Let me explain why this isn't funny. (via Tumblr)
The recent suspension of Duncan Keith because of his elbow on Daniel Sedin has led to a resurgence of “Sedins = girls” insults from Blackhawks fans. Some of my “favorites” include:
- Sedin sisters
- Two girls, no cup
- Keith was suspended because the NHL won’t stand for violence against women.
And many more, such as the macro above.
Sigh. Okay. Let me explain this in small words, so you meatballs can understand:
Calling a man a woman is insulting to women because you are saying that being a woman is an insult. You’re saying that being a stereotypical woman is an inherently bad thing for a man to be.
Being female is not an insult. Being a girl or a woman is not inferior to being a man.
Do you find something wrong with women playing hockey? No? Then stop acting like you do. Because every time you let one of these tired, lame insults fly, you might as well be saying “Why, yes, I think women shouldn’t be on the ice, playing hockey! They should be in the kitchen, making me a sandwich!” Come on, bros.
And yes, I get that this isn’t going to help the “humorless feminist” stereotype, but this is me we’re talking about. I’m hilarious. I also know a lazy joke when I see one, and this is about as lazy and stupid as they get.
Let “Sedin sisters” go, people of Chicago (and that goes doubly for you, Dave Bolland). Step up your joke game.
AMEN.
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“Calling a man a woman is insulting to women because you are saying that being a woman is an insult.”
No. They are saying that a man acting like a woman is an insult.
The joke doesn’t imply that women are inferior, or that being a woman is degrading; only that men should not behave the same way as a woman.
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Why is acting like a woman an insult, though? Think about it. By saying that a man shouldn’t act like a woman is saying that acting like a woman is somehow “wrong” for a man to do. And that’s why it’s insulting.
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But it’s not saying that acting like a woman is a wrong thing for a woman to do. See the difference?
Listen, whether you like gender roles or not, they are still a common social standard which people use to try to evaluate the world around them. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, when you’re evaluating a message, you have to take into account the worldview of the people delivering the message.
If the people making these jokes hold to some notion of gender roles (which the vast majority of the population still does) and believes that gender roles are good for society, then it’s entirely feasible that they can use these insults without harboring some deeply buried disregard for women or believing that women are inferior. It’s the _crossing_ of gender roles that is being mocked.
Juvenile? Yes. Insulting to women? No. Taking offense where none is intended is, in my experience, a massive waste of time.
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But calling them the “Sedin sisters” is historically used as an insult for the Sedins, inferring that they’re weak:
“Early on, they were easily pushed around on the ice, and critics had a field day with Burke and the Sedins, some of them calling the twins the “Sedin Sisters.” (from this article)
People can use this insult without having some “deeply buried disregard for women,” but at the end of the day, the insult means “women = weak,” and that’s wrong.
Thanks for telling me how I should feel about it, though. I would have never figured that out, otherwise. I’m just so sensitive.
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Okay, now I’m just confused, because it’s well known that women have smaller hearts and less upper body strength than men, not to mention they have shorter limbs and consequently less leverage.
So, relative to men, yes, women are weak physically. Like it or not that’s the scientific reality. These are pro athletes we’re talking about so physical strength is obviously an important thing for them to have. More physical strength than is possessed by the average woman, I would think.
Also, I’m pretty sure you tried to tell me how I should feel about it first. Just sayin’.
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Trying to explain something that you can’t understand because you do not have a vagina and therefore do not see it from the other side’s point of view is, in my opinion, a massive waste of time, as is refusing to see how this is a problematic issue and just plain WRONG.
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Ah. I get it. So because my genitalia is different then yours, there’s no way I can understand this issue, and I need to just shut up and sit down. That’s real classy. I disagreed with Kat’s opinion, so I explained in a calm rational manner why I thought she was wrong, without using crass language or name-calling. I stuck to my point and tried to be as clear as possible. And what do I get? I’m told that because I don’t have a VAGINA, I can’t POSSIBLY understand, and I’m accused of being bullheaded and stubborn. Now I’m mad.
You know what? It’s ridiculous that somehow feminists are taking a stupid, lazy, irrelevant joke that barely matters, and have managed to blow it up in to some kind of womens rights issue. This joke is about the Sedins, not women, and it’s not even worth it for them, the intended targets, to waste time responding to it, because /that’s how little it matters/. It’s these kind of displays of unnecessary combativeness and petulance that destroy the credibility of the feminist movement. You want to fight for womens’ rights or equality or whatever? F***ing awesome. Good for you. Go find a real battle and fight that instead of wasting time finding ways completely twist around and misinterpret some stupid joke (that wasn’t about you in the first place) so that is now an affront to your entire gender. I mean, really? If this is what you consider activism, it’s no wonder your movement has yet to accomplish it’s goal of true equality for women. Choose your battles better. Sorry for the outburst. I’m done. out
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Lightswitch, if it’s “a stupid, lazy, irrelevant joke that barely matters”, then why make it to begin with? Why, as you say, “waste time responding to it”, as you did – not only responding once, but coming back multiple times to fight against it?
Yes, scientifically, women may not be as strong or as fast as men. BUT… they compete just as fiercely.
It’s easy to stand in the position of power as a man and say “Why are your panties in such a crunch?” And then you say women should “choose (their) battles better”. Well, you know what… just like the You Can Play Movement for the GLBT community, it’s these “stupid, lazy, irrelevant jokes” that DO matter, that DO bother women, that DO insult half the population. It’s the “LITTLE” things that add up to the big picture.
That’s what a lot of men can’t seem to understand. “Fighting the feminist battles” isn’t just about bra burning and equal wages. It’s about respect.
How about this: if you want to call somebody – anybody – soft and un-physical, call them Ewoks.
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Oh, so it’s not being a woman that’s degrading, it’s acting like a woman that’s worthy of an insult. That’s so sweet of you to help us out by explaining that for us.
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No, you’re still not getting it. It’s a man who doesn’t act like a man.
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Gender roles are still a thing? Geez. I’m a straight woman who doesn’t necessarily act like a stereotypical woman, and very few people have told me this is a bad thing, but if a man decides to do the same thing and act less like a stereotypical man, he’s considered inferior/ostracized? To be honest, I think we should be past this – for all we know, the boy who likes playing with dolls could grow up to be an incredible pediatrician, yet as a child he’ll be told to stop simply because “boys shouldn’t play with dolls.” Seriously, why can’t we just let people act the way they want to without telling them that they need to change who they are and what they like to do just because they don’t “act like a man” or “act like a woman?”
tl;dr Gender roles are stupid and people who use them as insults come off as being in the past and too set in their ways to accept people’s differences.
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Sure, fine, good, then the joke sucks for that reason, because gender roles are stupid. Still doesn’t make it an insult to women…
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That was a much weaker response than I expected. I need to stop expecting so much out of the stupid.
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I agreed with your point, and yet you insult me.
…
How bizarre.
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I mean, I really do agree with you; I was trying to not engage in a discussion on it because it’s unrelated to what I was saying earlier and it would muddy the waters, so to speak.
But since apparently you’re not convinced of my sincerity, here’s my spin on it: I think the people have a legit reason to be insulted by this joke are those who don’t fit neatly within normal gender roles. The entire meme is based on the idea that there is something inferior about effeminate men, of which this world has many; and they have every right to be offended by the joke in question, because it demeans them directly.
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You didn’t sound like you were agreeing with my point, to be honest, because it does still hurt both men who don’t adhere to gender roles and women – because it compares them to women and makes it sound like being like a woman is inferior in some way. That’s why I dismissed your response as coming across as uneducated.
It’s not a direct insult to women, but it’s the indirect implications that are the problem. And whilst I am convinced that you are being sincere in your convictions, I have to disagree with them.
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Bless. Bless? Yes, I think bless. And as much as I’d love for the those particular insults to stop, they’re probably gonna keep coming.
And I REALLY could care less. I love the Sedins, they’re a part of my team and I believe that they work just as hard as everybody else in the league. So bless you Kat, for this article. Because I agree with it and agree with it 100%.
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I HATE THAT I HAD TO DEFEND THE CANUCKS, THOUGH. UGH.
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BUAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Goodness. Still, bless you for this post though.
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It is not about defending the Canucks. Who cares what team its about. It’s about treating women with the same respect we would our own mothers. These degrading comments hurt society. This is about the apes who fail to treat others with respect.
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I’d like to see any of these assholes pop out a few kids. Women are the tougher gender.
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You’re awesome. Rock on.
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I agree with Kat 100%. The only idiots I see are the one’s using these sexist remarks. To imply that someone is weak because they are acting a female is degrading and so backwards I can’t believe there are people trying to justify it at all. I play rec hockey and as a male some of the best players on our team are females.
Just like when idiotic Milbury made his sexist remarks. Bunch of freak’n cavemen in our sport. I swear. The hockey fanbase is already so much smaller than other sports and we can continue to turn people off to the NHL by not stopping the gender bashing.
Some of you guys should take a look at yourselves. Get your heads out of the sand and join the modern world. It’s a sad that someone even has to right an article about how inappropriate it is.
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