Journal The Sojourner's Journal: Jerks 2
Read this poor girl's journal for just one glimpse of what a bunch of assholes some of you are. This ingenue has just graduated high school, has a promising career in music ahead of her, and is taking some time out of her hectic life everyday to share it with us. And of course, a bunch of dirty men, whose brains are little more than outgrowths of their testicles, start harassing her with rape threats and random crap postings. The only reason I can fathom that she's being abused in this way is because she's a woman.
This objectification and degradation of women disgusts me, and it's unbelievable how deeply it permeates the Slashdot psyche. The stench of chauvinism rises from every story, every thread, and almost every comment. In any article about geek movies, such as "Spider-Man" or "Star Wars", more comments are spent on daydreaming of the female lead's nipples than on discussing the quality of the movie itself. Every "geek dating guide" I've seen portrays women in a submissive, house-wench light you'd think was straight out of the 1890s. What few comments I've posted have all been greeted with negative moderations, impolite and insulting replies, and accusations I can't believe anybody would make. Geek culture prides itself on equity, intelligence, and modernity, yet they seem to have the same perception of females as a redneck living in an Alabama trailer park.
This needs to change. Before you post yet another comment slavering over Kirsten Dunst in a wet T-shirt, before you harass some poor girl's journal, before you drive away all the women from this site and turn it into a disgusting sausage fest, please remember that we women are people too, with the same range of emotions, the same intellect, the same humanity that you have. And for the handful of sweet, lovable guys already out there, thank you.
I think you're overstating things just a bit (Score:1)
As far as "objectification" and "degradation goes, Yes, men are attracted to womens bodies. Naturally we like to talk about womens bodies. What's so wrong with that? You didn't give any specific examples of these attitudes, so it's difficult to determine exactly what you're talking about. Perhaps your comment is a troll, hard to say. If not I suggest you put some valid points with specific examples to back up your claims. Sorry, but right now you just sound like a wingnut on a rant.
Generalizations are the Bane of Equality (Score:2)
My belief is that the basis behind the hostility toward in women in some (okay, many) of the Slashdot folks is because of a history of unsucessful ventures in the realm of romance. I have several male friends who, for one reason or another, have never been able to meet who they deem "the right woman" or any woman with whom they were involved in a deeper relationship than a simple friendship. The urge for intimacy is brought on by peer pressure as well as the media, and its lack of presence in these men's lives is what causes this hostility. There is no simple answer to this issue; it must be solved by overturning the very basis of our social structure.
Perhaps to a lesser extent this perceived animosity is caused the "old boys club" ideology present in the technological sector since its conception and resides in the roots of the American cultural identity. Again, there is no simple solution except to properly educate the people.
The comments present in discussion about movies such as "Star Wars" and "Spiderman" are not going to be intellectual. These movies are geared toward the lowest common denominator and rely on sex, violence, and special effects to sell tickets. Movies like Minority Report [slashdot.org] and "Y Tu Mama Tambien" are by nature going to have a more intelligent response.