What is Sexism?

[Abomination]

I think the OP mentioned the Skyrim example because people STILL call that game sexist for some reason.

A game that has so far aimed to be as equal as possible between the genders - to the point of pushing the boat in the other direction.

So one questions how a piece of media can become sexist. When does a piece of media go from "contains sexist events" to "is sexist"?

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

You know what bothers me the most in these Threads?

Bullshit like this:
[

3% of males worldwide are victims of rape and 13% of women.

and, well if men are dominating science, politics and economy- if men are dominating and shaping the system and if males are more often to become suicidal, maybe men should change?

if you have the power and you use it to create a unhealthy system which kills males more often than females, than use your power to chance the system-but i think "you" will have to question what being a man means.

Neither men nor women are a hivemind. Me and my neighbour don't have the power to change the system because we're men and apparently are in the "we rule the world"-club.
But the arguments in these threads are way to often generalized to no end.

As long as we can't even get a helpful and useful discussion about that topic right, we're definitly not going to solve it.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

You also have people claiming the "prejudice plus power" thing, where it only counts if it's big enough to make a difference. If one person happens to think you are less because of your gender or race, it's not good, but most likely not too serious. If a massive demographic which mostly runs the important institutions of your state tend to think that, then you've got problems.

Thats nonsense from people on tumblr to use as a shield when they are called out for the racist crap they spew against white people[footnote]To be fair, I'm sure it can be used as a way to shield criticism from racism targeting non-white people, I just haven't seen it used in such a fashion.[/footnote]. Its the number one go-to that I see them use when people say "hey you know how much you say you hate white people and call them names? Well that's racist", because they immediately reply "prejudice plus power and the history of the n-word is different from slurs against white people!!!12!1!1!!". Its crap, and I've only seen it used by racist who don't like being called out for their behavior.

While I'll agree that one person saying they hate group x isn't as bad as one hundred people saying they hate group x, it doesn't change the fact that the individual person who hates group x is racist.

OP: Sexism is prejudice/hate/dislike of a person because of their sex/gender.

As for your dislike of some of the people in Skyrim, I suggest that you get some mods for your game if you dislike something about it.

 

[DevilWithaHalo]

Meanwhile women still earn less money than men for the same jobs

People keep saying this, but I want to know exactly if this is true.

Is there any definitive proof of this? I don't mean the numbers that say women earn less than men on average, because that doesn't prove what you've said. The difference in what is earned could just as easily be caused by women preferring jobs that just happen to have lower wages on average.

Is there any proof that women actually are paid less than men working the exact same job on the exact same hours simply because they're women?

I'll be completely satisfied if there is actual proof of this happening.

There isn't any proof because the claim is absolute bullshit. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christina-hoff-sommers/wage-gap_b_2073804.html and http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-s-gender-pay-gap-is-myth-it-s-just-not-true-experts-say Among many other reports that expose the bullshit for what it is.

This thread is full of other "myths" that quite frankly, I'm tired of correcting. It's amazing what information you can find when you spend a little time actually looking at the numbers and information over taking someone's word at face value because it sounds discriminatory.

 

[Spinozaad]

If you're a white male from Western-Europe or the USA, you have nothing to complain about. Your life is perfect.

 

[Lieju]

If you're a white male from Western-Europe or the USA, you have nothing to complain about. Your life is perfect.

Yeah, if they're heterosexual as well.

But of course they can still complain about how they have nothing to complain about.

Seriously, though, sexism hurts everyone. I've been bullied my whole life for not being feminine enough, for such dumb things as liking colour blue that was a'boy colour' to being suspected of cheating because I was good at math...

And my male cousin was called a pussy for having a summer job in a kindergarten and being generally good-looking.


Still, white heterosexual men have been pandered for so long they can feel they are being discriminated against when others demand equal treatment. Similarly how some Christians in the US complain they're discriminated against since they aren't allowed to push their religion in the public schools.

And like people are complaining that games like DA are pandering for women and homosexuals because you can choose to play as a one...
You are too used to the inequal situation.
Luckily, it seems the tide is turning, and there are more and more people who recognise it and demand true equality.

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

Oh, hey I wonder what's going on in this thre-

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

Judging by his (one) other post, I'm going to make the hilariously sweeping assumption that the OP is bitter:

That women don't like him.

Protip: Man up. Whinging about how the virtual ladies are mean to you isn't going to win you anything.

 

[Ryan Minns]

I have a great quote from a friend of mine describing sexism... but I don't have the balls to post it on this forum or anywhere. I honestly used to think some people had a point on the matters going around at the moment until she smacked me with that beauty.

 

[anthony87]

Don't worry. Anita Sarkeesian will tell us all about it (eventually).

Also, don't you want to discuss gun control instead? Come on Escapists, back into the gun control threads. Let's not have this again.

Well damn. My money was on circumcision being the next big (recycled) topic...

I think it may have been snipped out of this cycle of topics.....

I'll just see myself out.

 

[FoolKiller]

I find it amusing that people always bring up Skyrim with an example of sexism but don't really talk about the ridiculously racist Ashley in Mass Effect when discussing racism.

Oh... and I agree, sexism is just discriminating based on gender.

But I'm perfectly fine with some forms of isms. Discrimination has its uses. For example, I am straight so I discriminate against men when dating. It doesn't matter how great the guy is, I just don't go for dudes.

 

[Stu35]

I have a great quote from a friend of mine describing sexism... but I don't have the balls to post it on this forum or anywhere. I honestly used to think some people had a point on the matters going around at the moment until she smacked me with that beauty.

PM it to me?

I like controversial statements on this forum. They make me chuckle (regardless of their stance).


Speaking of controversy, Imma stir some up right now:

Women have been for the most part systematically oppressed by men

Good thing men invented most of the technology we now enjoy that allows women to stand up to the physically stronger men.

Indeed, same thing could apply to smaller, weaker men. Women were 'oppressed' (or filled a particular role in society, to put it another way), for centuries because it was the sanest thing to do for a species looking to thrive. Putting women at the coal face, in the wars, out on the hunt... Didn't make sense, we lose a woman, we lose a baby factory - we lose a man then all we lose is a single, easily replaced machinist in the baby factory.

So, whilst in this day and age I honestly think women and men should be equal as you like and do whatever the fuck they want, I also believe that the centuries of 'oppression' made a lot of sense for a very, very long time.

Thoughts?

*flame shield up*

 

[Thaluikhain]

Indeed, same thing could apply to smaller, weaker men. Women were 'oppressed' (or filled a particular role in society, to put it another way), for centuries because it was the sanest thing to do for a species looking to thrive. Putting women at the coal face, in the wars, out on the hunt... Didn't make sense, we lose a woman, we lose a baby factory - we lose a man then all we lose is a single, easily replaced machinist in the baby factory.

So, whilst in this day and age I honestly think women and men should be equal as you like and do whatever the fuck they want, I also believe that the centuries of 'oppression' made a lot of sense for a very, very long time.

Thoughts?

That only applies is societies that encourage polygamy, though. There's no point in men being able to impregnate multiple women if they aren't allowed to.

Now, IIRC, the Mormons had polygamy due to a shortage of men, as they kept sending them off into the wilds. Most societies didn't really do that.

Also, that'd only work when the men are killed off, you would expect things to be very different in various social classes.