out of her mold wants to track down the real life person behind these sexist comments and go up their wives, daughters, bosses, mothers and say “See what your Joe wrote online about women? How does that make you feel?” and “Oh, Joe. Your mother is disappointed about the comments you make on Digg about successful women. Do you have a comment about that?”
But lack of time, and lack of a desire to actually talk to these people, these “men”, means I’ll just blow off some steam and then go back and read the article about the successful women in technology again. A brain palate cleanser of sorts.
Comments
-
ugh dude. the collective nastiness of group commenting when concealed by the “protection” of their internet anonymity…
not only is it horrible, but you have to think that’s how they REALLY feel, right? the stuff they would never say to someone’s face…but would still be thinking it.
NASTY!
— carolyn on Nov 12, 08:20 am
Commenting is closed for this article.
