Here’s an interesting case study in how one’s ideology can color one’s perception of the world:
The blogger behind Gucci Little Piggy – he used to comment here, but alas I can’t remember his name — took notice of my last little post about Scott Adams. Here’s what he wrote about it:
Many are calling Adams a misogynist – none are screeching this pejorative louder than David Futrelle who may finally get that honorary castration that he’s been working so hard for.
Setting aside that somewhat surreal bit about castration, what’s interesting about this comment is that I didn’t actually “screech [that] pejorative” — loudly or otherwise – in my recent posts about Adams. No need to shout, or screech, something that at this point is pretty obvious. In my last post on Adams, I mocked his narcissism, not his misogyny. In my earlier post on the Pegs and Holes nonsense, I wrote this:
It goes without saying that Adams’ notions of human sexuality are profoundly insulting to both men and women . On the one hand, he’s suggesting that men are basically all potential rapists walking around with, er, turgid pegs; and, on the other, he seems to regard women as little more than passive (if stubbornly recalcitrant) receptacles for these male “pegs.”
I think it’s pretty clear to anyone who has been paying attention that Scott Adams is a misogynist. I also think it’s pretty clear that he’s a misandrist as well. (Two great prejudices that taste great together!) I’ve explained why I think this, and cited the specific things he’s said that have led me (and rather a lot of other people) to these conclusions. The only “screeching” going on here is in Gucci Little Piggy’s imagination.
@Louie:
“Women have equal rights…. the goal now is equal or better outcomes through coersion.”
If you know anything about civil rights movements, you know that even after the laws on the books are equal, it takes generations to get rid of prejudice. In the case of women, it will take a lot longer to get men to respect women’s voices in the same way they respect other men, to stop groping on public transit, and to equally employ both men and women based on merit rather than gender (affirmative action measures are supposed to be temporary, to forcibly subvert hiring bias. Once this bias is gone, there is no need for AA).
“1. Free daycare for children starting from age 1.
2. Mandatory paid parental leave for new mothers AND new fathers.”
The absence of these things doesn’t indicate oppression.
“That right there would take care of pretty much all the issues that lead to systemic pay inequalities like the ones we saw in the Wal-Mart case.
I’m so coercive!”
Yes, if you want women to get the same promotions and the same wages on the basis of gender rather than working the same hours, you are interested in equal outcome through coercion and privilege.
That would be totally no problem, except for the minor, and independently verifiable inconvenient fact that women do most of the child-raising work in our culture.
That’s why I offered those remedies: to give men more incentives to take care of their children and to make it possible for women to both have a career and children. Unless you think it’s better that we all stop having babies.
On abortion. I’ve paid for various ones, Ive paid for one in Senegal, I’ve flown women out of countries where they were not available to ones where they are, I’ve even done that for someone that I hadn’t even fucked and the time. I’ve sat in the waiting rooms and waited… the thing is this, I want one of those chairs and the B) why are women generally so unfriendly in those places, the vibe is NOT good in those waiting rooms and its just, well I’d prefer a smile and a bit of a chat.
“That would be totally no problem, except for the minor, and independently verifiable inconvenient fact that women do most of the child-raising work in our culture.
That’s why I offered those remedies: to give men more incentives to take care of their children and to make it possible for women to both have a career and children. Unless you think it’s better that we all stop having babies.”
Yes if men were given the same flexibility and women were more prepared to support men as stay at home dads the wage gap would decrease. But in sweden the mothers still chose to take the bulk of the leave, and use the husbands…. you will not get your equal outcomes without coercion.
Geez, how dare those women be wrapped up in whatever problem brought them to that place and neglect their womanly duty of being constantly pleasant and entertaining to every single man they meet!
On abortion. I’ve paid for various ones, Ive paid for one in Senegal, I’ve flown women out of countries where they were not available to ones where they are
So, I know this is judgy and stuff, but…
http://trojancondoms.com/
Just sayin’.
B) why are women generally so unfriendly in those places, the vibe is NOT good in those waiting rooms and its just, well I’d prefer a smile and a bit of a chat.
Again I have to wonder if you mean to be this hilarious.
You’re either a subversive genius or exactly the opposite.
Scott Adams is a member of Mensa.
Conversation is over.
I got perfect SATs at age 14.
CONVERSATION OVER.
No, not really, because I can still be wrong about shit. “Intelligence” is not something that can be proven once and then rested upon.
@sally, we *nearly* got universal childcare in Canada in (I think) 2006…but the Liberals who were proposing it were defeated and the Conservatives, who claimed they were for “choice” in childcare, won…and started paying out $100/month for each child under 6 in the household.
Yeah, big help there. That’s what, 2-3 nights babysitting?
@Louie, there’s a name for an open relationship that only one partner is aware of.
The name is “cheating”.
And there’s a name for someone who seriously thinks that sort of behaviour is OK.
The name is “dickbag”.
“But in sweden the mothers still chose to take the bulk of the leave, and use the husbands…”
Actually, they changed that: they made it so that unless the father takes a certain amount of the leave, the leave is simply not available. That was three or four years ago, and it’s already having a dramatic effect on social norms there. Of course, it’s not mandatory for people to take it, it’s mandatory for employers to offer it. If the men don’t take the leave then the couple simply gets less leave overall. So, no coercion, unless you count coercing the employers into making the option available.
Are you a libertarian? Libertarians are obsessed with coercion. It’s silly, considering that we are an obligate gregarious social species.
Yeah, it’s just not that hard to be a member of MENSA. Sorry. Being impressed about a MENSA is like being impressed by a wine cellar.
Typo: “…a MENSA member…”
She should have respected the fact that I was in an open relationship.
Open relationship with HER? Had you told HER? And why wasn’t she in an OPEN relationship with you?
*makes no sense*
I thought the point in an open relationship was that you are not cheating because you can date or sleep with someone who is not your main partner so how was your girlfriend cheating on you if that is the case…or does open mean “the man can do whatever he wants but that woman better keep her ass at home?”
Scott Adams is a member of Mensa.
Being a member of Mensa doesn’t necessarily mean that one is also a decent and upstanding human being. You can be in Mensa and still be an absolute turd burglar.
“Actually, they changed that: they made it so that unless the father takes a certain amount of the leave, the leave is simply not available. That was three or four years ago, and it’s already having a dramatic effect on social norms there. Of course, it’s not mandatory for people to take it, it’s mandatory for employers to offer it. If the men don’t take the leave then the couple simply gets less leave overall. So, no coercion, unless you count coercing the employers into making the option available.”
Ok, I have a different source that tells me that leave can be traded, she can use his. Sweden still has a large wage gap despite all these efforts.
Anyway, wage gap is b/s. Women work shorter hours and so get paid less BUT, they make up for the difference in spades because they have an invisible income streams, the husband, partner, child support, divorce settlements… if you want to see who has the most money, compare the shoes, clothes and luxury items owned and consumed by the average couple.
Anyway, wage gap is b/s. Women work shorter hours and so get paid less BUT, they make up for the difference in spades because they have an invisible income streams, the husband, partner, child support, divorce settlements… if you want to see who has the most money, compare the shoes, clothes and luxury items owned and consumed by the average couple.
This seems like “everyone is in a middle-class nuclear family” logic. And it also ignores the fact that money gotten from a husband or partner is ultimately under his control and can be revoked (more or less) at his whim, so it doesn’t represent real power the way a woman’s own money does.
Mensa doesn’t mean too much, as far as I’m concerned. They base admissions on IQ tests and IQ tests offer a limited perspective on a person’s total intelligence. I had one test of nonverbal intelligence administered in high school and have never taken another one. There’s no point to it.
“This seems like “everyone is in a middle-class nuclear family” logic. And it also ignores the fact that money gotten from a husband or partner is ultimately under his control and can be revoked (more or less) at his whim, so it doesn’t represent real power the way a woman’s own money does.”
No they are taxed as a unit, the money isn’t the husbands its their, the money is legally theirs and he can be evicted from the house at any given moment, compare the shoes, the clothes and the luxury items and the consumables.
@Louie
“No they are taxed as a unit, the money isn’t the husbands its their, the money is legally theirs and he can be evicted from the house at any given moment”
Wait what? So any wife anywhere can take complete control over the family’s finances and pack the husband off just for the hell of it? The hell you talking about?
She is more like a landowner and he is the tenant.
I don’t know what the MRAs have told you about divorce law, but I understand it’s a lot more complicated than “if the wife wants the husband out of the house, he leaves it and all its value solely to her.”
“Wait what? So any wife anywhere can take complete control over the family’s finances and pack the husband off just for the hell of it? The hell you talking about?”
No fault divorce, he is really just a tenant, he can be evicted or forcibly removed on a whim in fact a rental agreement with a landlord is more secure in many ways.
@Louie:
You’ve lost me completely. The situation you are describing does not exist. Does not compute. Error. Error.
Could you explain, please? Exactly how is being a man in a mariage like being a tenant, and is being the woman in a marriage like being a landowner?