This is what happens when you make me mad.
WARNING: This post contains some pretty heinous bald-faced sexism. I don't know if it's triggering, but I know that if I'm not sure, I'm warning anyway.
I've been having a lot of fun on Twitter this Giants' season; I've met lots of great new people with whom I've celebrated the wonderfulness of Brandon Belt, and lamented the injuries of ... um, everybody. 2011 has been a lot harder than 2010, but I'm glad to have found them.
Of course, as the man said, every rose has its thorn. One clever fellow got very upset by the amount of fangirl squee that was taking place on photos of Giants players. There's a pretty high volume of it, and some of it goes overboard, so I was fairly content to let it pass.
Oh, but then he said this:
In defense to my fellow male fans, you can’t blame us. In a world where girls literally sell their virginity for Justin Bieber tickets, where girls wet themselves when they see a celebrity lick their lips, and where anything sports-related on Tumblr is overrun with pictures of players asses, we can’t help but stereotype every single chick here on Tumblr.
Who gives a flying fuck if it’s sexism. Even you girls have to admit that most of what you post is oggling over athletes.
That didn't go particularly well for him. I rolled up my non-existent sleeves and, as the kids say, "went off."
“Who gives a flying fuck if it’s sexism?” /raises hand
You can, in fact, “help but stereotype.” You’re not, though, and that’s the difference. I understand the frustration seeing post after post of fangirling at the expense of paying attention to the sport. But don’t you think the male gaze - sorry, busting out the feminist words now - has something to do with why women do that sort of thing? Don’t you think men bear a little responsibility for how women feel they have to act?
We live in a male-oriented society. In a world where women do all of those things you don’t like, that’s a plain fact. I’d like to believe that my degree from UC Berkeley means more than my size 14 pants - and to a lot of people, they do. But not all. Not Hollywood script-writers, or advertisers, or certain musical artists. (And I mean hip hop just as much as I mean Taylor Swift.) Girls are supposed to be attractive, and according to a certain set of criteria. That includes how they act just as much as how they look and dress.
Because you can’t tell me that for every woman who “wet[s] themselves when they see a celebrity lick their lips,” there’s not a man jerking off to photos of female celebrities. I support Hope Solo’s right to pose nude, but I have a feeling she wouldn’t do it if there wasn’t a male audience who would want it. The distinction is, men get to celebrate it. “Aw man, that chick is so hot” is a totally acceptable conversation. “Pat Burrell has a nice ass” is, apparently, not. And as far as I can tell, gender is the only difference. Women are supposed to feel ashamed that they have sexual desires. That is a Man Thing. So however valid your frustration about whether or not we’re really appreciating the game, this is not helping.
You know what else isn’t helping? Shit like “rally boobs.” If you want women to be more serious about their sports-fanning, then maybe male sports fans shouldn’t perpetuate such ridiculous sexist crap. That is contributing directly to the situation. Maybe there’s a compromise in here: I promise won’t talk about how I find an athlete aesthetically pleasing if people on Twitter don’t suggest I whip my tits out as a gimmick to get more ribeyez. And especially if other men stand up for us and say “that’s not an acceptable thing to suggest. It’s gross. Knock it off.”
I’d love to say that I apologize on behalf of women for getting you all a-flustered with our womanly salivating over Giants players. But I won’t. Your response of “ugh, you girls” is damn offensive. I give a flying fuck that your response is sexist, because as a woman trying to be a fan of professional sports, you’re making my life more difficult. No matter how well I analyze the statistics or wax philosophical about the greatness of Willy Mays, in the end, I’m probably just thinking about hot guys. Saying “well, *you’re* different” is basically saying “you’re more like a man, so I find you less annoying.” Your brave stance against superficial, untrue women fans may have gotten you some new followers, but you have also certainly lost one.
Don't make me angry, internet. You won't like me when I'm angry.
I've been having a lot of fun on Twitter this Giants' season; I've met lots of great new people with whom I've celebrated the wonderfulness of Brandon Belt, and lamented the injuries of ... um, everybody. 2011 has been a lot harder than 2010, but I'm glad to have found them.
Of course, as the man said, every rose has its thorn. One clever fellow got very upset by the amount of fangirl squee that was taking place on photos of Giants players. There's a pretty high volume of it, and some of it goes overboard, so I was fairly content to let it pass.
Oh, but then he said this:
In defense to my fellow male fans, you can’t blame us. In a world where girls literally sell their virginity for Justin Bieber tickets, where girls wet themselves when they see a celebrity lick their lips, and where anything sports-related on Tumblr is overrun with pictures of players asses, we can’t help but stereotype every single chick here on Tumblr.
Who gives a flying fuck if it’s sexism. Even you girls have to admit that most of what you post is oggling over athletes.
That didn't go particularly well for him. I rolled up my non-existent sleeves and, as the kids say, "went off."
“Who gives a flying fuck if it’s sexism?” /raises hand
You can, in fact, “help but stereotype.” You’re not, though, and that’s the difference. I understand the frustration seeing post after post of fangirling at the expense of paying attention to the sport. But don’t you think the male gaze - sorry, busting out the feminist words now - has something to do with why women do that sort of thing? Don’t you think men bear a little responsibility for how women feel they have to act?
We live in a male-oriented society. In a world where women do all of those things you don’t like, that’s a plain fact. I’d like to believe that my degree from UC Berkeley means more than my size 14 pants - and to a lot of people, they do. But not all. Not Hollywood script-writers, or advertisers, or certain musical artists. (And I mean hip hop just as much as I mean Taylor Swift.) Girls are supposed to be attractive, and according to a certain set of criteria. That includes how they act just as much as how they look and dress.
Because you can’t tell me that for every woman who “wet[s] themselves when they see a celebrity lick their lips,” there’s not a man jerking off to photos of female celebrities. I support Hope Solo’s right to pose nude, but I have a feeling she wouldn’t do it if there wasn’t a male audience who would want it. The distinction is, men get to celebrate it. “Aw man, that chick is so hot” is a totally acceptable conversation. “Pat Burrell has a nice ass” is, apparently, not. And as far as I can tell, gender is the only difference. Women are supposed to feel ashamed that they have sexual desires. That is a Man Thing. So however valid your frustration about whether or not we’re really appreciating the game, this is not helping.
You know what else isn’t helping? Shit like “rally boobs.” If you want women to be more serious about their sports-fanning, then maybe male sports fans shouldn’t perpetuate such ridiculous sexist crap. That is contributing directly to the situation. Maybe there’s a compromise in here: I promise won’t talk about how I find an athlete aesthetically pleasing if people on Twitter don’t suggest I whip my tits out as a gimmick to get more ribeyez. And especially if other men stand up for us and say “that’s not an acceptable thing to suggest. It’s gross. Knock it off.”
I’d love to say that I apologize on behalf of women for getting you all a-flustered with our womanly salivating over Giants players. But I won’t. Your response of “ugh, you girls” is damn offensive. I give a flying fuck that your response is sexist, because as a woman trying to be a fan of professional sports, you’re making my life more difficult. No matter how well I analyze the statistics or wax philosophical about the greatness of Willy Mays, in the end, I’m probably just thinking about hot guys. Saying “well, *you’re* different” is basically saying “you’re more like a man, so I find you less annoying.” Your brave stance against superficial, untrue women fans may have gotten you some new followers, but you have also certainly lost one.
Don't make me angry, internet. You won't like me when I'm angry.