(no subject)

[interdictor.livejournal.com]

Comments

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

Does anyone think taking one of the most amazing human achievements in history and turning it into a discussion about the clothes being worn is a win for feminism? Seems a little ironic to me.

[zanganito.livejournal.com]

Does anyone think taking one of the most amazing human achievements in history and turning it into a discussion about the clothes being worn is a win for feminism


No. It'd be a win if there was more recognition for the achievements of female scientists. But this media circus about his clothes is embarrassing.

On the other hand, I guess the comet landing is getting slightly more attention from the media than it would otherwise?

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

Not sure about the last. Here, at least, the former was the second biggest news story of the week (we are hosting the G20, which knocked it off #1). Most of the coverage about the shirt I'm seeing is along the lines of *groan* feminism. 23% of American women identify as feminist, and I'd wager that "controversies" like this have a lot to do with it. We've just witness a brilliant scientist have to give a tearful apology over a freakin' *shirt* because of a small group of online bullies.

[mudryikot.livejournal.com]

BTW - what is in feminists opinion wrong with pictures of women on an item of clothing?

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Sexual objectification. I would have loved that shirt, when I was 12.

[garote]

Here's an interesting comparison to make, that may shed some light on it: In what contexts would it be objectionable to others (not "illegal", that's something else) for a woman to be topless, and why?

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

Political correctness officially went mad on November 14, 2014. It happened when Dr Matt Taylor, the man who helped put a rocket on a comet, choked back tears as he apologised for wearing a risqué shirt. And thus absurdity hijacked a moment in history. While some of us were following Philae's landing on Comet 67P with wonder, others were apparently rather more interested in what the scientists were wearing. It’s almost as though they suffer from some ocular defect that makes it impossible to correctly identify wood when looking at trees. Although, to be fair, trees can be offensively phallic.

Atlantic tech writer Rose Eveleth: "No no women are toooootally welcome in our community, just ask the dude in this shirt." Astrophysicist Katie Mack: "I don't care what scientists wear. But a shirt featuring women in lingerie isn't appropriate for a broadcast if you care about women in science.” New York blogger, James DiGioia: “Technology advances while society remains decidedly retrograde.”

To remind you, Mr DiGioia is writing about a shirt. Not forced marriages in rural Pakistan but a guy wearing a tacky shirt with some ladies on it firing guns. And while that shirt was brutally occupying Mr DiGioia’s television screen like Germany invading Poland, a rocket was quietly touching down on a comet and making our dream of conquering the stars a little closer to reality. Wood? Trees? “You say potato, I say patriarchy.”

-- The Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/11232986/Matt-Taylors-sexist-shirt-and-the-day-political-correctness-officially-went-mad.html)

[garote]

Ah, the UK Telegraph, that bastion of upright thinking and cogent debate.

(That was sarcasm.)

I still keenly remember how they trumpeted the link between the MMR vaccine and autism, then over the course of about two years reversed direction until they were constantly trumpeting upset editorials about how "the media" was primarily to blame for the fatuous MMR-autism link. They've even gone as far as removing the old (embarrassing and/or incriminating) editorials from their site archives.

This is even worse, because it's so content-free: A thoroughly modern "righteous ire" piece. An editorial presented as though it's talking to Group A (people who objected to a shirt), in order to attract the attention of Group B (people who don't care).

What I find repeatedly amazing about editorials like this is how incredibly effective they are as instruments of commercialism.

Last century, if you wanted people to see ads from your sponsors, you produced a hit TV show or a magazine full of useful information. This century, if you want people to see ads from your sponsors, you construct a phantom target for them to vent anger towards, and profit from the catharsis they feel as they spread your link all around themselves in forums, feeds, and emails.

Here's a handy tip: Unless you personally know someone who has placed themselves in "Group A", and you are willing to talk to them directly to address your concerns with their behavior, ... then you are just being exploited as an advertising mule, and neither accomplishing anything, not receiving anything of value, for your effort.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

The more you learn...

[planet-x-zero.livejournal.com]

Just an example of the Left's drift into it's own brand of extremism. Anti-science when it's trumped by politically correct ritual.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Come be a scientist, we read Hustler magazine. You daughter can code AND pose for us. WIN WIN!

[oslo.livejournal.com]

I knew nothing about this controversy until it was mentioned here. I might suggest that, if you (or anyone) is closely familiar with this scandal, you (or they) should think about finding more legitimate sources of news. This is CNN-level fluff.

I find the shirt itself so bizarre that it's hard for me to see it as an instantiation of the patriarchy in the same way we might view, say, a pornographic calendar hanging in the office or a workplace culture in which lewd comments about women are commonplace. I can appreciate how the argument could be made; it's just hard for me to be sympathetic.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

a workplace culture in which lewd comments about women are commonplace

Like the space industry.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

This is the latest status of the dead lander:

http://elakdawalla.tumblr.com/post/102710999760/now-philae-down-to-sleep

Good night PhilAE, may a sunbeam awaken you again before you meet the Sun.

A shame, he was watching his mission essentially dying when he made his impromptu apology.

[interdictor.livejournal.com]

Well, in fairness he was asking for it because of how he was dressed.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

I like how you equated criticism over a shirt choice with rape.

[kadaria.livejournal.com]

You mean like that time no one could shut up about Wendy Davis' shoes?
Yeah, no I'm not feeling sorry for this guy. My outfits got vetted in college along with my presentations before I even got on the bus mostly because I was representing our school as well as myself. Pretty sure no one would even pay attention to my research if my tits were hanging out everywhere.
My favorite comment so far has been "Guys like him get casual Friday cancelled for everyone else."

[drivebyluna.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I don't really care if it's "a symbol of the patriarchy" or whatever. It's just unprofessional and he looked like an idiot.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

I don't think anyone is arguing that it's appropriate, just that perhaps this wasn't the right battle to pick.

[mudryikot.livejournal.com]

"escapes into space - lands in Soviet Russia"

Old soviet joke -
Soviet Union has launched an artificial satellite into space. And straight after - another one, with a dog.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

I just don't get (some) Russian Humor.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Maybe he is crying because he realized his wife, daughter, sister are all fodder for sexual objectification?

[blackdwarv.livejournal.com]

What about the lady who made the shirt for him? Her too?

[sophia-daniels.livejournal.com]

maybe he's upset because he saw that the women who criticized his shirt were getting rape and death threats (http://wehuntedthemammoth.com/2014/11/13/woman-slams-sexist-shirt-twitter-douchebags-tell-her-to-kill-herself-worst-offender-a-contributor-to-a-voice-for-men/). he's probably horrified by the people who are defending (http://jezebel.com/woman-gets-death-threats-for-tweeting-about-disliking-a-1658337612) what even he realizes now was a bad decision.

also if you think this discussion is actually hindering the discussions about the actual mission that's your own issue because the rest of us are able to both follow the news about the mission and have a side discussion about the sexist culture that allowed the mission lead to go on camera wearing a shirt featuring soft porn.

did any of you crying about how horrible this discussion is even pay enough attention to know that the lander bounced? landed in a shadow. and still was able to complete it's primary mission before it's batteries ran out. because that's what i've heard about this mission. and all this discussion about the sexist boys club atmosphere at the esa has been little more than a side note to this historic event. so you can stop acting like it's anything more than an argument happening on a few blogs and twitter. one that's more focused on how horrible everybody but Matt Taylor has been.

[garote]

Hear hear!

All in all, an amazing piece of engineering, and a feather in the cap of the ESA. A first for all of humankind. This shirt biz is just for people who aren't into the science but want to make noise anyway.