#!markdown
I don't disagree that women get treated more harshly in situations like this,
but we should also be careful about whether or not gender is a culprit. You
are invoking gender, when neither of the protagonists did. My first instinct
was also to voice support for Amanda, but here's a different take: if I stand
up on her behalf when I wouldn't for a guy in the same case, is that sexism in
reverse? Kootnikoff said some deplorable shit and turned the beginning of a
counterpoint into a personal attack, thus throwing his argument out the
window. Amanda argues at only two levels: aggressively, or vociferously. It's
her style. She knows it sometimes elicits that kind of reaction. I'm not
defending that, however, Amanda is a big girl and she can (and did) defend
herself. Does she need my help telling Kootnikoff he's an asshole if she did
such a good job of it on her own?
Here's another question: what do you think would constitute not letting that
stand? Are you saying you think comments like his should be deleted or do you
have something else in mind? We certainly do speak up when comments don't sit
well with us, and I was planning to say something in this case anyway, however
you, Nat, and others did stand up in Amanda's defense. So, when is it still
necessary and when is it just piling on?
I'll also address your objections to a few of our article titles in a comment
below. "Bicycles That Give you Wood" being held up as sexist or misogynist is
going to take some pretty impressive argument on your part to gain traction
with me. Language is ever-changing and I frequently hear women talk about
things as giving them a 'boner' or 'lady-boner' or 'giving me wood' and
conversely, guys that say something 'makes them wet'. So, knowing as you do
that we take an irreverent tone, and assuming as I do that that is one reason
you read our content, would you rather we just stick to boring titles like
many other sites out there? Shall we just sanitize our content completely?
Retire the Bike or the Girlfriend…I do see how that could be taken as sexist,
but the content of the article should have dispelled that. Maybe we'll have to
agree to disagree on that one. The Chilcotin piece you and Nat referenced…I am
not remembering that one, please remind me.
Sept. 20, 2016, 4:52 p.m. - Pete Roggeman
#!markdown I don't disagree that women get treated more harshly in situations like this, but we should also be careful about whether or not gender is a culprit. You are invoking gender, when neither of the protagonists did. My first instinct was also to voice support for Amanda, but here's a different take: if I stand up on her behalf when I wouldn't for a guy in the same case, is that sexism in reverse? Kootnikoff said some deplorable shit and turned the beginning of a counterpoint into a personal attack, thus throwing his argument out the window. Amanda argues at only two levels: aggressively, or vociferously. It's her style. She knows it sometimes elicits that kind of reaction. I'm not defending that, however, Amanda is a big girl and she can (and did) defend herself. Does she need my help telling Kootnikoff he's an asshole if she did such a good job of it on her own? Here's another question: what do you think would constitute not letting that stand? Are you saying you think comments like his should be deleted or do you have something else in mind? We certainly do speak up when comments don't sit well with us, and I was planning to say something in this case anyway, however you, Nat, and others did stand up in Amanda's defense. So, when is it still necessary and when is it just piling on? I'll also address your objections to a few of our article titles in a comment below. "Bicycles That Give you Wood" being held up as sexist or misogynist is going to take some pretty impressive argument on your part to gain traction with me. Language is ever-changing and I frequently hear women talk about things as giving them a 'boner' or 'lady-boner' or 'giving me wood' and conversely, guys that say something 'makes them wet'. So, knowing as you do that we take an irreverent tone, and assuming as I do that that is one reason you read our content, would you rather we just stick to boring titles like many other sites out there? Shall we just sanitize our content completely? Retire the Bike or the Girlfriend…I do see how that could be taken as sexist, but the content of the article should have dispelled that. Maybe we'll have to agree to disagree on that one. The Chilcotin piece you and Nat referenced…I am not remembering that one, please remind me.