Get over it, you bunch of pussies.
March 24, 2011 7:39 PM Subscribe
I realize I might take some heat for lumping women, children and the mentally handicapped in the same group. At the request of men's-rights-activist readers, cartoonist Scott Adams posts a discussion of the ways men are discriminated against in this female-dominated world to his blog. Then deletes it, but not soon enough.
This post was deleted for the following reason: I sort of feel like "Scott Adams has contentious ideas" is an established thing at this point and having an argument about a blog post that even he recognizes it wasn't smart to make is more effort than we need to go to here. -- cortex
Fairness is an illusion. It’s unobtainable in the real world.
I more-or-less agree but yeah, he could have picked better examples and to simply give up on trying for fairness is a cop-out.
posted by GuyZero at 7:41 PM on March 24, 2011
I more-or-less agree but yeah, he could have picked better examples and to simply give up on trying for fairness is a cop-out.
posted by GuyZero at 7:41 PM on March 24, 2011
Would anyone like to watch me pound carpet tacks into my sinuses? Because right now, I think that sounds like a relative amount of fun.
posted by mudpuppie at 7:44 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by mudpuppie at 7:44 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
Fairness is an illusion. It’s unobtainable in the real world.
Hence the success of something such as Dilbert.
posted by pianomover at 7:45 PM on March 24, 2011 [12 favorites]
Hence the success of something such as Dilbert.
posted by pianomover at 7:45 PM on March 24, 2011 [12 favorites]
So the mind behind Dilbert also pumps out this ridiculousness too, huh? Wow, who'd have thought?
posted by axiom at 7:48 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by axiom at 7:48 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
You were a childhood hero of mine dude, and all my respect for you just died.
Not only because you wrote this load of shit, but then you deleted it like a coward when it made people angry.
My respect for Tinysprout just died because Scott Adams was ever their hero.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 7:49 PM on March 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
Did Scott Adams recently suffer a concussion?
posted by kittens for breakfast at 7:49 PM on March 24, 2011
posted by kittens for breakfast at 7:49 PM on March 24, 2011
On the plus side, if I’m trapped in a burning car someday, a man will be the one pulling me out.
You know, that might not have been true before he wrote this, but it probably is now.
posted by jaynewould at 7:50 PM on March 24, 2011 [39 favorites]
You know, that might not have been true before he wrote this, but it probably is now.
posted by jaynewould at 7:50 PM on March 24, 2011 [39 favorites]
(Meanwhile, in firehouses around America, a photo of Scott Adams is being pinned to a bulletin board.)
posted by jaynewould at 7:50 PM on March 24, 2011
posted by jaynewould at 7:50 PM on March 24, 2011
I know I shouldn't be so cryptic, I know sometimes we are discriminated against, I know it is unfair. Equating these things to the struggle for equal rights for women and minorities is disingenuous, unnecessary and in every case I've ever examined, they just mean equal rights for ME.
posted by fullerine at 7:51 PM on March 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by fullerine at 7:51 PM on March 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
According to my readers, examples of unfair treatment of men include many elements of the legal system, the military draft in some cases, the lower life expectancies of men, the higher suicide rates for men, circumcision, and the growing number of government agencies that are primarily for women.
Why is it that, as a man, whenever I read a list of men's rights issues, my reaction is: Boo-fucking-hoo.
posted by 2N2222 at 7:51 PM on March 24, 2011 [4 favorites]
I have no love for the "men's rights" cause, but I'm not sure calling them "herd animals" is really advancing the fight against group-based insults.
That was the first thing that jumped out at me, too. I broadly agree with what the author was getting at in that article, but fighting bigotry with sweeping generalizations isn't really helping anyone.
posted by auto-correct at 7:52 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
That was the first thing that jumped out at me, too. I broadly agree with what the author was getting at in that article, but fighting bigotry with sweeping generalizations isn't really helping anyone.
posted by auto-correct at 7:52 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
Is this his way of trying to get attention now that nobody reads his comic anymore?
posted by jonmc at 7:52 PM on March 24, 2011
posted by jonmc at 7:52 PM on March 24, 2011
I just made the mistake of showing this post to my wife.
Thanks a lot, MetaFilter.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:54 PM on March 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
Thanks a lot, MetaFilter.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:54 PM on March 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
Dilbert was kinda funny for a year or two, but honestly I fairly quickly came to the opinion think Adams just hates dislikes everyone who's name is not Scott Adams.
posted by edgeways at 7:54 PM on March 24, 2011
posted by edgeways at 7:54 PM on March 24, 2011
Why is it that, as a man, whenever I read a list of men's rights issues, my reaction is: Boo-fucking-hoo.
Because you believe men are supposed to be socialized to "take it like a man".
posted by gjc at 7:54 PM on March 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
Because you believe men are supposed to be socialized to "take it like a man".
posted by gjc at 7:54 PM on March 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
It was a blog post. A post. On his blog.
The wasn't a position paper submitted for debate, or a grant proposal to study the abuses men suffer at the hands of women, or a scientific paper going up against peer review. It was a post on a blog.
If we're going to get uptight about stupid shit posted on blogs someone shut down metafilter now.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:56 PM on March 24, 2011 [11 favorites]
The wasn't a position paper submitted for debate, or a grant proposal to study the abuses men suffer at the hands of women, or a scientific paper going up against peer review. It was a post on a blog.
If we're going to get uptight about stupid shit posted on blogs someone shut down metafilter now.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:56 PM on March 24, 2011 [11 favorites]
What a strange mixed bag of commentary that deleted blog post is. It's like, he's really really angry about SOMETHING but he's not entirely sure what it is. Is it the supposed inequitable treatment of men? Is it the men who are upset about that supposed inequitable treatment? Did he have a negative experience with whomever served him breakfast that morning? It's hard to tell. But he's certainly upset about something, and is lashing out in order to feel better.
Ultimately, he comes across as a clueless asshole who doesn't think much while he's writing, and then chickens out once his opinions inspire a backlash.
posted by hippybear at 7:56 PM on March 24, 2011
Ultimately, he comes across as a clueless asshole who doesn't think much while he's writing, and then chickens out once his opinions inspire a backlash.
posted by hippybear at 7:56 PM on March 24, 2011
Scott Adams is not necessarily a hero, but he's pretty bad ass. He overcame being being mute FFS. He also had a great idea for getting the rich to pay their taxes.
But then as always, our heroes are revealed to have horrible faults. Alas.
posted by fungible at 7:57 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
But then as always, our heroes are revealed to have horrible faults. Alas.
posted by fungible at 7:57 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
(my wife deals with men's rights activists on a weekly basis, so bringing this up right before bed was a mistake on my part)
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:57 PM on March 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:57 PM on March 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
One reason is could suck to be a man. Oh course like it was so recently pointed out for the other sex, having kids is something the man can control. If he doesn't want to go to prison for being broke don't go broke and keep control of your genetic material.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:59 PM on March 24, 2011
posted by cjorgensen at 7:59 PM on March 24, 2011
If we're going to get uptight about stupid shit posted on blogs someone shut down metafilter now.
I do think there's a bit of a difference between random joe schmoe writing something to his livejournal that 20 people read, if he's lucky, and someone who has had a nationally published comic strip for over two decades.
Anyway, we post and discuss commentary which comes from all manner of sources all the time. Just because it's on a blog doesn't mean it doesn't have a worldwide audience, especially, as I said, when you've had a huge career which features your work in dozens of countries and languages.
posted by hippybear at 7:59 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
I do think there's a bit of a difference between random joe schmoe writing something to his livejournal that 20 people read, if he's lucky, and someone who has had a nationally published comic strip for over two decades.
Anyway, we post and discuss commentary which comes from all manner of sources all the time. Just because it's on a blog doesn't mean it doesn't have a worldwide audience, especially, as I said, when you've had a huge career which features your work in dozens of countries and languages.
posted by hippybear at 7:59 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
I... don't even really get what he's saying.
posted by shakespeherian at 8:00 PM on March 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by shakespeherian at 8:00 PM on March 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'm glad that somebody has finally seen that the world needs more ugliness.
posted by tumid dahlia at 8:02 PM on March 24, 2011
posted by tumid dahlia at 8:02 PM on March 24, 2011
I want to thank MetaFilter for helping immunize me against this sort of stupidity.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 8:02 PM on March 24, 2011
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 8:02 PM on March 24, 2011
keep control of your genetic material.
In other words, "Don't forget to bag your groceries."
Pandagon actually agreed that the no-lawyers-for-nonpaying-dads thing was bullshit, also.
posted by emjaybee at 8:04 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
In other words, "Don't forget to bag your groceries."
Pandagon actually agreed that the no-lawyers-for-nonpaying-dads thing was bullshit, also.
posted by emjaybee at 8:04 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
A man only digs in for a good fight on the few issues that matter to him, and for which he has some chance of winning. This is a strategy that men are uniquely suited for because, on average, we genuinely don’t care about 90% of what is happening around us
okay, this is true for me
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 8:04 PM on March 24, 2011
okay, this is true for me
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 8:04 PM on March 24, 2011
And if you're going to dump on Dilbert as a comic strip... well, I know this is shocking news, but the whole comics page has sucked for decades now. The fact that his strip occasionally gets a inkling of a chuckle at all (hey! work really does suck!) is kind of a major accomplishment.
posted by fungible at 8:04 PM on March 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by fungible at 8:04 PM on March 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
Another tragic case of Dave Sims Disease! Do you have an aging, barely relevant cartoonist in your life? Please schedule a Dave Sims Disease screening today, and suspend your cartoonist's screed distribution privileges until the test results return clear. This is the only known preventative measure for massive embarrassment once the infection has taken hold. Thank you.
Love,
the World of Grownups
posted by EatTheWeek at 8:04 PM on March 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
Love,
the World of Grownups
posted by EatTheWeek at 8:04 PM on March 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
Wow, how long his this guy had a blog? You'd think he'd have learned the "read twice, post once" trick by now. He thoroughly blows it in a few spots but this sticks out:
And you don’t argue when a women tells you she’s only making 80 cents to your dollar. It’s the path of least resistance. You save your energy for more important battles.
I'm not entirely sure what he intended here, but it sure sounds like he's saying don't argue with women, not because they're right but because it's the path of least resistance. If the 80 cents on the dollar figure is a lie, call them on it, if it isn't, shut up you have no point to argue. Not complicated.
The other part about not hitting mentally retarded people (because it's the path of least resistance?) is just odd and wrong. Who's getting punched regularly by handicapped people, is this a new trend? And maybe you shouldn't punch them back because (hopefully) you're the person with the greater awareness and understand that the person hitting you may not fully realize what they're doing. But no, just don't hit them because it's easier. It certainly won't be easier if they continue to hit you so I'm not sure what you're meant to do with that advice.
What an ass. A very rich ass, no doubt but still an ass.
posted by doctor_negative at 8:05 PM on March 24, 2011
And you don’t argue when a women tells you she’s only making 80 cents to your dollar. It’s the path of least resistance. You save your energy for more important battles.
I'm not entirely sure what he intended here, but it sure sounds like he's saying don't argue with women, not because they're right but because it's the path of least resistance. If the 80 cents on the dollar figure is a lie, call them on it, if it isn't, shut up you have no point to argue. Not complicated.
The other part about not hitting mentally retarded people (because it's the path of least resistance?) is just odd and wrong. Who's getting punched regularly by handicapped people, is this a new trend? And maybe you shouldn't punch them back because (hopefully) you're the person with the greater awareness and understand that the person hitting you may not fully realize what they're doing. But no, just don't hit them because it's easier. It certainly won't be easier if they continue to hit you so I'm not sure what you're meant to do with that advice.
What an ass. A very rich ass, no doubt but still an ass.
posted by doctor_negative at 8:05 PM on March 24, 2011
What a strange mixed bag of commentary that deleted blog post is. It's like, he's really really angry about SOMETHING but he's not entirely sure what it is. Is it the supposed inequitable treatment of men? Is it the men who are upset about that supposed inequitable treatment? Did he have a negative experience with whomever served him breakfast that morning? It's hard to tell. But he's certainly upset about something, and is lashing out in order to feel better.
Ultimately, he comes across as a clueless asshole who doesn't think much while he's writing, and then chickens out once his opinions inspire a backlash.
In other words, wahh wahh wahh, baby need his diaper changed? Amiright?
(Hint: "clueless" is not a nice way to describe someone who doesn't agree with you. Having a different, even obnoxious, opinion doesn't necessarily mean this person is lacking information. It is egocentric.)
posted by gjc at 8:05 PM on March 24, 2011
Ultimately, he comes across as a clueless asshole who doesn't think much while he's writing, and then chickens out once his opinions inspire a backlash.
In other words, wahh wahh wahh, baby need his diaper changed? Amiright?
(Hint: "clueless" is not a nice way to describe someone who doesn't agree with you. Having a different, even obnoxious, opinion doesn't necessarily mean this person is lacking information. It is egocentric.)
posted by gjc at 8:05 PM on March 24, 2011
fungible: " But then as always, our heroes are revealed to have horrible faults. Alas."
He was never my hero, but he certainly has the "horrible faults" thing down.
posted by zarq at 8:05 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
He was never my hero, but he certainly has the "horrible faults" thing down.
posted by zarq at 8:05 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
If I ever get a flat tire, I know I'll be okay because Scott Adams will be around the corner to fix it for me. He might not want to, but, hey, pick your battles, man.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:08 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:08 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
Having a different, even obnoxious, opinion doesn't necessarily mean this person is lacking information.
He appears to actually believe there are no women working in the emergency services. They're not on his team!
posted by jaynewould at 8:09 PM on March 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
He appears to actually believe there are no women working in the emergency services. They're not on his team!
posted by jaynewould at 8:09 PM on March 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
Scott Adams was my hero for a while, until I realized that at least half of what he says (outside the boundaries of the comic strip and the on-topic portions of his books) is actually, literally crazy.
And I have long suspected that he's a closet misogynist. Interesting to see that gut feeling finally being proven true.
posted by ErikaB at 8:10 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
And I have long suspected that he's a closet misogynist. Interesting to see that gut feeling finally being proven true.
posted by ErikaB at 8:10 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
We take for granted that men should hold doors for women, and women should be served first in restaurants. Can you even imagine that situation in reverse?
Sir -
The idea of noblesse oblige is a very, very old one - wikipedia defines it as suggesting that "noble ancestry constrains to honorable behavior; privilege entails to responsibility". In short, if you're lucky enough to be born into a position of relative privilege, whether it's a French aristocrat or simply a middle-class white man, it behooves you not to be a jerk about it. You pulled a very long straw at birth, so show some manners and courtesy around people who society hasn't until relatively recently permitted to have opinions, rights or property, you know? It's just about the least you could do; the alternative is some seriously tasteless douchebaggery and anyone with an ounce of insight knows it.
And I think it's hard to argue with that. Hopefully it'll be a weird anachronism someday, and let's absolutely work towards a society where we don't need that sort of thing because we don't have those intrinsic power imbalances and concomitant injustices lurking in every corner.
But we're not there yet. So in the meantime, show a little class already.
posted by mhoye at 8:13 PM on March 24, 2011 [11 favorites]
Sir -
The idea of noblesse oblige is a very, very old one - wikipedia defines it as suggesting that "noble ancestry constrains to honorable behavior; privilege entails to responsibility". In short, if you're lucky enough to be born into a position of relative privilege, whether it's a French aristocrat or simply a middle-class white man, it behooves you not to be a jerk about it. You pulled a very long straw at birth, so show some manners and courtesy around people who society hasn't until relatively recently permitted to have opinions, rights or property, you know? It's just about the least you could do; the alternative is some seriously tasteless douchebaggery and anyone with an ounce of insight knows it.
And I think it's hard to argue with that. Hopefully it'll be a weird anachronism someday, and let's absolutely work towards a society where we don't need that sort of thing because we don't have those intrinsic power imbalances and concomitant injustices lurking in every corner.
But we're not there yet. So in the meantime, show a little class already.
posted by mhoye at 8:13 PM on March 24, 2011 [11 favorites]
Hint: "clueless" is not a nice way to describe someone who doesn't agree with you.
Is "clueless" a "nice" way to describe someone who is actually clueless?
posted by Benjy at 8:14 PM on March 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
Is "clueless" a "nice" way to describe someone who is actually clueless?
posted by Benjy at 8:14 PM on March 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
We take for granted that men should hold doors for women, and women should be served first in restaurants. Can you even imagine that situation in reverse?
I can't imagine giving a shit about either of those things, as they exist or if the situation were reversed.
posted by UrineSoakedRube at 8:14 PM on March 24, 2011
I can't imagine giving a shit about either of those things, as they exist or if the situation were reversed.
posted by UrineSoakedRube at 8:14 PM on March 24, 2011
So the mind behind Dilbert also pumps out this ridiculousness too, huh?
Obviously, you haven't been reading the comic lately. He did a short story arc about Alice, the token Female Engineer being assigned to fill in for the Pointy Haired Boss while he is on vacation. How Alice handles it doesn't reflect well on her character, but she gets her comeuppance... from an equally shallow female secretary. (Come to think of it, the story arc ended suddenly: I wonder if he did a quick swap-out of comics when this shit hit the internet fan?)
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:14 PM on March 24, 2011
Obviously, you haven't been reading the comic lately. He did a short story arc about Alice, the token Female Engineer being assigned to fill in for the Pointy Haired Boss while he is on vacation. How Alice handles it doesn't reflect well on her character, but she gets her comeuppance... from an equally shallow female secretary. (Come to think of it, the story arc ended suddenly: I wonder if he did a quick swap-out of comics when this shit hit the internet fan?)
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:14 PM on March 24, 2011
I get the impression he was trying to snark away the Men's Rights issue as being laughable, but managed to skewer his mouth with his foot by writing satire that was a touch too believable.
I'm not very comfortable with holding someone accountable for a deleted blog post - he clearly thought better of his position, and decided it wasn't something he really wanted to say. He'll probably still have to explain it, tho.
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:15 PM on March 24, 2011
I'm not very comfortable with holding someone accountable for a deleted blog post - he clearly thought better of his position, and decided it wasn't something he really wanted to say. He'll probably still have to explain it, tho.
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:15 PM on March 24, 2011
If this is the day on MetaFilter where we defend vile opinion pieces because we like the creative output of the opinionators, I'm really glad no one made a Chris Brown freaks out post.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 8:17 PM on March 24, 2011
posted by kittens for breakfast at 8:17 PM on March 24, 2011
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posted by fullerine at 7:41 PM on March 24, 2011