This was theoretically a professional partner event. You wouldn't get a comedian on stage cracking racist jokes at those, so why should sexist jokes be acceptable?
Then, perhaps, you should put yourself in women-in-tech's shoes and ask yourself why this might be offensive. We're a small minority which is, on the one hand, desperately in need of encouragement, yet, on the other hand, continually set back by the sexist, intimidating attitudes of some men in the industry.
That tumblr link is a blinding endichtment on everything you seem to stand for. Can you see this?
Can you see that the mountains of scorn you heap on 'men in tech' represent the very landscape of sexism you rail against?
As a 'male in tech' and a husband, and a son, and a father of two girls... as a friend and a collegue or as a boss, this shit has moved from mildly aggravating to outright hurtful.
Women in tech: it's not all men. It's some men, don't sink to their level, please lead by example instead.
Well, as a male, I'm absolutely fine with that site! The problem of sexism is patriarchy. (Why's the software industry hyper-male? And if you're from the US, ever wonder why every single president has been male? One of those funny coincidences?)
It's not just some bad male apples. I'm fine saying that I'm a privileged sexist male, because I've lived all my life in societies with bizarre preoccupations with gender roles, where one gender dominates the other.
I didn't say it was "all men". I said, deliberately, "some men". I know of many, very supportive, men in technology, who understand what it is to get this stuff right. It's a real shame that there are some who wilfully ignore the issue's existence, or who exacerbate it, or who think that women should just "lighten up" about it.
As a man in technology, you come with a whole heap of privilege, you need to understand what it's like from the other side. That tumblr rightly calls out people in tech who are dicks, particularly to women. Without sites like this, people might continue thinking that this sort of behaviour is acceptable.
Well they clearly think it's acceptable or the site wouldn't exist in the first place.
Besides, I said "might". I probably should have said "some people", but the fact that I have to defend a site that points out abhorrent behaviour towards a minority group in an industry is pretty shocking to begin with.
>This was theoretically a professional partner event. You wouldn't get a comedian on stage cracking racist jokes at those, so why should sexist jokes be acceptable?*
The question is why wouldn't it be? Racist and reverse racist jokes, jokes playing with national stereotypes in general, are the stock and trade of comedians. Same for jokes about women, marriage, mother's in law, etc.
It's fucking joke. It's not supposed to be the comedian's party line.
So you don't think it was inappropriate in a professional setting to make women, which the company goes out of its way to actually attempt to encourage into the industry (they have a specific site for encouragement of women in technology on their official site: http://content.dell.com/us/en/business/women-powering-busine... ), feel like the only thing they're good for is being the butt of jokes?
Wow. For the record, I would, as a white person, feel similarly uncomfortable and disgusted by racist jokes in any setting really. It's one thing to make fun about yourself, it's another to poke fun at others' expense in an unkind manner.
Comments
This was theoretically a professional partner event. You wouldn't get a comedian on stage cracking racist jokes at those, so why should sexist jokes be acceptable?
Perhaps you should actually read the original report by the Danish blogger: http://elektronista.dk/kommentar/dresscode-blue-tie-and-male...
Then, perhaps, you should put yourself in women-in-tech's shoes and ask yourself why this might be offensive. We're a small minority which is, on the one hand, desperately in need of encouragement, yet, on the other hand, continually set back by the sexist, intimidating attitudes of some men in the industry.
For some other examples you might want to see http://programmersbeingdicks.tumblr.com/
That tumblr link is a blinding endichtment on everything you seem to stand for. Can you see this?
Can you see that the mountains of scorn you heap on 'men in tech' represent the very landscape of sexism you rail against?
As a 'male in tech' and a husband, and a son, and a father of two girls... as a friend and a collegue or as a boss, this shit has moved from mildly aggravating to outright hurtful.
Women in tech: it's not all men. It's some men, don't sink to their level, please lead by example instead.
Well, as a male, I'm absolutely fine with that site! The problem of sexism is patriarchy. (Why's the software industry hyper-male? And if you're from the US, ever wonder why every single president has been male? One of those funny coincidences?)
It's not just some bad male apples. I'm fine saying that I'm a privileged sexist male, because I've lived all my life in societies with bizarre preoccupations with gender roles, where one gender dominates the other.
I didn't say it was "all men". I said, deliberately, "some men". I know of many, very supportive, men in technology, who understand what it is to get this stuff right. It's a real shame that there are some who wilfully ignore the issue's existence, or who exacerbate it, or who think that women should just "lighten up" about it.
As a man in technology, you come with a whole heap of privilege, you need to understand what it's like from the other side. That tumblr rightly calls out people in tech who are dicks, particularly to women. Without sites like this, people might continue thinking that this sort of behaviour is acceptable.
>>Without sites like this, people might continue thinking that this sort of behaviour is acceptable.
Are you aware of how insulting this assertion is?
Clearly not...
Well they clearly think it's acceptable or the site wouldn't exist in the first place.
Besides, I said "might". I probably should have said "some people", but the fact that I have to defend a site that points out abhorrent behaviour towards a minority group in an industry is pretty shocking to begin with.
>This was theoretically a professional partner event. You wouldn't get a comedian on stage cracking racist jokes at those, so why should sexist jokes be acceptable?*
The question is why wouldn't it be? Racist and reverse racist jokes, jokes playing with national stereotypes in general, are the stock and trade of comedians. Same for jokes about women, marriage, mother's in law, etc.
It's fucking joke. It's not supposed to be the comedian's party line.
So you don't think it was inappropriate in a professional setting to make women, which the company goes out of its way to actually attempt to encourage into the industry (they have a specific site for encouragement of women in technology on their official site: http://content.dell.com/us/en/business/women-powering-busine... ), feel like the only thing they're good for is being the butt of jokes?
Wow. For the record, I would, as a white person, feel similarly uncomfortable and disgusted by racist jokes in any setting really. It's one thing to make fun about yourself, it's another to poke fun at others' expense in an unkind manner.