Comments on: Announcing My Next Point of Inquiry Guest: Rebecca Watson http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2011/07/12/announcing-my-next-point-of-inquiry-guest-rebecca-watson/ Where science collides with life, slams into culture, crashes with politics, and gets totaled. Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:28:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: DanGBH http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2011/07/12/announcing-my-next-point-of-inquiry-guest-rebecca-watson/#comment-107884 DanGBH Sat, 16 Jul 2011 14:57:07 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/?p=19501#comment-107884 One of the things RW does do for SGU etc. is introduce a prominent voice that is conscious of gender and other equality issues. This furore and some of the frankly unbelievable reactions just show how badly needed that is. All the voices saying 'shutup shutup shutup' don't do anything to demonstrate otherwise. I have rarely been made so directly aware of the truism that people often don't realise just how much some men hate women. So I'll be giving this a listen for the first time in ages! Good timing indeed. One of the things RW does do for SGU etc. is introduce a prominent voice that is conscious of gender and other equality issues. This furore and some of the frankly unbelievable reactions just show how badly needed that is. All the voices saying ‘shutup shutup shutup’ don’t do anything to demonstrate otherwise. I have rarely been made so directly aware of the truism that people often don’t realise just how much some men hate women.
So I’ll be giving this a listen for the first time in ages! Good timing indeed.

]]> By: InvincibleIronyMan http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2011/07/12/announcing-my-next-point-of-inquiry-guest-rebecca-watson/#comment-107861 InvincibleIronyMan Sat, 16 Jul 2011 11:33:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/?p=19501#comment-107861 Chris, may I suggest you and Rebecca discuss the argument I have read over and over in blogs and YouTube comments regarding the suggestion that Rebecca is somehow hypocritical and should put up and shut up because she appeared in revealing photos in the Skepchick calendar. I think it deserves a response if for no other reason than it is rather prevalent. If anyone cares I think it is a truly appalling argument! Shades of "she was asking for it" or spurious justifications for the wearing of the burka. Chris, may I suggest you and Rebecca discuss the argument I have read over and over in blogs and YouTube comments regarding the suggestion that Rebecca is somehow hypocritical and should put up and shut up because she appeared in revealing photos in the Skepchick calendar. I think it deserves a response if for no other reason than it is rather prevalent.

If anyone cares I think it is a truly appalling argument! Shades of “she was asking for it” or spurious justifications for the wearing of the burka.

]]> By: Ihaveaspergerspleaseexplainsimplethingstomelol http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2011/07/12/announcing-my-next-point-of-inquiry-guest-rebecca-watson/#comment-107804 Ihaveaspergerspleaseexplainsimplethingstomelol Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:23:38 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/?p=19501#comment-107804 Okay, Rebecca is complaining that guys are hitting on her all the time at conferences. Well, okay but what does she mean by that? Does that mean guys are flirting with her and that annoys her because flirting is sexualizing? Or does she mean that men are straight out constantly propositioning her for sex? If it's the first case then I think she's a hypocrite because she does that to men. (as has been noted by previous bloggers) If it's the second case then maybe she's just interpreting men as propositioning her? I mean based on her knee jerk assessment of a guy asking her out for coffee, it sounds like she kind of projects sexual intentions on to men. Am I naive for thinking that way? Okay, Rebecca is complaining that guys are hitting on her all the time at conferences.

Well, okay but what does she mean by that?

Does that mean guys are flirting with her and that annoys her because flirting is sexualizing? Or does she mean that men are straight out constantly propositioning her for sex?

If it’s the first case then I think she’s a hypocrite because she does that to men. (as has been noted by previous bloggers) If it’s the second case then maybe she’s just interpreting men as propositioning her? I mean based on her knee jerk assessment of a guy asking her out for coffee, it sounds like she kind of projects sexual intentions on to men. Am I naive for thinking that way?

]]> By: Nat Bro http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2011/07/12/announcing-my-next-point-of-inquiry-guest-rebecca-watson/#comment-107788 Nat Bro Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:57:48 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/?p=19501#comment-107788 Seema - ah, now we also have the "attack her character because clearly she was participating in unsavoury behaviour herself and thusly has no expectation of safety or respect"-response. My rape culture bingo card is complete. BINGO! Seema – ah, now we also have the “attack her character because clearly she was participating in unsavoury behaviour herself and thusly has no expectation of safety or respect”-response. My rape culture bingo card is complete. BINGO!

]]> By: Seema http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2011/07/12/announcing-my-next-point-of-inquiry-guest-rebecca-watson/#comment-107783 Seema Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:54:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/?p=19501#comment-107783 I'm late to this party and probably a dollar short. But I have a question: Since all bars in Ireland must close at 11:30pm by law, what was this Rebecca Watson person doing from then until 4am before she got in the lift? Partying elsewhere? I’m late to this party and probably a dollar short. But I have a question: Since all bars in Ireland must close at 11:30pm by law, what was this Rebecca Watson person doing from then until 4am before she got in the lift? Partying elsewhere?

]]> By: Nat Bro http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2011/07/12/announcing-my-next-point-of-inquiry-guest-rebecca-watson/#comment-107782 Nat Bro Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:50:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/?p=19501#comment-107782 And this, ladies and gentlemen, is rape culture. Not only are women responsible for not getting raped, their feet will be held to the fire if they happen to offend anyone by taking the message of "don't get raped" to heart and following the "safety advice" of protecting their boundaries. Nothing to see here, ladies. Stop being so darned bitchy and just go for coffee with strangers you meet in elevators at 4am and hang out in dark alleys in "bad ends of town" and make friends with the nice people who approach you. But don't get raped, you dumb sluts. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is rape culture. Not only are women responsible for not getting raped, their feet will be held to the fire if they happen to offend anyone by taking the message of “don’t get raped” to heart and following the “safety advice” of protecting their boundaries. Nothing to see here, ladies. Stop being so darned bitchy and just go for coffee with strangers you meet in elevators at 4am and hang out in dark alleys in “bad ends of town” and make friends with the nice people who approach you. But don’t get raped, you dumb sluts.

]]> By: Hugo Schmidt http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2011/07/12/announcing-my-next-point-of-inquiry-guest-rebecca-watson/#comment-107758 Hugo Schmidt Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:08:41 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/?p=19501#comment-107758 Had enough of this long and very tedious argument over this non-event. I will limit myself to the following observation: given RW's inspiration for a blacklist - or a boycott, if you prefer - and given the hysteria that is running rampant, calling for Dawkins to be ousted from the "skeptic" and "humanist" scene, let me remind you that Dawkins has a list of achievements that would make anyone envious, while I hadn't even heard of Watson until this fiasco. So if they're going to make it a question of who has to go, the answer seems straightforward. <b>Eugene</b>, I could not agree more. While this goes on, I suggest that those serious try to spend some time showing a little bit of support for people like Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Wafa Sultan etc. Those who really are in a fight for women's emancipation. Had enough of this long and very tedious argument over this non-event. I will limit myself to the following observation: given RW’s inspiration for a blacklist – or a boycott, if you prefer – and given the hysteria that is running rampant, calling for Dawkins to be ousted from the “skeptic” and “humanist” scene, let me remind you that Dawkins has a list of achievements that would make anyone envious, while I hadn’t even heard of Watson until this fiasco. So if they’re going to make it a question of who has to go, the answer seems straightforward.

Eugene,

I could not agree more. While this goes on, I suggest that those serious try to spend some time showing a little bit of support for people like Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Wafa Sultan etc. Those who really are in a fight for women’s emancipation.

]]> By: Aaron ODonahue http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2011/07/12/announcing-my-next-point-of-inquiry-guest-rebecca-watson/#comment-107743 Aaron ODonahue Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:42:52 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/?p=19501#comment-107743 1.) a fabricated controversy that follows from a few feminists falsely accusing others of sexism and/or misogyny. These false accusations are often accompanied by the claim that if you do not agree with their accusations then you are not a real feminist. Rational arguments by male feminists are often silenced using an appeal to vagina; an argumentative strategy whereby women point out that they know best, no matter what, on all things relating to feminism simply in virtue of having a vagina, even when people with vaginas may agree with what happens to be a male’s perspective on the elevatorgate. 2.) a fabricated controversy that follows from a few feminists falsely accusing others of sexism and/or misogyny in an instance where the offence was unintentional and marginal. Following the Atheist Community’s Elevatorgate Scandal of 2011, many responded by saying, “Asking a girl if she’d like to get some coffee does not constitute objectification, sexism, or misogyny, and it certainly doesn’t warrant the elevatorgate that has erupted.” 1.) a fabricated controversy that follows from a few feminists falsely accusing others of sexism and/or misogyny. These false accusations are often accompanied by the claim that if you do not agree with their accusations then you are not a real feminist. Rational arguments by male feminists are often silenced using an appeal to vagina; an argumentative strategy whereby women point out that they know best, no matter what, on all things relating to feminism simply in virtue of having a vagina, even when people with vaginas may agree with what happens to be a male’s perspective on the elevatorgate.

2.) a fabricated controversy that follows from a few feminists falsely accusing others of sexism and/or misogyny in an instance where the offence was unintentional and marginal.
Following the Atheist Community’s Elevatorgate Scandal of 2011, many responded by saying, “Asking a girl if she’d like to get some coffee does not constitute objectification, sexism, or misogyny, and it certainly doesn’t warrant the elevatorgate that has erupted.”

]]> By: Eugene http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2011/07/12/announcing-my-next-point-of-inquiry-guest-rebecca-watson/#comment-107729 Eugene Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:46:33 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/?p=19501#comment-107729 And thus the whole sorry affair lumbers on. Makes me want to weep for those who are trying to really make a difference in gender equality. And thus the whole sorry affair lumbers on. Makes me want to weep for those who are trying to really make a difference in gender equality.

]]> By: TB http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2011/07/12/announcing-my-next-point-of-inquiry-guest-rebecca-watson/#comment-107682 TB Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:18:42 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/?p=19501#comment-107682 Bob: "Apparently a man can’t proposition a woman any more without being accused of misogamy and objectification." Sometimes it just isn't about you. Unless, of course, it is. Bob: “Apparently a man can’t proposition a woman any more without being accused of misogamy and objectification.”

Sometimes it just isn’t about you. Unless, of course, it is.

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