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 10:14 AM ^
Really? Like even when major publications or media figures claim life will be better when you die off?
Somehow that seems worse than being called bitch or whore.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:55 AM ^
Yes. Especially then.
It doesn't matter if you think it's worse. It's truly not.
You're going to be ok.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:03 AM ^
September 11th, 2017 at 11:11 AM ^
And I actually went to school at Michigan!
September 11th, 2017 at 3:07 PM ^
Rhetoric like yours is literally begging for a second civil war. You think the violence from the alt-left over the last year will just go away and not escelate? What happens when the right desides they're tired of not being able to assemble without having violent "counter protests"? Saying that it's fine to say the world would be better off without white people is a disgrace to common decency.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:29 AM ^
Don't do that. I'm having an enjoyable discussion and would prefer it stay that way, without getting locked down.
September 11th, 2017 at 3:08 PM ^
Yes, my comment is *so* much worse than saying it's a totally acceptable viewpoint to want all white people to be eradicated. Gotcha.
September 11th, 2017 at 3:56 PM ^
I never said that, happy reader.
What I said was; neither of those statements are worse or better than the other because neither should bother you. None of those things are going to happen.
Good luck in your future reading adventures, sport.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
Your mom is a whore!
The world will be a better place when your mom is dead!
Yeah, the first one really is worse.
We've reached levels of SJWism never seen before!
September 11th, 2017 at 12:03 PM ^
My whole point is neither one bothers me at all.
I will go home to my house tonight. I will sleep in my bed. I'm going to be fine.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:27 AM ^
If the "mountain of white privilege" will never be flattened, then I see no point in bothering to try. I'll leave that up to other people, continue to defend what's mine, and apply my generosity where I choose, not where I'm told to.
Because I can think of a few things that are genuinely insulting to me. One is telling me I have no right to be insulted or offended, that's a good start. I get offended by very little, but I still reserve that right. Another is that the work I've put in means less, and the work my parents put in means less, and the work their parents put in means less. If my starting line was further ahead than others, I'm not going to apologize for the work my parents did and the sacrifices they made to make that happen, and I'm not going to apologize for the work I do to put my future kids (who don't even exist yet) ahead on the starting line too. There are others whose starting line was further ahead than mine. I don't care.
You can choose not to be insulted, and that's fine. I'm not insulted by most things either. I really don't care if someone calls someone else a dick. But you can't run around telling people they have no right to dictate to others what should and shouldn't offend them, and then dictate to others what should and shouldn't offend them.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:42 AM ^
I'm with Dudeness, here. White guy, born to college-educated parents. Now, no doubt the following quote is true (or let's just assume it is true for sake of discussion):
"Another is that the work I've put in means less, and the work my parents put in means less, and the work their parents put in means less. If my starting line was further ahead than others, I'm not going to apologize for the work my parents did and the sacrifices they made to make that happen, and I'm not going to apologize for the work I do to put my future kids (who don't even exist yet) ahead on the starting line too. There are others whose starting line was further ahead than mine. I don't care."
The point is that if your parents and grandparents put in the exact same amount of "work" and "sacrifice," but were people of color, your starting line would most likely be farther back. I don't pat myself on the back for being in the lead of a race I was born to succeed at. I didn't choose my IQ, I didn't choose my skin color or gender, I didn't choose the fact that I had two parents who both went to college, and I didn't choose the fact that I grew up in a stable household. I didn't "earn" those any more than a kid born into poverty and lack of education "earns" their starting station in life. I simply choose to acknowledge the fact that I've had it easier in this country, as did my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, than I (and they) would have if we had been, say, black or latino. As in, the same amount of effort would get you farther in life as a white person, and it's been that way for the entirety of this nation's history. Those advantages at every step along the way are cumulative and passed down from generation to generation, on a macro level. I don't see what the problem is with acknowledging and being grateful for this, and simultaneously recognizing that most everyone else who isn't a white male didn't start in as good of a place. And, those who came from white poverty? That's terrible, but on a macro level, they still had more opportunities than a person of color dropped into the same life situation. I'm sorry if that offends people, but it's the truth.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:53 AM ^
I don't see how acknowledging my white privilege makes a damn bit of difference.
But by all means, keep telling white people (men in particular) to stfu and to be happy with what they have, because they have it easier than other groups. When in reality everyone not in the 1% is fucked, by varying degrees.
You'll get a repeat of last November, over and over again.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:09 AM ^
One scenario: Two people have a foot race. One starts well ahead of the other and obviously wins. The person who lost brings up the fact that the starting lines were no at the same point and the winner got a large advantage.
A) The winner apologizes. Says he or she didn't even see the line. Just took off running at the start. Does everything in his or her power to put make the lines equal so that the next time two people race it will at least be a better oppurtunity for a more fair outcome.
B) The winner tells the loser that they should stop whining about the lines and get faster.
Question: Which winner do you want to be?
September 11th, 2017 at 11:22 AM ^
Except that it's not a foot-race, there are more than two racers, almost no one here is anywhere near the top 5% of the "starting line", this isn't a winner takes all race, and 99% can win or lose by doing the exact same thing that would cause just about any other "racer" to "win or lose".
September 11th, 2017 at 11:29 AM ^
So B then?
September 11th, 2017 at 11:49 AM ^
c, none of the above.
September 11th, 2017 at 12:33 PM ^
September 11th, 2017 at 1:17 PM ^
I'm not even trying to shut anyone down. I just think the white men backlash is hilarious. The ones shouting loudest against people whining are the ones who are, in fact, the biggest whiners. Your life is fine! When you're done whining about how nobody should be able to whine you're going to go back to your steady job, drive home to your house in your car. You're yelling at people for yelling at you for what you have. You still have everything in the end. It's hilarious to me.
September 11th, 2017 at 1:36 PM ^
It just seems like you're making a lot of assumptions about a huge group of people. It's not a great place to start from if you want meaningful dialogue.
September 11th, 2017 at 1:57 PM ^
Assumptions about the fact that white men have every advantage in this country?
I'm a white man.
My mom married a black man.
I've been to Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner in both downtown Muskegon and East Grand Rapids. That's family stuff. That's not some fake putting on airs shit.
I've got some assumptions and they're based on my own life events. Maybe they aren't what you know or have seen, but - and I'm going to make another assumption here if you'll allow it - my background happens to be extremely diverse and I would bet my house far more diverse than most.
September 11th, 2017 at 2:12 PM ^
I don't like to talk about this because it's almost always irrelevant, but I grew up in an abusive home (actual physical violence and plenty of hospital visits). My father eventually left (thank God), but we never had any money and we were homeless a time or two during my high school years. At the end of the day, though, my arguments are still my arguments, and if someone can provide a counterargument that logically undermines my own I have no problem growing and learning from that. What I despise is attempting to invalidate people's ideas solely because of the color of their skin, money in their bank account, or the space between their legs.
Are white men more likely to be succesful in America? Yes, statistics will bear that out. But i would never presume to know that a person who is white had it any easier than a person who is black.
The flip side of that is this question: Do African American Males commit violent crime at a higher rate than other demographic groups in this country? The answer to that question is yes, but I would never presume that a black man is a criminal before I would presume that a white man is.
As soon as the group to which we belong becomes more important to the discussion than the actual content of our argument is the point at which any dialogue becomes fairly useless.
There are plenty who don't think like I do, but attacking their identity politics with yours is not the answer.
September 11th, 2017 at 2:48 PM ^
You said I was assuming.
The basis for my assumptions is diverse (in my opinon).
That's why I think my argument is valid.
I don't really care what you think honestly, but I answered your question.
September 11th, 2017 at 2:58 PM ^
You seem to have a rich background. I should have been more clear when saying that you are assuming something that may be demonstrably true for a group (not even assuming at that point), but not necessarily for an individual. You're also making an assumption about someone's socioeconomic status based on race which was both dubious and completely irrelevant as to the content of that person's argument.
I know you never really cared what I thought or why I thought it, but I appreciate you having a conversation with me anyway.
September 12th, 2017 at 6:52 PM ^
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September 12th, 2017 at 6:49 PM ^
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September 12th, 2017 at 6:47 PM ^
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September 11th, 2017 at 11:32 AM ^
There are millions of racers, not two. They all have different starting lines. If I'm expected to do everything in my power to move the starting lines for the people behind me, can I also expect those in front of me to help me move mine? Or am I already far enough ahead that I don't deserve any help?
September 11th, 2017 at 11:49 AM ^
Depends on if you're the type of person who claims every helping hand is just another handout for the lazy to take advantage of.
Also you don't need your line moved if you are winning the race.
September 11th, 2017 at 12:02 PM ^
Are you a white male? Curious.
September 11th, 2017 at 12:03 PM ^
How do we define winning the race? I sure am behind a lot of people out there. Who gets to define the "winning" line in such a way that it's most convenient to their own argument?
September 11th, 2017 at 1:21 PM ^
jesus Christ, man .
You live in a house, yes?
You have a car in which you drive to work in, yes?
You don't have bombs dropping over your head right now, correct?
You get to go to Walmart and buy a steak tonight if you want? Better still have someone prepare it for you?
Further you get to walk to your car in a dark parking lot and never once even think about the ppossibility of you being raped, right?
You went on your first date wnd didn't think "Wow sure hope this guy isn't going to get drunk and beat the fuck out of me at some point in the future, right?
And then I hope he doesnt make laws telling me i cant get rid of a baby I never wanted but was literally physically forced to have in the first place?
But you dont even see those things. You dont even think about them. THAT'S WINNING THE RACE. lol.
September 11th, 2017 at 2:01 PM ^
Great. Literally all of that also applies to people who I'm confident in believing you would say need help because their skin color means they didn't start the race far enough ahead.
September 11th, 2017 at 2:25 PM ^
Wait what ?
September 11th, 2017 at 4:38 PM ^
September 11th, 2017 at 5:28 PM ^
"also, you don't need your line moved if you are winning the race."
There are literally thousands of people who went from being some of the most disparaged minorities to a minimum of middle class. If they don't need their lines moved, "because they are winning" then do the disparaged minorities who started just a hair ahead of them need their lines moved because they aren't winning?
September 12th, 2017 at 6:54 PM ^
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September 11th, 2017 at 12:25 PM ^
As a white male (I missed that part above) are you doing everything within your power to help those who started behind you in the race? And what does that entail?
Please elaborate.
September 11th, 2017 at 1:28 PM ^
Sure. I really do volunteer at homeless shelters. I really did read to inner city youth as part of the Schools of Hope program which I really do want to start up here in Louisville. I guess I kind of am a social justice warrior. I honestly had never heard that term before today and I don't understand why it's a bad thing?
September 11th, 2017 at 1:45 PM ^
So you aren't doing anything at all then, just things to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
What % of your money are you giving to black families? Are you paying a black families rent/mortgage? Investing in a black business idea? You should probably put the money that you make over the black national average toward black enterprise or well-being.
Do you have kids? You certainly won't pay for their college, because your money comes from starting ahead in the race. You need to put a couple black or Hispanic kids through school.
Also, your kids should go to a minority majority school. None of the usual progressive nonsense championing diversity then moving to the whitest neighborhood you can find.
Going to inherit anything? Don't. That money is again because of where you started in the race. That money should go to pay for minority students' school supplies, or any of the ideas above.
Better yet, do you have a job? If possible you should suggest to your superiors that you be demoted and a minority candidate be elevated in your place.
See, that's really doing everything in your power. What you are doing is just larping then going home so you can feel good about yourself. If you actually believe in what you you say, you'll make real sacrifices. But you won't. You'll just call on others to "do more".
September 11th, 2017 at 2:05 PM ^
I thought helping kids learn to read with my spare time because their single moms are working three jobs and don't have any non-sleeping time to spend with their kids on school work was a good use of my time. So that those kids could get a leg up earlier in life and perhaps go on to earn a great living and not have to get a govenrment check later in life.
i don't have kids. Never will.
I give my time because it is way more important to me. You see money is infinite. Time is finite. Time is the biggest gift you can give to anyone.
Maybe you'll learn that some day, but probably not.
Speaking of time, you just got way too much of mine.
September 11th, 2017 at 4:43 PM ^
September 12th, 2017 at 8:34 AM ^
well they're 6 year olds so I doubt that you fucking twat.
September 12th, 2017 at 6:58 PM ^
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September 11th, 2017 at 11:09 AM ^
That may be, but we don't live our individual lives on the macro level. I do acknowledge and am grateful for what my ancestors and predecessors did to put me in position to be where I am. But once you cross from the macro level to the micro world in which people actually live their lives, that's where I find all this breaking down. I don't see any justice in committing injustices on someone and calling it a makeup call for injustices committed by other people. Nor in calling it a moral obligation to do something, to handicap myself somehow, to make up for my own start line. On a macro level you see probabilities - on a micro level you see the work done to get you there.
Sure on a macro level, poor white people (or their ancestors, maybe) had a greater probability of success, but that's of wicked little comfort to the actual people in the actual situations. If on a macro level you decide to carve out someone's opportunity for someone else, and you say it's for the greater good, you're still going to create more resentment in the people who lose out.
This is why I'm adamantly against the idea that "the mountain of white privilege will never be flattened." This is not some kind of original sin that lasted decades and leaves a stain for millennia, for which one segment of the population will answer and apologize until eternity. The time will come where the sins of the past are far enough in the past to not be relevant today. For many people, they believe it already has.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:14 AM ^
Because you are overgeneralizing situations and shitting on all of the people that actually didn't benefit from white privelege all the while being in complete denial of the giant amount of not white people born at better "starting" points.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:38 AM ^
How about hearing how your parents, who have spent their whole lives living by the MLK creed are actually terrible horrible racist people who are a net negative on society and the country will be better off when they are gone?
Because that's just routine these days. I think that hits even closer to home than my other example.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:45 AM ^
I'm not sure what point your trying to make here (no sarcasm). Who says that living by the MLK creed makes one a horrible person? And please don't say a certain political party, because that's just hogwash and an untrue overgeneralization.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:51 AM ^
I'm saying that its routine to see people like my parents - who have lived by the MLK creed - described by all kinds of left wing publications, media figures and politicians as terrible people because of how to vote or things they believe and that the country will be better off when they are dead.
If you peruse any kind of left wing media, it is impossible to miss this attitude, both in the articles and comments. I believe that this rhetoric is far worse than calling someone a whore. Feel free to disagree.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:06 AM ^
Most people miss the fact that MLK was extremely unpopular among white people when he was still alive.