How to trivialise women AND science in under a minute. Great going – is it some kind of a record? I’m offended – under EU rules can I get the makers of this dreck prosecuted?
juliansays
Why are their glasses pink? Why are they even wearing glasses? Why make something like this at all?
Bernard Bumnersays
I’ll see what the women in my lab think of this; I think I already know what the consensus will be!
CGM3says
julian @2:
According to the movies, brainy girls always wear glasses (so they can remove them later and some guy can remark that she’s beautiful without them.) I guess whoever did this video got a “classical cinema” education watching films from the 50’s…
Blueaussisays
That’s more like nerd porn than even the vaguest whiff of hint of a back handed swipe at female empowerment.
It makes me want to melt a whole bunch of lipstick and pour it over someone’s car.
Ysannesays
julian,
smart women need glasses. Period.
When my mum turned up for a job interview once, she was greeted with “The interviews for the new secretary are next week.” She replied that she’s come to interview for the operations research specialist position, and stated her name. At which point the interviewer apologised as follows, without any hint of irony: “Oh, we didn’t realise you were the mathematician applicant — we expected someone with glasses.”
Oh, ew. Yes, the real reason for girls to get into science is to give men in science boners. Doesn’t matter if the girl isn’t heterosexual, doesn’t matter if some of the men aren’t, either, doesn’t matter if the girl just isn’t femme and doesn’t give a fuck about lipstick or heels or anything else.
And, yet, I fully expect that this thread will eventually draw some whiny
Christina Hoff Somers–citing troll complaining about the lack of promotional videos to get boys interested in science.
It would’ve been bad enough without that part at the beginning when the women strut around and the male scientist looks up from his microscope all like OMG WOMEN.
But that just takes it to new levels of disgusting.
Lyannasays
Nathan: 100%, I’m afraid.
davidmcsays
The EU have already taken down one add this year because of complaints of racism
click on MEP’S, fill in name etc. and it will provide a box for your complaint and then send an email to them all.
With Ophelia’s permission i would like to announce; David from Manchesters articulate feminist letter of complaint competition. first prize,the best letter will be sent to 8 MEP’S including Nick Griffin the Racist.
Without Ophelias permission,or lack of entries, I will struggle on and do a rubbish one on my own
Beauzeauxsays
The comments on Youtube appear to be univeral condemnation.
Bernard “I’ll see what the women in my lab think of this”
Cheers mate, its not pure lazyness, the post at 14 took half an hour, due to numb fingers , chronic pain and a med addled brain.
ericsays
Ms. Daisy Cutter @10:
I fully expect that this thread will eventually draw some whiny Christina Hoff Somers–citing troll complaining about the lack of promotional videos to get boys interested in science.
I’d argue that this is a promotional video to get (heterosexual) teenage boys interested in science.
Become a scientist, and look what you get! You, too, can be surrounded by women in short skirts and high heels whose deepest thoughts are about those short skirts and high heels. In some ways its just weird, Eurogeek version of the Koran’s 76 virgins.
Lenisays
Wow. Did they “make” a flower in a beaker? Can we do that now? Yay science!
High heels in the lab: maybe not the best idea.
davidmcsays
I shall definately link those articles to the complaint.
so far i have got, dear asshats and racist asshat, EU promoting science to girls without any attempt to look at the science behind promoting science to girls.
Well done. No wonder the whole of Europe is going down the pan. Take this ill conceived sexist stereotype add down now, before you do any more damage to a whole generation of future scienctists. and send me a few hunbdred k euros for my trauma at having been sujected to such tripe in the 21st century
yours sincerely
i may need to start and end little more diplomatically
Musical Atheistsays
And there’s an eyeshadow ejaculation at 0.52. If this was a clip about football it would be a champagne magnum being opened, but you get the idea.
For extra credit, analyse the use of the male gaze in this trailer with reference to the intersecting fields of media scrutiny of women’s bodies, the male/female subject/object division in some mainstream het pornography and the act of seeing in microbiology.
But they’ve totally fixed the racism problem – black girls and white girls are treated as equally superficial.
Musical Atheistsays
That was snark, by the way, just to be clear.
sheilasays
I wonder if anybody thought of asking female scientists what would encourage girls to try science?
Nah. Ask a female? Come to that, ask a scientist?
chaos_engineersays
That’s more like nerd porn than even the vaguest whiff of hint of a back handed swipe at female empowerment.
Except it doesn’t work as nerd porn, either. It’s more like a makeup commercial where some of the makeup gets poured into beakers.
The only thing that’s remotely like nerd porn is the woman at 00:30 confidantly writing equations on the glassboard. And any self-respecting nerd would pause the video and see that they’re not even real equations. I mean, “negative Planck’s constant raised to the power of integral sign”???
A friend just posted an ad on an Indian feminism Facebook page – an ad for umbrellas, a couple of girls at one side, a couple of boys at the other. The boys look like human beings, the girls look like simpering twits.
It’s EVERYWHERE.
joelsays
What are the incentives for this kind of drivel? Is there any way to follow the money? Who commissioned the video? Who made it? Who got paid? How much? How were fees spread around? I suspect there were a number of fingers in this cookie jar. Since it’s legal there shouldn’t be any impediment to financial disclosure… but there probably is.
ohioobserversays
This is SOOOO bad.
Actually, I manage to get girls interested in science by just talking about and doing science (with enthusasm!).. I get more girls in my second-year AP class every year than boys.
Stop telling girls thay can’t and shouldn’t so science, and they WILL do science. Simple.
This advertisement brought to you by the Ministry of Patriarchs.
Greta Christinasays
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
You know what? I like fashion. I like makeup. I like high heels. I like flirty dresses. I like coy poses. I like giggling. I have nothing against any of these things. I have objections to the expectation that all women take these on in order to be recognized as women… but I don’t automatically object to any of these things, and I enjoy all of them at various times in my life.
And even I think this is fucked up beyond recognition.
It’s entirely possible to think all those things, or some of them, are just fine, and delightful – but they’re not the best equipment for, say, neurosurgery, or running a marathon, or giving a lecture on cosmology. For that reason among several others they’re a ludicrous way to tell girls “science is for you!”
Dave Rickssays
For anyone who remembers Thomas Dolby’s 1982/83 song and video “She Blinded Me With Science”, this link tells the story behind the 12-inch vinyl 45-RPM extended version where Dr. Magnus Pyke says, “Yes, but as a known scientist, it would be a bit surprising if a girl blinded me with science.”
(Dave Ricks does not endorse the opinions of Dr. Magnus Pyke and provides the above link for sociological reference and humorous relief only. Also “The tom-toms are from the Simmons [SDS-V] module fed through the bass amp,” all my hnghngh.)
It’s entirely possible to think all those things, or some of them, are just fine, and delightful – but they’re not the best equipment for, say, neurosurgery, or running a marathon, or giving a lecture on cosmology.
I found this same equipment quite suitable for giving mathematical analysis lectures. But then, so was the classic nerd uniform on other days. Because the best thing about science is that your equations/experiments don’t give a fuck about your outfit, or about ass-wiggling in front of them.
Not even when your work is about developing new cosmetics.
Davesays
So absurdly depressing that this goes on, and apparently a lot of people thought it would be a good idea. :/
Godless Heathensays
I just tried to access the video through the link in the OP and it’s been made private… I guess they’ve received enough backlash already to rethink their decision to make and post this?
Arkadysays
Someone should really tell those models/admen-responsible-for-this-dreck that the lab isn’t really the place to wear fashionable clothes that you’re fond of… currently counting bleach splash no. 4 on my trousers.
At least the bleach stains are pink tho, good ol’ virus-killing virkon, such a lovely girl-suitable colour unlike the exclusively male rest-of-the-colour-spectrum…
How to trivialise women AND science in under a minute. Great going – is it some kind of a record? I’m offended – under EU rules can I get the makers of this dreck prosecuted?
Why are their glasses pink? Why are they even wearing glasses? Why make something like this at all?
I’ll see what the women in my lab think of this; I think I already know what the consensus will be!
julian @2:
According to the movies, brainy girls always wear glasses (so they can remove them later and some guy can remark that she’s beautiful without them.) I guess whoever did this video got a “classical cinema” education watching films from the 50’s…
That’s more like nerd porn than even the vaguest whiff of hint of a back handed swipe at female empowerment.
That was pathetic on pretty much every level.
It makes me want to melt a whole bunch of lipstick and pour it over someone’s car.
julian,
smart women need glasses. Period.
When my mum turned up for a job interview once, she was greeted with “The interviews for the new secretary are next week.” She replied that she’s come to interview for the operations research specialist position, and stated her name. At which point the interviewer apologised as follows, without any hint of irony: “Oh, we didn’t realise you were the mathematician applicant — we expected someone with glasses.”
Woefully inept.
/@
PS. Male ex-scientist.
Oh, ew. Yes, the real reason for girls to get into science is to give men in science boners. Doesn’t matter if the girl isn’t heterosexual, doesn’t matter if some of the men aren’t, either, doesn’t matter if the girl just isn’t femme and doesn’t give a fuck about lipstick or heels or anything else.
And, yet, I fully expect that this thread will eventually draw some whiny
Christina Hoff Somers–citing troll complaining about the lack of promotional videos to get boys interested in science.
If I post this on Facebook, what are the odds that I get in an argument with someone claiming it’s not so bad? *sigh*
It would’ve been bad enough without that part at the beginning when the women strut around and the male scientist looks up from his microscope all like OMG WOMEN.
But that just takes it to new levels of disgusting.
Nathan: 100%, I’m afraid.
The EU have already taken down one add this year because of complaints of racism
http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/2012/march/commission-withdraws-enlargement-policy-promo-video/73778.aspx
So i dont see why that couldn’t work for sexism too. so for UK readers find your list of MEP’S here,
http://www.writetothem.com/?keyword=to%20find%20your%20mep&creativeid=1424683179&gclid=COLLzJqs4rACFVMetAodwVvbxg
click on MEP’S, fill in name etc. and it will provide a box for your complaint and then send an email to them all.
With Ophelia’s permission i would like to announce; David from Manchesters articulate feminist letter of complaint competition. first prize,the best letter will be sent to 8 MEP’S including Nick Griffin the Racist.
Without Ophelias permission,or lack of entries, I will struggle on and do a rubbish one on my own
The comments on Youtube appear to be univeral condemnation.
Bernard “I’ll see what the women in my lab think of this”
Better stand WAY back.
Hmmm – laugh, cry, or barf? (
laugh: It would be amusing if it were a parody.
cry: women would be more interested in science if they only knew it was all about making cosmetics
barf: it’s all about being sexy for the guy
David, you have permission.
Good post at Skepchick.
http://skepchick.org/2012/06/why-pinkifying-science-does-more-harm-than-good/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Skepchick+%28Skepchick%29
Stereotype threat. Yeah.
Cheers mate, its not pure lazyness, the post at 14 took half an hour, due to numb fingers , chronic pain and a med addled brain.
Ms. Daisy Cutter @10:
I’d argue that this is a promotional video to get (heterosexual) teenage boys interested in science.
Become a scientist, and look what you get! You, too, can be surrounded by women in short skirts and high heels whose deepest thoughts are about those short skirts and high heels. In some ways its just weird, Eurogeek version of the Koran’s 76 virgins.
Wow. Did they “make” a flower in a beaker? Can we do that now? Yay science!
High heels in the lab: maybe not the best idea.
I shall definately link those articles to the complaint.
so far i have got, dear asshats and racist asshat, EU promoting science to girls without any attempt to look at the science behind promoting science to girls.
http://skepchick.org/2012/06/why-pinkifying-science-does-more-harm-than-good/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Skepchick+%28Skepchick%29
and
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2012/06/overtly-feminine-scientists-al.html
Well done. No wonder the whole of Europe is going down the pan. Take this ill conceived sexist stereotype add down now, before you do any more damage to a whole generation of future scienctists. and send me a few hunbdred k euros for my trauma at having been sujected to such tripe in the 21st century
yours sincerely
i may need to start and end little more diplomatically
And there’s an eyeshadow ejaculation at 0.52. If this was a clip about football it would be a champagne magnum being opened, but you get the idea.
For extra credit, analyse the use of the male gaze in this trailer with reference to the intersecting fields of media scrutiny of women’s bodies, the male/female subject/object division in some mainstream het pornography and the act of seeing in microbiology.
But they’ve totally fixed the racism problem – black girls and white girls are treated as equally superficial.
That was snark, by the way, just to be clear.
I wonder if anybody thought of asking female scientists what would encourage girls to try science?
Nah. Ask a female? Come to that, ask a scientist?
That’s more like nerd porn than even the vaguest whiff of hint of a back handed swipe at female empowerment.
Except it doesn’t work as nerd porn, either. It’s more like a makeup commercial where some of the makeup gets poured into beakers.
The only thing that’s remotely like nerd porn is the woman at 00:30 confidantly writing equations on the glassboard. And any self-respecting nerd would pause the video and see that they’re not even real equations. I mean, “negative Planck’s constant raised to the power of integral sign”???
A friend just posted an ad on an Indian feminism Facebook page – an ad for umbrellas, a couple of girls at one side, a couple of boys at the other. The boys look like human beings, the girls look like simpering twits.
It’s EVERYWHERE.
What are the incentives for this kind of drivel? Is there any way to follow the money? Who commissioned the video? Who made it? Who got paid? How much? How were fees spread around? I suspect there were a number of fingers in this cookie jar. Since it’s legal there shouldn’t be any impediment to financial disclosure… but there probably is.
This is SOOOO bad.
Actually, I manage to get girls interested in science by just talking about and doing science (with enthusasm!).. I get more girls in my second-year AP class every year than boys.
Stop telling girls thay can’t and shouldn’t so science, and they WILL do science. Simple.
This advertisement brought to you by the Ministry of Patriarchs.
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
You know what? I like fashion. I like makeup. I like high heels. I like flirty dresses. I like coy poses. I like giggling. I have nothing against any of these things. I have objections to the expectation that all women take these on in order to be recognized as women… but I don’t automatically object to any of these things, and I enjoy all of them at various times in my life.
And even I think this is fucked up beyond recognition.
(Cross-posted from Pharyngula.)
It’s entirely possible to think all those things, or some of them, are just fine, and delightful – but they’re not the best equipment for, say, neurosurgery, or running a marathon, or giving a lecture on cosmology. For that reason among several others they’re a ludicrous way to tell girls “science is for you!”
For anyone who remembers Thomas Dolby’s 1982/83 song and video “She Blinded Me With Science”, this link tells the story behind the 12-inch vinyl 45-RPM extended version where Dr. Magnus Pyke says, “Yes, but as a known scientist, it would be a bit surprising if a girl blinded me with science.”
(Dave Ricks does not endorse the opinions of Dr. Magnus Pyke and provides the above link for sociological reference and humorous relief only. Also “The tom-toms are from the Simmons [SDS-V] module fed through the bass amp,” all my hnghngh.)
Better opinions than mine here.
I found this same equipment quite suitable for giving mathematical analysis lectures. But then, so was the classic nerd uniform on other days. Because the best thing about science is that your equations/experiments don’t give a fuck about your outfit, or about ass-wiggling in front of them.
Not even when your work is about developing new cosmetics.
So absurdly depressing that this goes on, and apparently a lot of people thought it would be a good idea. :/
I just tried to access the video through the link in the OP and it’s been made private… I guess they’ve received enough backlash already to rethink their decision to make and post this?
Someone should really tell those models/admen-responsible-for-this-dreck that the lab isn’t really the place to wear fashionable clothes that you’re fond of… currently counting bleach splash no. 4 on my trousers.
At least the bleach stains are pink tho, good ol’ virus-killing virkon, such a lovely girl-suitable colour unlike the exclusively male rest-of-the-colour-spectrum…
(/snark)
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