Blogging While Female
Posted by Ron Coleman on March 4, 2008
Naturally I can’t deny it: I’ve used raw animal magnetism to get to this prominent spot on the blogging heap. For me, it’s all I’ve got; and if you had what I do, you’d use it too.
But it’s different for girls. John Hawkins has just published a piece at Right Wing News in which he interviewed conservative bloggers Michelle Malkin, Amanda Carpenter, Pamela Geller, Ericka Anderson, and Rachel Lucas about gender issues and the blogosphere. The staggering level of abuse aimed at some of these women is grisly.
Ara Rubyan said
The staggering level of abuse aimed at some of these women is grisly.
If Michelle Malkin’s name were Michael Malkin instead, she’d be just as vapid.
mary said
I used to get a lot more abuse (and a lot more links) when I was pro-Bush. Now that I’m taking a moderate, what me worry attitude, I’m boring. It’s a good and a bad thing.
Right vs. left arguments, especially during an election year, are vicious. I’ve heard more people claiming to want a civil war in America than I ever heard in Lebanon. Over there, they know better than to call their fellow countrymen the ‘enemy’.
Ron Coleman said
Ara, what does that have to do with this post?
Ara Rubyan said
Your post’s title makes it self-evident. I’m simply reflecting on your observation that MM receives abuse…well, you tell it:
The staggering level of abuse aimed at some of these women [including presumably MM] is grisly.
In the case of MM, I meant what I said: she’s always been a twit and she would continue to be a twit even if her name was Grover Cleveland Alexander the Great Santini.
Ron Coleman said
Ara, are you suggesting — I guess I’ll have to tease this out of you — that the gross sexual harassment Michelle Malkin has been a victim of is justified because she’s a twit?
Ara Rubyan said
My dad always taught me that you have to command respect, not demand it. It is valuable advice that is echoed by corporate consultants who advise that you should dress for the job you want, not the job you already have.
So when when Michelle Malkin dresses like a cheerleader she should not be surprised when people don’t take her seriously. If some those people behave in a gross and insulting manner, I’m sorry; I would never allow those people talk to my daughter the same way.
All due respect, however, I’d also take my daughter aside and tell her to cut the crap and get serious already.
You don’t demand respect, you command it.
Ara Rubyan said
Shorter Ara Rubyan: What goes around, comes around.
mary said
They’re not just ‘disrespecting’ her, they’re making death threats and slandering her with racist slurs. People who do things like that are a*holes, doing what they naturally do. They’d be a*holes whether she wore a cheerleaders dress or a business suit from Saks. Michele isn’t responsible for the fact that they’re racist psychos. They’d be that way no matter what she does.
This bizarre idea that we can control the behavior of others by being nice and doing the right thing is fairly prevalent on the Left. It’s complete bunk – we can’t control the behavior of every person out there by perfecting ourselves. As philosophies go, it’s very OCD You can’t, as Sheryl Crow said “solve problems by not having enemies”. A certain part of the population will always, statistically, be a*holes. They’ll probably always be with us.
Ara Rubyan said
This bizarre idea that we can control the behavior of others by being nice and doing the right thing is fairly prevalent on the Left.
Bizarre? Says you.
What we lefties call it is “The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Check it out — it’s a pretty good rule of thumb for getting along with others.
mary said
“The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
The idea that we can control the behavior of others just by being good creates unnecessary guilt when it inevitably fails. Some people act like jerks because they enjoy it and they can get away with it.
Michele may not be dignified in every way, but the correct ‘golden rule’ response to her behavior is not racist threats and slurs. Somebody’s not following the rules.
Ara Rubyan said
Some people act like jerks because they enjoy it and they can get away with it…Somebody’s not following the rules.
I agree 100%.
Jonathan said
Were there always so many psychos around or does the Internet create them? My guess is that there were always more of them around than anyone knew, and now we know.
I feel fortunate that nobody cares what I look like.
Ron, you need to post photos of yourself in your weightlifting outfit! That’ll bring the traffic.
Ron Coleman said
I don’t get it at all, Ara. You are saying that sexual harassment is justified if you think the woman victim is a jerk?
Ara Rubyan said
I can see where you might get that impression, but no — I’m not suggesting that. I’m merely saying that people like Michelle Malkin (and I pick her simply because I recognize her name and her work) should treat others the way she would like to be treated herself.
Do you disagree?
Ron Coleman said
I do agree, but it brings me back to my original question to you in (3) above. This post is not about such an unremarkable general proposition at all, it is about a very specific kind of unacceptable conduct. That conduct is unacceptable no matter what, isn’t it?
Do you disagree?
Stout Republican said
Remember kids, you’re only racist, sexist, homophobe, if you’re a white looking straight conservative male!
“The more you know!”
Ara Rubyan said
That conduct is unacceptable no matter what, isn’t it? Do you disagree?
I agree.
Remember kids, you’re only racist, sexist, homophobe, if you’re a white looking straight conservative male!
Oh stop it.