[this is bad]
August 22, 2008 10:30 AM Subscribe
"Beat It," as reenacted by the Pedal Pusher Society, Milwaukee's finest all-girl-and-tranny bike gang. Oh, did I mention the co-founder is Metafilter's Own™ binocularfight?
word! thanks y'all!
posted by binocularfight at 10:44 AM on August 22, 2008
posted by binocularfight at 10:44 AM on August 22, 2008
although i think some of those moves are from "thriller..."
posted by CitizenD at 11:28 AM on August 22, 2008
posted by CitizenD at 11:28 AM on August 22, 2008
That was really very cool. It's completely weird to see so many places that I walk and drive around featured in something like this though.
posted by quin at 11:32 AM on August 22, 2008
posted by quin at 11:32 AM on August 22, 2008
I want to see these girls play bike polo with The Sprockettes.
posted by loquacious at 11:33 AM on August 22, 2008
posted by loquacious at 11:33 AM on August 22, 2008
People may not think a bicycle gang is all that threatening if they haven't seen a Critical Mass.
Here is another Beat It reenactment.
How come you're always such a fussy young man?
Don't want no Captain Crunch don't want no Raisin Bran?
Well don't you know that other kids are starving in Japan,
So eat it. Just eat it.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 11:45 AM on August 22, 2008
Here is another Beat It reenactment.
How come you're always such a fussy young man?
Don't want no Captain Crunch don't want no Raisin Bran?
Well don't you know that other kids are starving in Japan,
So eat it. Just eat it.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 11:45 AM on August 22, 2008
gender inclusive except men?
posted by quonsar at 12:28 PM on August 22, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by quonsar at 12:28 PM on August 22, 2008 [2 favorites]
"We thought it was ridiculous to discriminate on the basis of gender," said co-founder Susie Seidelman. "Unless you have a penis. And identify as a male."
Right.
posted by puke & cry at 12:36 PM on August 22, 2008
Right.
posted by puke & cry at 12:36 PM on August 22, 2008
My buddy Mel & I were just wondering why Marie Claire magazine named Milwaukee its "Sexiest City."
Now I know.
posted by Floydd at 12:43 PM on August 22, 2008
Now I know.
posted by Floydd at 12:43 PM on August 22, 2008
quonsar & puke & cry, exactly what made my eyes boggle when I read that.
Somehow I think if someone said "we don't discriminate based on gender, unless you have a vagina and identify as a woman", that wouldn't fly so well... anywhere, really. Probably we'd get a MeTa on it if it was posted here.
Maybe it was tongue-in-cheek, but the thoughts that came to my mind when I read that were none too kind and better left unsaid. Just like that quote.
posted by splice at 1:07 PM on August 22, 2008
Somehow I think if someone said "we don't discriminate based on gender, unless you have a vagina and identify as a woman", that wouldn't fly so well... anywhere, really. Probably we'd get a MeTa on it if it was posted here.
Maybe it was tongue-in-cheek, but the thoughts that came to my mind when I read that were none too kind and better left unsaid. Just like that quote.
posted by splice at 1:07 PM on August 22, 2008
I wanted to try to gently raise the point that quonsar and puke & cry brought up. Here goes some of my rambling thoughts. I think Susie was poking fun here, but...
If I start a bike club and hang a big sign on the metaphorical door that says 'boyz only, girls keep out' that would be wrong, right? If our jerseys or t-shirts or hoodies say 'swinging dicks only' that would not be so cool.
If a woman showed up on one of our rides - which take place on public streets and all - because we list the starting time and place on our web site for everyone to see, should we try really, really hard to drop her? Even if she's pretty fast, we'll gradually ratchet the speed up until she's hanging on by her fingernails and then we'll just shoot her out the back? Or we'll go off road and make her ride stuff that she's uncomfortable riding?
I understand the intent, but there is already so much splintering in the really large and fascinating world of cycling. Roadies vs. MTBers. Tourists vs. racers. Car-free CMers vs. cruiser riders. Helmet wars. Recumbent owners who use the word wedgie. Fixed wheel vs. freewheel. I have been guilty of it myself, but I'm trying really hard to do better.
Have fun and ride safely.
posted by fixedgear at 1:07 PM on August 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
If I start a bike club and hang a big sign on the metaphorical door that says 'boyz only, girls keep out' that would be wrong, right? If our jerseys or t-shirts or hoodies say 'swinging dicks only' that would not be so cool.
If a woman showed up on one of our rides - which take place on public streets and all - because we list the starting time and place on our web site for everyone to see, should we try really, really hard to drop her? Even if she's pretty fast, we'll gradually ratchet the speed up until she's hanging on by her fingernails and then we'll just shoot her out the back? Or we'll go off road and make her ride stuff that she's uncomfortable riding?
I understand the intent, but there is already so much splintering in the really large and fascinating world of cycling. Roadies vs. MTBers. Tourists vs. racers. Car-free CMers vs. cruiser riders. Helmet wars. Recumbent owners who use the word wedgie. Fixed wheel vs. freewheel. I have been guilty of it myself, but I'm trying really hard to do better.
Have fun and ride safely.
posted by fixedgear at 1:07 PM on August 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
Well, we got ten comments in before getting derailed into the standard "girlz are just as sexist as men amirite!!!" bullshit. Thanks, quonsar.
posted by languagehat at 1:18 PM on August 22, 2008
posted by languagehat at 1:18 PM on August 22, 2008
hey it sez right there on the link "gender inclusive". that ain't my fault.
posted by quonsar at 1:29 PM on August 22, 2008
posted by quonsar at 1:29 PM on August 22, 2008
I've no desire to get into an argument over it. The video is good. The quote is sad. The fact that you think it's bullshit to note it is depressing, as if only men can be sexist, and if they are discriminated against it's just a combined proof and result of their sexism.
But whatever. Good and interesting post either way.
posted by splice at 1:33 PM on August 22, 2008
But whatever. Good and interesting post either way.
posted by splice at 1:33 PM on August 22, 2008
Can't we all just ride our bikes? I don't understand these rifts in the bicycle community. We're supposed to be riding bicycles here, not high horses.
posted by anoirmarie at 1:55 PM on August 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by anoirmarie at 1:55 PM on August 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
Can't we all just ride our bikes? I don't understand these rifts in the bicycle community. We're supposed to be riding bicycles here, not high horses.
Are tallbikes okay?
posted by Demogorgon at 3:29 PM on August 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
Are tallbikes okay?
posted by Demogorgon at 3:29 PM on August 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'm confused. Is this a club for cisgendered and transgendered women, intersexed people, genderqueer people, and transgendered men? Or are "have a penis" and "identify as male" two possible, but not mutually exclusive, categories for non-admission?
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:33 PM on August 22, 2008
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:33 PM on August 22, 2008
Holy crap, I didn't know they had the Mission District in Milwaukee.
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 4:18 PM on August 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 4:18 PM on August 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
Well, we got ten comments in before getting derailed into the standard "girlz are just as sexist as men amirite!!!" bullshit.
Well, we got eleven comments in before having someone construct the big ole "any criticism of some grrrlz is criticism of all grrrlz" strawman dogcrap.
Neat idea and execution. Slightly cooler without the myopia.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 4:41 PM on August 22, 2008
Well, we got eleven comments in before having someone construct the big ole "any criticism of some grrrlz is criticism of all grrrlz" strawman dogcrap.
Neat idea and execution. Slightly cooler without the myopia.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 4:41 PM on August 22, 2008
Can't we all just ride our bikes? I don't understand these rifts in the bicycle community. We're supposed to be riding bicycles here, not high horses.
People like to subdivide into ever smaller tribes sometimes. I frankly don't care as long as they stay off my damned lawn.
posted by jonmc at 4:52 PM on August 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
People like to subdivide into ever smaller tribes sometimes. I frankly don't care as long as they stay off my damned lawn.
posted by jonmc at 4:52 PM on August 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
This is so awesome.
It's getting easier now that bike culture is more widespread, but it's still a sexist place. I've ridden as a bike messenger in several cities, and it took brass ovaries to be one of three or four women in a 200+ person subculture. I've known a handful of queer/tg messengers, and it was far tougher for them.
Sometimes you don't want to constantly have to prove yourself, or to have shitty little dudes giggle with their buddies about how they totally "did" you, or brush it off when people "jokingly" call you a fag. Sometimes you just want to ride your freaking bike with other people who like riding their bikes, and for an hour or two, not be "the girl" or "the gay guy."
If your first thought about an "all-girl-and-tranny bike gang" is, "Waah, why won't they let *me* play," I just don't know what to tell you.
posted by freshwater_pr0n at 7:11 PM on August 22, 2008 [6 favorites]
It's getting easier now that bike culture is more widespread, but it's still a sexist place. I've ridden as a bike messenger in several cities, and it took brass ovaries to be one of three or four women in a 200+ person subculture. I've known a handful of queer/tg messengers, and it was far tougher for them.
Sometimes you don't want to constantly have to prove yourself, or to have shitty little dudes giggle with their buddies about how they totally "did" you, or brush it off when people "jokingly" call you a fag. Sometimes you just want to ride your freaking bike with other people who like riding their bikes, and for an hour or two, not be "the girl" or "the gay guy."
If your first thought about an "all-girl-and-tranny bike gang" is, "Waah, why won't they let *me* play," I just don't know what to tell you.
posted by freshwater_pr0n at 7:11 PM on August 22, 2008 [6 favorites]
This is why I'm moving back to Milwaukee. Well, not the only reason.
Why is the post title [this is bad]? Is that meant ironically or have I just not had enough coffee?
posted by desjardins at 8:19 AM on August 23, 2008
Why is the post title [this is bad]? Is that meant ironically or have I just not had enough coffee?
posted by desjardins at 8:19 AM on August 23, 2008
In the post title, "bad" is used in the Jacksonian sense.
posted by designbot at 5:06 PM on August 23, 2008
posted by designbot at 5:06 PM on August 23, 2008
« Older Ohio: L33T Wanted | Songs For Eating And Drinking. Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by boo_radley at 10:41 AM on August 22, 2008