So I'm watching the Washington Post live chat with Charlotte Allen unfurl and the "writer" is defending what is arguably the worst OpEd piece published in this century. I am not here to dissect the details or ramifications. That has been done, and done well by bloggers of both genders, and of both parties. I am simply here to say that I cannot in good conscience read the Washington Post ever again after today. I won't be missing much, the New York Times is a better paper and the internet is a faster and better way into politics, but this will be my first break with a major newspaper and it turns out they didn't lose me because "print is dead" they lost me because they gave a bigot a platform, defended her, tried to make it seem like she was kidding (she's not, by the way and makes that clear in this forum), and then gave her another THREE HOURS on their website to purport her hatred and inanity. They do not realize that if she had said these things about African Americans or Hispanics or any other group, they would never have published it. She herself is blind to this truth:
Charlotte Allen: Yes, men are fair game, and it's considered perfectly OK to make all the fun of them we want. But make a joke at a woman's expense, and--woo!
Alright, Charlotte, I'll play your game. You think your bigotry toward women has caused you trouble? I would say not enough--it was published in the first place. I have taken your column and replaced the word "women" with the words "black people" and the words "gender" or "sex" with "race." Let's see how this goes, shall we?
"I can't help it, but reading about such episodes of screaming, gushing and swooning makes me wonder whether black people -- I should say, "we black people," of course -- aren't the weaker race after all. Or even the stupid race, our brains permanently occluded by random emotions, psychosomatic flailings and distraction by the superficial."
"What is it about us black people? Why do we always fall for the hysterical, the superficial and the gooily sentimental?"
"The theory that black people are the dumber race -- or at least the race that gets into more car accidents -- is amply supported by neurological and standardized-testing evidence."
This is vile and base and shocking, and it should be no less so when directed at women. I call for the immediate dismissal of Charlotte Allen from any organization that stands against bigotry and the firing of the Washington Post's Outlook editor. The latter is the only way they'll regain my readership.
Addendum: I originally referred to the OpEd page instead of the Outlook section, where the Allen piece in fact appeared. Please forgive any confusion. Thanks to Mr. Remington for clearing that up.
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I am appalled that the Washington Post printed this. I hope that
every woman who works at the Post is too, and resents the insults not
just to her, but to her mother and sisters and daughters and every
admirable woman she has looked up to in her lifetime. Coming as it
did at the beginning of Women's History Month, and a few days before
International Women's Day, it is a particularly egregious "joke" on
all of us women of a certain age who thought that some small degree of
secure progress toward equality has been made in our lifetime.
What would it take to get the newspaper to replace writers and editors
who have contempt for the female more-than-half of its readership with
people who respect us?
As to the argument that men and women ARE biologically different, that's a silly and illogical rebuttal to Alex' article. (although it seems to have a truly strong hold over the imaginations of many smart people).
Yes, there are biological differences between men and women. However unless those differences actually apply to your assertions, those differences are irrelevant. If Allen had said 'there are many studies that show men are on average MUCH taller than women, thus women are demonstrably stupid," most people (I hope) would see the flaw in the argument.
I've heard the 'men at smarter at the extremes' thing before, have no idea whether it's true or how valid the study was (note to audience: just because a study is reported in the paper doesn't mean it's valid). Let's say it's true, for the sake of argument. The opposite of smartER is not STUPID anymore than the opposite of tallER is stupid. And most men aren't at the extremes (that's why it's called the extremes).
As I have said before, the differences between men and women are not a basis for discrimination. However, denial of these differences is absurd. These differences are not irrelevant either. The focus of these discussions should be on ensuring that these studies are not misused by those wanting to impose their archaic ideologies on the rest of us. We should be focussed on using these studies to benefit women who are underrepresented in the workplace in many parts of the world, by encouraging their success in fields that science shows they perform better at. Scientists predict that given equal opportunity, women will overtake men in many fields in the near future. That is a good thing for women and for society at large.
pretend she has a superior sense of humor." It appears the data are in on this little experiment and her license to pretend has expired.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/_89254.html
The issue that should be of concern is the misuse of such studies in society. That should be the focus of everyone's ire. You cannot stop knowledge. You can choose how to implement that knowledge in an ethical way by understanding it better. Feminism is about equal rights, not about saying there is no difference between men and women. The funny thing is I don't even like the one scientific study that Allen mentions in her article. Especially the IQ test part. However, there are enough studies out there that have thoroughly analyzed the human brain to know that there is a significant difference between the average male and average female brains, and that this difference accounts for some noticeable differences in behavior.
As my mother would say, "You are wound up tighter than a cheap watch!"
Take a few Carter's Little PIlls and try again in the morning.
Anyway, I'm here. I'm not trying to defend or attack the piece, just wanted to stand to be counted. If you want someone specific to address, you can address me.