Sexism

[kj]

So much discussion going on about this topic just now, especially now that in the States there is a female running for Vice President, also just watched a spot on the Channel 4 news about sexism in parliament and the founder of Ultimo was on also talking about obstacles faced by women in business.

There are obvious forms of sexism but some, which I have to admit, I'd never thought about. For example she was saying she'd be offended if a man held open a door for her because she wouldn't hold it open for a man because both are more than capable of opening the door themselves. And letting women get on and off the bus before me could be seen as being sexist. Do women really find this offensive?

[gabrillowise]

God no. Women who get all defensive about men holding doors open for them can get to fuck.

[Shawman]

i feel like a total dickhead when i don't hold the door without noticing anybody coming up behind me, especially if it's a woman

[Vikrum]

There's complaining about sexism, and being a big, boring feminist. They're giving us chicks a bad name.

I like guys doing all the things you said. I would never expect anyone to do those things (except holding a door open when someone's about to go through, total pet hate and it's SO RUDE, but that's more manners related - i also hate people who don't thank waiters/waitresses/bus drivers/cashiers etc, unless they've poisoned you, killed you or robbed you blind as appropriate..), i don't live in the 1950s or anything, but it's nice and unexpected when people/men do. To be honest, it's usually pensioners, which i always find very sweet, i should be holding the doors open for them!

The only thing i don't like is guys insisting on buying drinks. But that's due to personal reasons more than anything else (hate owing people anything, have been spiked once before as well which makes me dubious!)

[McSlim]

I thought it was just nice to hold a door open for anyone whether male or female. I'm insulting twice as many people.

[SuperMike!]

I am an equal opportunities door holder. I have been known to hold on and wait if someone is nearly at the door. Usually at work, to be fair.

[SuperMike!]

Anyway, any women who don't like the door being held open for them, that's fine - i don't have a door on my kitchen.

[Keerin]

I don't think your suggestions are sexist KJ. Fair enough you can class sexism as treating someone differently based on their gender but that is a very basic description of sexism imo.

I personally think a lot of advertisements are sexist as they generalise so as to hit a "target market". Example: Vanish adverts are aimed at women, have a money as both the person in trouble and the helping hand (the one that suggests using Vanish). Cillit bang adverts used a man to advertise their cleaning product and they were successful, so I don;t see much reason to use the old forumla other than laziness of behalf of ad agencies.

[xglitter-me-upx]

Originally Posted by kj

For example she was saying she'd be offended if a man held open a door for her because she wouldn't hold it open for a man because both are more than capable of opening the door themselves.

I actually find her implying the only reason he's holding it open cause she is female sexist.
I was under the impression holding a door open for someone, male or female, was just polite.
Be honest men, have any of you ever thought.. 'oh I better get that door for that poor struggling weak woman. she will never manage to pull that open all on her own'
Hm thought not.

[humndislocation]

Unless they mean holding the door while someone walks all the way through it, women that complain about men holding doors open for them, strike me as morons with victim complexes, that have to look for discrimination where it doesn't exist.

"Oh look at me everyone! I'm being discriminated against again!" Fuck off. There are women living in third world theocracies, that have no rights whatsoever, and these people complain about the fact that a man held a door open for them, because they've decided to read something into the situation that just isn't there.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'll generally hold doors open for people, male or female.

Probably the same kind of idiots that think that every time there are more men than women doing X activity, it must be because of sexual discrimination, because there's no possible way that more men than women are interested in X activity.

I think there's a lot of "crying wolf" that goes on regarding discrimination, which makes it hard to take information on the subject seriously. I can't count the number of times I've seen articles about how women are earning less than men because of discrimination, that actually say that women are choosing jobs in professions that pay less, as opposed to women are earning less for the same job. Certainly, predefined gender roles and stereotypes will make people more likely to go into these lower paying professions, but if women are going into lower paying fields through their own choice, that's not discrimination.

On the other hand, if equally qualified women are being paid less for the same job, then that's something we need to fix.

[Vikrum]

As a side note, while i've never experienced anything i would consider sexist behaviour, i know quite a few women who have been quizzed on whether they will be planning a family etc during interviews and at the work place by managers. My stepmum was asked if she was planning on starting a family at a job interview a few years back, and she's an employment lawyer for Christ's sake!

While i understand it must be irritating for companies to pay out for maternity leave, i can't forsee a better solution and don't see why women should be penalised on job availability because men can't give birth! My history tutor constantly talks about how men on average earn more money than women. But that's more, based on X person at X age in X industry, not specific to period of time in role etc. Which i can understand, really, considering there are huge numbers of women taking time off to have children/raise children etc before returning to work, by which time they may have missed a promotion opportunity. While i commend the growing trend of house-husbands, they are still way, waaay in a minority.

Edit: Just tuned into C4 to 'When Women Rule The World' !

[Johnny5]

Originally Posted by kj

For example she was saying she'd be offended if a man held open a door for her because she wouldn't hold it open for a man because both are more than capable of opening the door themselves. And letting women get on and off the bus before me could be seen as being sexist. Do women really find this offensive?

In my experience, a few have.
Everyone has their views and they don't see why tradition should get in the way of recognising the mindset of how it came about it in the first place (even if these are redundant in modern times).

I respect feminists but also find them quite amusing when they see injustices where none exist.
I also like playing them AC/DC at literally every oppurtunity.

Sexism is still rife in society though, it'd be blind for men not to recognise that and we often are.

[Fritz]

'What's wrong with being sexy?'