Monday, November 23, 2015

Strictness

Scott Adams, who writes the Dilbert comic strip, is an misogynist asshole.  I really like Dilbert most of the time and Adams has often written blog posts that were entertaining to me, so I have reasons to like the guy, but you just can't get past the awful sometimes.

(Also his blog posts were entertaining in the sense of me being in awe that someone could actually forward such a ludicrous proposition - like say that Donald Trump is some kind of wizard.)

The latest awful is a post that asserts that Western nations are female dominated and makes all kinds of absurd claims about how straight sex and relationships work.  The crowning glory is his assertion that sex in Western societies is strictly controlled by women.  That assertion is a bit tricky to support.  For example, if a woman came up to Adams while he was walking along the street and demanded sex on the spot, he would refuse.

Which, strangely enough, suggests that he, a male, has some say in when sex happens.

There are a few things that could make such an idiotic claim true.  For example, if we assume that men always want sex under any circumstances with any woman, then it could be true.  But we know that they don't because there are plenty of women who want sex with specific men and get denied it.  I can verify the existence of such things through a variety of sources, including personal experience.  I have been turned down more than I have turned other people down, but it happens both ways!  Adams' statement could also be true if women never wanted sex and would only have it to gain leverage or for other gain, but as a professional straight man I can assure you there are women who want sex.  Several, in fact.

Since these propositions are both absurd, let us try to think what could bring Adams to conclude that women strictly control sex.

The obvious answer is that Adams recognizes that sometimes he doesn't get to have sex with women because they aren't interested, but when the situation is reversed he doesn't even recognize their desires as real.  He lives in a world where other people wanting things isn't even a thing that must be acknowledged unless it happens to prevent him getting what he wants.  He just pretends that those other feelings don't exist.

The short and pithy version is "I only care what women think when it prevents me from getting my way, and is backed up by threat of force from the state."

Fact is, the only time when sex is strictly controlled by women is when there are only women involved.  Any sex that does involve both men and women is strictly controlled by *both*.  It is a collaborative thing that everyone must consent to, and should that consent not come from all sides it is called rape instead.

So let's shut down this ridiculous 'female dominated society' nonsense.  The people saying 'female dominated society' with a straight face seem to always be conflating it with 'I can't force women to have sex with me at will'.  That isn't a bug in a matriarchy, it is a feature of treating people with some modicum of decency.

1 comment:

  1. Here's a gem that Adams uses to show that the United States is Female dominated:

    "When I go to dinner, I expect the server to take my date’s order first. I expect the server to deliver her meal first. I expect to pay the check. I expect to be the designated driver, or at least manage the transportation for the evening. And on the way out, I will hold the door for her, then open the door to the car."

    Clearly this guy knows a lot about funny office stuff but is dumber than a brick when it comes to understanding issues of gender and privilege. Ya buddy, you hold the door because woman are the bosses of you! Seems to have an intellect rivalled only by garden tools.

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