Numbness to GameDay misogyny
While at a bar watching Gameday before the Cincinnati game, a female friend of mine commented on the requisite 'Ann Arbor is a whore' sign bobbing up and down in the background. As an 18 year old freshman male, I must confess I found these signs and t-shirts fairly funny, and figured Michigan must be doing something right to get so much attention. In turn, I bought a few of my own that jabbed at the usual suspects while en route to Michigan Stadium and Crisler, and was easily acculturated to yelling about how it was 'all their fault' at Yost.
As a 36 year old, I'm ashamed to say the misogynistic quality of that sign, though similar to several others each week televised on national television, was still lost on me. Male sporting events are no doubt a remaining bastion for easy bigotry and sexism, but they can also be a place for Michigan to lead by example. These signs, t-shirts, and chants aren't ironic, they're not witty, and here's hoping the next generation of Michigan Men and Women uphold a more advanced sense of social awareness than mine did. Perhaps we can listen more closely to the lyrics of another common ritual at every game and show how we really are the Leaders and Best.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:03 AM ^
Every time I think about coming back and posting here more regularly, threads like these remind me why I stopped in the first place.
This board views itself so high and mighty, but it's always a stone's throw away from descending into RCMB territory.
When every single woman who has posted in this thread is saying essentially the exact same thing (misogyny is rampant, so much so you almost have to ignore it just to function), and some of the responses are on the level of, "Be thankful you're not in Pakistan," it's time to shut it down.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:07 AM ^
The point in all this is that there IS a lot of casual and/or ingrained sexism in society and by extension CFB fandom. And because it's ingrained, almost everyone has partaken in it to some degree - even the most ardently feminist woman's studies major has at one point referred to an obnoxious woman colleague/roommate as a 'whore' or 'bitch' It's not even a 'liberal' or 'conservative' thing - ask any women who's worked for more than two weeks in either Hollywood or 80% of graduate school departments anywhere. Obnoxious signs are pretty low on the list of awful things, and that kind of proves the point. I get that it's exhausting for everyone to talk about it, but as men, the least we can do is ask ourselves, how much more exhausting it is for women - our sisters, moms, ladyfriends or MGoPosters - to deal with it each and every day. I personally would be thrilled if most women Michigan fans would join the ranks and feel comfortable posting here - is there anything we can collectively do to facilitate this?
Last thought - "Because that's how things have always been done" is the worst possible justification for anything ever, and seeing as how most of us read the UFRs for the twilight of the Lloyd (and Hoke) years I'd hope that we of all people would get that.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:14 AM ^
If there's one glaring thing MGoBlog has made me realize, it's that the subset of the university community that cares about sports at a fanatic level is vastly, vastly different from the broader university community and Ann Arbor at large. The kind of weird, misinformed, hard-headed mysogyny and general knee-jerk reactions to issues of simple human kindness and decency are gross--and not what I experienced as a student at the university.
We can, and should do better as a fanbase. Good on you, OP.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:43 AM ^
+1
It looks like the vast majority of this board is now of the non-alumni variety.
Which is fine, but... well... different.
September 11th, 2017 at 1:50 PM ^
Not everyone who went to the university has developed the same opinions as you have. Presumably, this is one of the things that makes university a good place.
September 11th, 2017 at 1:51 PM ^
Looks like we have a real classist on our hands here.
Privileged people who likely only got into UM because of their parents now insulting others who didn't get the same education because they started behind in the race.
Why does UM have standards btw? Why do they discriminate like that?
September 12th, 2017 at 8:39 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 11th, 2017 at 4:42 PM ^
NTTAWWT
September 11th, 2017 at 10:33 AM ^
Misandrist back at us too, don't you? Here's just a few I've viewed online that are quite frequently used: Toxic Masculinity, Patriarchy, Mansplaining, the list goes on and on. Difference is men are almost NEVER saying anything. We just take it on the chin and move on with our lives. Maybe women should take notes from us on that
September 11th, 2017 at 10:41 AM ^
Mansplaining to me that there is sexism! What you don't realize is that those things are actually very real and have existed for a long time, they are just getting a name and attention now. Duh, I know there is sexism, I live it, you don't have to tell me that it exists. It totally exists for dudes, too - just ask the stay at home dads or the husbands who cook and clean primarily.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:44 AM ^
September 11th, 2017 at 10:57 AM ^
And I'm a flaming liberal.
Like actually on fire. Please call 911 for me.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^
I find it funny that the only two threads you've commented on in months are this and the booing thread. Seems like it struck a nerve for some reason that literally nothing else on this largely sports-related site has.
September 11th, 2017 at 12:48 PM ^
Didn't realize I needed to have a constant presence on daily threads in order to express a thought. Sorry I haven't spent enough of my time commenting on various threads to accrue 47k points.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:28 AM ^
Christ almighty, what about the OP's post is so incredibly offensive, SJWy, or beyond the pale?
He said, "Hey, I've noticed a lot of fanbases--including our own--wearing shirts and chanting slogans with words like 'bitch' and 'whore,' which probably isn't a great look considering half of our fellow alums/students/human beings are women. So maybe let's try to live up to our mantra of being leaders and best and scale some of that back a bit."
This is apparently some radical leftist diatribe that is straight from the bowels of the marxist feminista mines of tumblr.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:59 AM ^
I wonder what % of the students wearing these shirts were women?
September 11th, 2017 at 11:34 AM ^
Use of the phrase "Social Justice Warriors" doesn't show your hand at all...
Sports shouldn't be a pass for mysogyny and the like. Period. Don't like the "constant barrage"? Be a part of the solution, not the problem.
September 11th, 2017 at 12:11 PM ^
September 11th, 2017 at 10:53 AM ^
1. It's good to take a step back from time to time and ask yourself whether you're being disrespectful to women. I think sports - and footbal in particular - tend to bring out the brutish side of us men.
2. There's no need to flog yourself over past behavior. Just be more respecful if needed. We can all improve in many ways.
3. Floss before you brush your teeth. I know that recent study said flossing doesn't help, but I simply don't see how that's possible.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:59 AM ^
I think we can all agree that the gum disease gingivitis is the real monster.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^
That a woman can't say that she notices misogyny without a bunch of men telling her she is wrong is the evidence.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^
That's what astounded me in this thread. A woman who posts here pretty consistently points out "yeah, a lot of people here use sexist and offensive terms" and people are like "Nope. You are wrong."
September 11th, 2017 at 2:56 PM ^
September 11th, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^
September 11th, 2017 at 11:03 AM ^
September 11th, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
This might be the worst thread I have seen in a long time. The very scarce level of discourse and the high level of "piss matching" puts this over the top.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^
I don't look at this so much as a (for lack of a better term but that's a whole 'nother tangent) "SJW agenda" as it is a conversation on how to make this a better and more welcoming community.
Parts of it can be long-winded and grating. Speaking as someone who was in school at one point, there were several times when I had to endure a review lesson on subject matter with which I was familiar. Often repeatedly. The thing is, not everyone gets the lesson the first time - as a completely top-of-head example look at ~35% of the comments when Brian Cook said "hey you can't post jiggly gifs of Kate Upton"
And it's a pretty weaksauce false equivalence to say "But what about a sexy gif of Taylor Lewan gyrating in a maize-and-blue speedo"? Because, get real - that's never happened here. And if it did, do you think that or a Kate Upton gif would get more upvotes?
I get that it might seem like socially maladjusted hetero dudes (of which I am one) might seem like they're under attack here, but the reality is that we comprise a good ~80% of the demographic here: This is a place of, by, and for us. In the grand scheme of things we'll be fine, insulated as we are by a bulk of like-minded MGoSouls. I'd like for MGoWomen to be able to say the same.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:24 AM ^
ESPN shows misogynistic signs at a Gameday Show in Columbus, Ohio and Michigan is somehow at fault for not showing leadership on this issue? Um, OK.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:38 AM ^
If anything we should've used that as a reason to shit all over the OSU fanbase some more because that's something that's never ever ever wrong to do.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:44 AM ^
I think the larger point is this fanbase isn't above that behavior, as noted by the "East Lansing/Columbis is a Whore" shirts you can see around. Oh, also this site once selling an "East Lansing is a woman of negotiable affection" shirts. Plus, as Julesh pointed out, she's a woman who posts here and finds it to be a pretty sexist and offensive space at times.
I think the intention was always to push for us to be better as a community and be more accepting to everyone, but as you've seen there are a lot of people who (a) don't think it's a problem, (b) believe there's nothing wrong with it, or (c) just don't want to talk about it but felt it was necessary to point that out.
Again, it's just a sign, and in the grand scheme of things nobody is going to lose sleep over it. But the fact this thread has generated so much anger on both sides highlights the fact it probably points to a larger issue, one that absolutely rears its ugly head here as well.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:34 AM ^
God damn, must be exhausting living as some of you do. I called a woman "maam" at work the other day. Got a complaint and went to HR. wtf.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:43 AM ^
...of how this issue gets so complicated. Calling a woman a "bitch" because she doesn't want to go out with you would be bad. But I don't understand how calling a woman "ma'am" is wrong in any way. It's just the female equivalent of "sir."
Anyway, my point is that a valid charge of sexism doesn't make all charges of sexism valid, and an invalid charge of sexism doesn't make all charges of sexsim invalid. And I think it can be easy to lose sight of this and feel like you have to pick a team, so to speak.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:45 AM ^
I would love to know the context in which referring to a woman as ma'am got you written up and sent to HR.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:47 AM ^
he said "ma'am you belong in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant."
I don't see what the big deal is.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:48 AM ^
well...i work in academia so that should give you an idea of my environment
September 11th, 2017 at 11:55 AM ^
"Shut your whore mouth?"
September 11th, 2017 at 12:19 PM ^
They did. : ( Told me to be "nicer and more sensitive"
September 11th, 2017 at 12:02 PM ^
September 11th, 2017 at 12:53 PM ^
or did you grab her by the POTUS when you said it?
September 11th, 2017 at 11:36 AM ^
Are a whore
September 11th, 2017 at 11:37 AM ^
I thought about this thread last night after I went to bed.
People demand to be treated with respect, but fail to realize that respect is something you earn.
I don't care if you're a man, woman, trans, or a fuckinkg cyborg.
crying on a Michigan sports blog does not make me respect you.
fin
September 11th, 2017 at 11:50 AM ^
YOU HAVE TO RESPECT ME! ITS MY RIGHT!
September 11th, 2017 at 11:59 AM ^
That was the dumbest fucking thing I ever saw on a teeshirt or anywhere else and thought that it was only displayed on idiotic OSU fans' shirts or placards.
I had no idea that anyone who cares about UM would display such nonsense.
September 11th, 2017 at 12:01 PM ^
I really despise how any amount of sincerity is treated as an open invitation to attack. When someone says they feel that something is sexist or that they have been treated in a sexist manner why not accept them as being sincere. You can disagree with their assessment but please don’t discount their personal experience unless it is your own. These are our own for Christs sake, if you won’t meet them at least half way and treat their concerns as sincere who the fuck will you do it for?
September 11th, 2017 at 12:06 PM ^
September 11th, 2017 at 12:18 PM ^
Thanks for proving my point. I'm sorry you had to be angry on the internet to do it, but here's a free piece of advice you didn't ask for, don't be angry on the internet.
September 11th, 2017 at 12:47 PM ^
September 11th, 2017 at 12:54 PM ^
Good luck in second grade slugger!
September 11th, 2017 at 2:31 PM ^
September 11th, 2017 at 12:49 PM ^