04/18/24
November 08, 2003
With a face like this, it's a wonder we have any women users. Is Sportsfilter into being a boys only site, or is it a happy accident?
posted by djacobs to navel gazing at 08:10 AM - 50 comments
I can handle the lockerroom talk. I can usually contribute to it, but I thought the whole "She's not even cute" talk is insensitive and rude given the nature of the alleged crime. Now to a SpoFi outsider... I don't know how it would look. I'd guess it would reflect poor on all of us.
posted by jerseygirl at 12:46 PM on November 08, 2003
that first comma should have been a period.
posted by jerseygirl at 12:48 PM on November 08, 2003
Seems very strange to me that djacobs is calling out his own thread, and one I feel he didn't contribute much useful commentary to either.
posted by billsaysthis at 01:47 PM on November 08, 2003
I just reread the thread in it's entirety, and my thought is that if an outsider (male or female but a sports junkie to the core) read it, they would, for the most part, be surprised by the overall level of intellectual discourse considering it's a jock site. I mean, read it again. For 95% of the thread it's good arguin'. And then when everybody was sort of done with it a couple sketchy lines got thrown in. Not a big deal, really.
posted by vito90 at 01:47 PM on November 08, 2003
hey dj, clarify what you are calling out, will ya?
posted by jerseygirl at 05:14 PM on November 08, 2003
Hey, how come no one's said it yet?.... She isn't that hot. Kobe, baby, you could do better. My karma just shifted so fast I fell out of my chair. posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 9:28 AM CST on November 6 I mean, with a face that distorted, how can she pull at all. posted by garfield at 9:49 AM CST on November 6
posted by djacobs at 07:00 PM on November 08, 2003
I mean, with a face that distorted, how can she pull at all. posted by garfield at 9:49 AM CST on November 6 That seems foolish to call out, since I'm pretty sure garfield was referring to the purposely blurred face in the photo. I already commented that this call out was foolish but I love to reinforce myself.
posted by billsaysthis at 07:51 PM on November 08, 2003
Nobody say nothing no more about anything... That way we'll keep it a safe site without offending anyone.
posted by StarFucker at 11:16 PM on November 08, 2003
ok. that's what i thought. meh. generally the thread was excellent. a lot of questions, good discourse, good conversation. couple of kind of meh-meh comments that could be taken badly or look a little... hostile. kind of knucklehead comments, but i secretly was hoping they were joking. so yeah, i thought they were kind of lame (the comments, not the boys), but it didnt turn me into a militant feminist, or anything. i had read a lot worse on other boards in June. in closing, meh-meh. and also, meh. meh. and zoinks.
posted by jerseygirl at 12:00 AM on November 09, 2003
Don't forget jeepers.
posted by grum@work at 11:56 AM on November 09, 2003
I second that meh. Personally, I love the slightly off-color stuff and when threads occasionally go way off-track. At least one of Weedy, Vito, and SF (among others, of course) are pretty much guaranteed to make me laugh once a day, even if some of the stuff they throw out isn't completely PC. It's a sports site. It's going to be a predominantly male membership. I love JG and what she brings to the table, and I appreciate that she's willing to let some of our transgressions go. But sadly, the fact of the matter is that women who know as much about sports as guys do are few and far between. It's always going to be a somewhat meathead kind of site, but mixed with the nerdly leanings of internet geeks. I love this place, and have no complaints except for thing where it's starting to get metafiltery. Let's not turn this place into metafilter. And more importantly, let's not turn the locker room into metatalk. Say it with me: Not in my backyard! Love it or leave it! USA! USA! USA! I got carried away there, but hopefully you see where I'm going. Let's thicken up those skins a bit, huh?
posted by Samsonov14 at 01:26 PM on November 09, 2003
for those of us who don't hang out at Metafilter, can you explain what you mean by metafiltery?
posted by smithers at 02:16 PM on November 09, 2003
It's like a catfight over there all the time, except without the sexy.
posted by Samsonov14 at 03:14 PM on November 09, 2003
oddly suitable enough. MetaTalk - Where MetaFilter crawls up it's own arse, and dies.
posted by jerseygirl at 03:52 PM on November 09, 2003
See? And for the record, JG let my catfight comment go, which she could have called me out on if she wanted to make it an issue. She was cool about it. But if I had talked about Jeter maybe being better than Nomar, she would have gone ballistic on me. As it should be.
posted by Samsonov14 at 04:19 PM on November 09, 2003
It's like a catfight over there all the time, except without the sexy. I think I get it, but I am too busy laughing my ass off.....
posted by smithers at 05:12 PM on November 09, 2003
You're laughing your ass off, but my imagination wants to claw its own eyes out. Ick.
posted by taupe at 05:38 PM on November 09, 2003
because it was a good analogy! i sat there and thought, "i cant top that. damn that was good, sam." its because i'm fairly atypical as girls go, so i am not easily offended by things. but i will tell you squarely if you were being an asshole, if asked. i just prefer the frankness. i can curse pretty bad, so its okay to swear in front of me. i'd prefer to hang with the guys because i think guys are less fake generally and i am through hanging with jealous, gossipy, catty, bitchy girls. i still like girly stuff like getting pedicures, sappy love songs, crying at sad stupid movies and flowers. [/jg character profile] yeah i dont know either. my aberrance is my own.
posted by jerseygirl at 05:56 PM on November 09, 2003
Welcome To The JungleFilter...
posted by StarFucker at 01:02 AM on November 10, 2003
It's a sports site. It's going to be a predominantly male membership. I love JG and what she brings to the table, and I appreciate that she's willing to let some of our transgressions go. But sadly, the fact of the matter is that women who know as much about sports as guys do are few and far between. This is where I disagree. I know as many (more?) women who love sports as I do men. But most women don't feel comfortable in a place like sportsfilter where, say, an alleged rape victim is mocked because of the way she looks. There are many, many sports communties/chat rooms/message boards on line. Shouldn't sportsfilter look a little different than all the others? *Filter users tend to think of themselves as a little more "cutting edge," especially when it comes to changing the way people use the Internet. My original question was: Is Sportsfilter into being a boys only site, or is it a happy accident? Samsonov14 says it should be predominantly male because women know less about sports. I disagree.
posted by djacobs at 11:03 AM on November 10, 2003
djacobs... So where are all these women you know who love sports AND want to spend time at their computer talking about it, and why aren't they here at Sportsfilter?
posted by StarFucker at 11:12 AM on November 10, 2003
Starfucker, it doesn't work that way. Look at the way people have treated jerseygirl in the last 12 months. Why would any woman in her right mind hang out here?
posted by djacobs at 12:06 PM on November 10, 2003
What way DOES it work, djacobs?
posted by StarFucker at 12:12 PM on November 10, 2003
*Filter users tend to think of themselves as a little more "cutting edge" Then perhaps you could've noticed the discussion had reached a conclusion, and to spite our intellectual musings and lighten the mood a joke was cracked...a joke, I might add, that was antithetical of the issue at hand. Honestly, I can't even believe this is a topic of discussion. SF, you said it. Welcome to the JungleFilter.
posted by garfield at 12:19 PM on November 10, 2003
aye carumba.
posted by jerseygirl at 12:34 PM on November 10, 2003
Samsonov14 says it should be predominantly male because women know less about sports. I disagree. No he doesn't. He says that there are fewer women that interested enough in sports than men. That's different than saying that women know less than men about sports. That's a leading point you made right there.
posted by chuck cash at 12:46 PM on November 10, 2003
What way DOES it work, djacobs? You create an environment where people can be comfortable regardless of their gender, and maybe people of different genders can get together and talk about sports. This means (where do I start... ?) not attacking people because their women, not posting about how hot a tennis player is, not posting images of giant penises, etc. Or not denying the existence of sexism. Chuck cash: That's different than saying that women know less than men about sports the fact of the matter is that women who know as much about sports as guys do are few and far between I'm not sure. It seems like spofi members are comfortable having a nearly all-male site. Carry on then.
posted by djacobs at 01:03 PM on November 10, 2003
Look at the way people have treated jerseygirl in the last 12 months. Why would any woman in her right mind hang out here? So you think Jerseygirl is not in her right mind? I think most of you are over analyzing this.
posted by jasonspaceman at 01:12 PM on November 10, 2003
F that noise. First of all, no one is attacked for owning women(hint: they're). Second, outlawing Anna posts is ridiculous, as it provides great opportunties for our female members to mock my childish impulses. Third, I haven't seen any big dicks around here except for you. And though I only speak for myself, nobody is denying sexism exists. I appreciate your efforts to sanitize our comments, but I'd personally rather read how people really talk about sports, then people tip-toeing around vernacular or not even discuss something because its not an inclusive topic.
posted by garfield at 01:16 PM on November 10, 2003
Hear, hear... How do you attract vegetarians to a steak & chop house? Ask djacobs...
posted by StarFucker at 01:48 PM on November 10, 2003
As a confirmed asshole sexual harasser, I want to point out that this discussion is exactly why I limit myself to fantasy league comments in the locker room now (I'll just sexually harass people in the locker room ... heh). Every time someone decides they want to wring their hands about something (let's see, "not enough women here" seems to be the lament of choice) then it's always, oh, those insensitive nasty guys who keep making jokes about women and body parts. And I say this with no disrespect intended to j-girl and all girls and women and other female friends. In fact, I do think, the more women the merrier. I just don't think beating up on each other with our varying senses of righteousness is the way to do it. I have had great interactions w/ j-girl (I wanted to say intercourse, but that would've been, mmm, insensitive) and I've found her to be less of a prig or a priss than some of the fellows on here ... because she just isn't a walking wound looking for expression. I have also met the lovely aacheson along with msacheson, her studly Pantheon man (I wanted to say "member" but that, again, would be inappropriate and scare away all the little ladies), and found her to be a most level-headed lady, with no predilections for swooning or being easily-offended. Look, nobody can prove these "insensitive" comments are scaring women away. In the same way, no one can prove that being all hyper-sensitive about those comments is actually making this place more welcoming. Also, by focusing so much on what is a rare occurrence, I think we're making it more of an issue than necessary. In fact, I think all we'll end up with for our well-intended efforts is this: 1. No new women joining. 2. Average guys who wanna have fun just leaving coz they're tired of the BS from the people who remain, the ... 3. Overly-sensitive guys who obviously are more concerned about the level of non-sexist discourse on a sports groupblog and discussion site (this is very very serious stuff, boys!) than most. We all put our feet in our mouths at one point or another. We have bad timing. We say inappropriate things. (This describes my particular brand of vituperative, offensive, scary charm.) We also have our pet peeves, and get offended, even when no offense is meant. This stuff is even more apt to happen when we're typing our thoughts out in a less-than-formal, anonymous, ambiguous setting. I'd rather we try to fix our mistakes than to legislate some sorta "rules of speaking" (beyond what is already here). Let's chill (let's settle down) and give each other the benefit of the doubt, OK? I've already spent too much time being serious now. But I appreciate your time and attention. Is it joke time yet?
posted by worldcup2002 at 02:22 PM on November 10, 2003
wc2k2, I now see your side much clearer. Also, and I think I speak for Spofi as a whole, your posts are missed tremendously.
posted by garfield at 02:35 PM on November 10, 2003
Ah, garfield, I save my gems for the thick-skinned and thick-headed soccer boys. You can witness our genial tomfoolery in the fantasy league threads. From salted herring to manky man-fat, we make sure we offend (and perplex) everybody. We're bostin, mate! Yes, we're a rambunctious, rude, in-jokey, slang-happy crowd with no redeeming value. (And that's just when Fat Buddha and StarFooker are talking. *cymbal crash!*) Most of the time, we're offended, and we don't know why. Be a lurker, or better still, join the fantasy league!
posted by worldcup2002 at 03:05 PM on November 10, 2003
i wish you wouldnt limit your posts, wc. i really miss having you around. i appreciate your posts. i can't speak for the other chicks, but if i am ever harassed or molested or otherwise chafed by any comments, i'll let you all know. i generally wouldnt bring up the 'insulted female' topic, but if an opinion is requested, i can give you mine like i did here. i do appreciate the concern and the looking-out for me and the current and future Lady SpoFites (god, that sounds like a terrible WNBA team with green and orange uniforms). i appreciate what djacobs is trying to say here. we're all going to say dummy things from time to time. even if what he has said gives us all pause a moment before we click on Post, hey, that's not so bad either. i'm cool with whatever the SpoFi family decides to do, if anything. i have a responsibility to maintain RedSoxFilter, and i can't abandon that, so i'm not going anywhere.
posted by jerseygirl at 03:07 PM on November 10, 2003
Thanks, jerseygirl, Lady SpoFites will be my fantasy WNBA team name. Latasha Byears will be my #1 draft choice.
posted by msacheson at 03:47 PM on November 10, 2003
I think, clearly, djacobs is being a goofus in this thread and would like to point out that most of the threads we post have no obvious or inferred anti-women content. So when the average woman sports fan drops by to check us out, she sees nothing objectionable. So I'm mostly in agreement with Sammy that there are (FBOW) few women interested enough in sports to bother participating. Those that are interested are more than welcome, as opposed, say, to the new female referee in the Scottish Premier League! Long live anti-YankeeFilter
posted by billsaysthis at 04:04 PM on November 10, 2003
You can't have YankeeFilter. You don't even like baseball!
posted by jerseygirl at 04:13 PM on November 10, 2003
posted by danostuporstar at 04:17 PM on November 10, 2003
Somewhat off-topic: I really miss the interviews, and I think they make for a more collegial atmosphere in the locker room. wc2k2: how 'bout it? Will you suspend your self-imposed exile long enough to corner a new victim interviewee? Any nominations?
posted by dusted at 04:27 PM on November 10, 2003
Feed Me!
posted by lilnemo at 04:49 PM on November 10, 2003
dusted et al, you all are a bloody kind and persistent bunch. But I won't do anymore bleeding interviews or any posting until people start getting a sense of humor again. Also, lilnemo better clean up his table-posting act or my online sulking will get worse. That soccer table you posted this week was just horrible, you diminutive devil! And I am incensed because you turn around and make this pretty little thing for your NBA league. This is discrimination, I say! And I am incensed, you little lout! I sense a lack of love here, and it troubles me, you mini munchkin. Is it a new distraction? A new allegiance? Tell me, you tiny tyke, is it a disturbance in the force?
posted by worldcup2002 at 05:37 PM on November 10, 2003
speaking of humor... (can i derail the thread now?) does anyone watch The Family Guy?
posted by jerseygirl at 06:36 PM on November 10, 2003
Does anyone know what this woman is talking about? Blast!!
posted by lilnemo at 07:04 PM on November 10, 2003
Sorry to get back on the topic, I was late to the party (?). djacobs: It seems like spofi members are comfortable having a nearly all-male site. Carry on then. How would you know that Sportsfilter is a "nearly all-male site", djacobs? Who says there aren't more women here than you think? Not every guy puts "guy" in his nickname, so why would all the girls do the same? Why do you assume jerseygirl is the lonely woman here?
posted by qbert72 at 08:08 PM on November 10, 2003
SpoFi: Late to the party. SpoFi: All "male". SpoFi: Lonely women here. SpoFi: More women here than you think. *maniacal laugh as train careens spectacularly off the tracks again*
posted by worldcup2002 at 08:19 PM on November 10, 2003
I watched the supposedly offensive episode last night, Jgirl. What was the big deal? It was damned funny, though. As for all this stuff about women and all that, I have to say occasionally I think some of us DO get a little overbearing and obnoxious in here on occasion, but if Jgirl can deal with it, I suppose I can also. /typing from a strip club
posted by wfrazerjr at 08:32 PM on November 10, 2003
"When You Wish Upon a Weinstein..."
Classic.
And I'm proud to own a copy.
Now to tie my Jewish friend Ira to a chair and force him to watch it whilst I twist my mustache Dick Dastardly style.
Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!!
posted by lilnemo at 08:42 PM on November 10, 2003
There's too much personal abuse going on where this subject is concerned. If you can't make a point without calling someone a "big dick," prig, "walking wound" or the like, chill out and post later.
posted by rcade at 05:23 AM on November 11, 2003
come on, rcade....that 'big dick' commment was begging to be said.
posted by garfield at 10:05 AM on November 11, 2003
When I hang out with the boys, things tend to get crude and a little bit over the top. I don't think there are many boys out there who can claim otherwise. From what my girlfriend tells me, it's the same with the girls. This being a predominantly male forum, it's only fair to assume that once in a while we'll go a little bit over the top. I don't think this is generally the case though. I'd also not have a big problem if the girls did the same thing as what happened in that thread. A little crude, a little over the top, but all in all it doesn't happen much. What do you think can be done to combat this, djacobs?