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gwynnega

Like a whole lot of people on my FL and beyond, I've spent way too much time since last night fuming about Boob-gate.

theferrett's just posted something of a "don't try this at ~~home~~ the next con" update, though unfortunately he also deleted 1000+ comments, many of which were cogent and valuable. (ETA: The comments are back now, but frozen.) A lot of good discussion and ranting on the subject can be found here and here, and, well, all over my FL.

This whole thing has brought back bad memories for me of dealing with twenty-something entitled creepy guys in the 1980s when I was a teenager. I really have nothing more to add but a world of no. And: I'm glad this kind of crap will not take place at WisCon...

Current Mood: enraged

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

snarkhunter.livejournal.com

Well, I have issues, which is why I think I'd be frightened even at a con. But the more I think about it, the more I think rage would probably win out over fear in the moment. Afterward I'd probably be very shaken.

And given how much it sounds like this took off, I wonder how many women were harassed when they said "no."

From:

gwynnega

I can also imagine myself scanning the crowd for the entire remainder of the con, looking out for the creep(s) who wanted to grope me. That sure wouldn't make for a fun time...

From:

snarkhunter.livejournal.com

Okay, and the more I think about this, and read through the comments, you know what's *really* pissing me off? More than anything?

SF/F has always been a "boys' club." Women have fought long and hard to get accepted there as something other than Leia in a gold bikini, and what happens? BOOBIES. Con-goers are reduced to BOOBIES.

Way to underscore the idea that Female is Other. We're the aliens.

From:

gwynnega

Yup. And all

theferrett's long, self-congratulatory spiel amounts to is: "OMG boobies! I got to touch boobies!!"

From:

snarkhunter.livejournal.com

On the fourth page of the comment thread,

loligo suggests a brilliant change: make those who want to touch wear the buttons.

theferrett protests this on the grounds that it's *passive* and wouldn't work as well.

He absolutely does not get it. He honestly cannot see the position that women are in. And what's worse, to me, is that

zoethe doesn't get it, either. You'd think she would.

He's the absolute embodiment of the Nice Guy (tm). You know, the one who moans about how he can't get any b/c he's so "nice," and all the girls go for jerks, but he's only friends with women he wants to sleep with? He pretends to be enlightened, but ultimately, he's the worst of all of them. There seems to be a disproportionate number of those guys among the geek population, which is depressing, to say the least. At least the asshole guys in the general population are up front about their douchery.

From:

gwynnega

Yeah, I hate when these types couch their desire to impinge on women's boundaries in supposedly enlightened, revolutionary terms. Those poor, nice guys--so misunderstood! Yeah, right.