Community Stories

How many female members now?

M'Bob
Posts
6,619
Likes
21,396
Omegafanman Omegafanman
Some interesting and thought provoking comments in this thread. A survey seems like a good idea to find out the opinions of the people that matter so any initiative or change best meets their needs and encourages more diversity and participation.

In terms of flagging inappropriate content one area that always concerns me is humour. Words matter but equally jokes have been a around a long time and do help bring us all down to earth and stop us getting too serious or pompous about life. In some cases, jokes about stereotypically types of people have circulated for centuries with only the wording and targeted groups changed. There does tend to be grains of truth in them - son in laws and mother in laws do not always get on for example and partners can be frustrated by people buying yet more expensive watches. Equally they can reinforce negative stereotypes (think of all the old boy fogey jokes - but some of them are damn funny…If only I could remember them ;0)
As new wave comedy has moved to the left they have kept a lot of the same material but just changed the targeted group to right wing politicians or people who don’t fit their own cultural ideology. There is good clever diverse comedy as well - but equally some of that gets way too highbrow as they just grandstand their own erudite egos (ok I am too thick to understand it :0). Long story short unless if is strongly offensive I think the best way to evolve humour / culture is to laugh and like or not laugh and like - a joke needs to pole-vault over the line before it is reported or questioned IMHO or we are on a very slippery slope and it does turn things very bland - slipping towards a Demolition man film future.

You raise some good points, but this is very delicate terrain to tread. Publicity, when in doubt, when it falls on the line, abstain. No one can navigate this perfectly, even professional comedians step over the line. I myself have been guilty, we are all just muddling through.

I will say, however, that political correctness can often be the antithesis of genuine cultural intimacy. As I’ve said before, and gotten pounded for it in some corners, when you get to know someone really well, you tease the shit out of each other. This is what I mean about public (a forum) vs. private interaction. My best friend is Chinese. When I take a ride in his car, I get mildly sick. He’s very perceptive to physical changes, as he is an MD. When I got out of the car, he once said, “Suck it up, Bob; you know we can’t drive.”

Now, I thought that was funny, and so did he, and we had a good laugh about it. But make a joke like that publicly, to someone or a group you don’t know well, is verboten.

Did I ever tell you the one about the Rabbi and the Priest?
 
Tony C.
Posts
7,643
Likes
26,496
dsio dsio
But they don’t deserve to get in trouble either just because some twit wants to repost a joke he was forwarded by email

I resent this! I may be a twit, but every single one of the inappropriate jokes that I post has been personally sourced and curated. 😁
Edited:
 
connieseamaster
Posts
1,372
Likes
1,996
It's pretty easy to be funny without resorting to punching down, sexism, racism, or ableism. Comedy is far from dead in 2022.
 
Omegafanman
Posts
4,626
Likes
17,549
connieseamaster connieseamaster
It's pretty easy to be funny without resorting to punching down, sexism, racism, or ableism. Comedy is far from dead in 2022.

As long as we can keep a healthy does of absurdism and we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water (figuratively speaking of course :0)
 
M'Bob
Posts
6,619
Likes
21,396
I came across this advertisement recently, and since this thread has grown some interesting sociological tentacles, it would be interesting to hear members opinions of it, with the hope that we can recognize with our responses that people look at things differently, and we don’t demonize anyone who doesn’t perceive it like we do.

This lawyer either came up with this herself, or approved it, with the obvious intent of increasing her business. Either way, implicit is the idea that she thinks it’s okay:

8AB02437-A5C3-4E98-BEFC-04CF1754CF81.jpeg


Now, some may find it a lighthearted nod to (hopefully) outdated female stereotypes. Some, on the other hand, will find it completely offensive. And of course, that’s not to imply that those are the only legitimate responses. But what do you all think?
 
wrist time
Posts
94
Likes
113
pdxleaf pdxleaf
There's truth in that. I don't mean to say that messaging someone is mandatory nor a cure-all.

At the same time, miscommunication happens all the time, in families face to face, in offices, in the best of conditions. Here, where communication is stripped of the nuances of vocal inflection, eye contact, etc, with the added elements of anonymity, distance and public ego, it can sometimes make us respond more emotionally than we might otherwise if we were in person. The personal messaging can serve to step out of that energy and reset.

While this can be a bit of hippy-dippy wishful thinking, sometimes it helps me to stop and try to understand who the other person is, as opposed to scoring points in an argument.

As to your point about putting the burden on a woman to explain why she feels uncomfortable or belittled, that's no different than racism or gay-straight or young-old or country to country stereotypes or any other prejudices that we hold. If we are to avoid killing ourselves, we have to dialog. As a 65 year old white American male, i have learned a lot about myself in the last decade. It wasn’t because I sought out new experiences, although I thought i was open to them. It's because other people presented different ways of thinking or took the time to tell me why what i said/was thinking was exclusionary. They could have said fυck you, but that would not have changed a thing or helped me change my thinking.

I wish i could remember the circumstances but my memory is not so great. But I can tell you I have two wonderful daughters who are brave and kind. The example i can't remember ended with my daughter saying "but Dad, you think that because you're a man" and then she explained it from her perspective. I just hadn't seen it like that. Lightbulb.

For that to happen, i can't hate someone. I have to see them as a reasonable person and not an oppenent or opportunity to prove I'm right (very tempting for me.)

You also said blatant sexism. Nobody should put up with abuse, blatant or otherwise. If something is blatant and over the top, definitely call me out. Maybe I was being a lazy thinker or falling back into cheap stereotypes for what i thought was an easy laugh. That's no excuse for saying it, but perhaps i would be grateful for the correction. If someone refuses to back down or apologize or acknowledge the injury, that's on them and not your burden.

This is a stream of consciousness post so feel free to TLDR. The short of it is that our little world on the forum carries the same crap as the larger society so we shouldn't be surprised when sexism or anything else appears. It seems like the forum is in many ways a more civilized place. But while the forum has opportunities to connect with people from across the world that we could not hope to meet in our real lives, there are extra challenges from the anonymity and lack of physical presence. The PM is a tool for reaching behind the veil.

And because this is a watch forum, here's a picture of a 1967 Glycine Airman that came in the mail today. 😀


20220801_144517.jpg
The fact that you were able to gain knowledge and perspective without having to put in the effort to seek it out sounds great. For you. Hopefully you've availed yourself of the many articles or videos or book on these subjects to further expand your understanding. Maybe you could use the knowledge you gained to actively educate others. Take some of the burden off those who already have to deal with these things in multiple aspects of their lives. Especially since they would be opening themselves up for direct attack if the person they reach out to isn't as open mined as you.
 
bmpennington
Posts
202
Likes
203
The majority of watch fans are men. However, it would be great if more women were into watches like they are with purses!
 
blufinz52
Posts
3,002
Likes
7,885
M'Bob M'Bob
Now, some may find it a lighthearted nod to (hopefully) outdated female stereotypes. Some, on the other hand, will find it completely offensive. And of course, that’s not to imply that those are the only legitimate responses. But what do you all think?

Although I'm neither offended or amused by this billboard, I would not consider hiring her based on it. My initial reaction was to roll my eyes.
 
connieseamaster
Posts
1,372
Likes
1,996
Omegafanman Omegafanman
As long as we can keep a healthy does of absurdism and we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water (figuratively speaking of course :0)

I don't feel any qualifications were necessary. Comedy isn't dead just because it's finally no longer socially acceptable to punch down at marginalized groups.
 
blufinz52
Posts
3,002
Likes
7,885
bmpennington bmpennington
The majority of watch fans are men. However, it would be great if more women were into watches like they are with purses!

And shoes.
 
Dan S
Posts
20,227
Likes
46,904
M'Bob M'Bob
Now, some may find it a lighthearted nod to (hopefully) outdated female stereotypes. Some, on the other hand, will find it completely offensive. And of course, that’s not to imply that those are the only legitimate responses. But what do you all think?

I think ... that it's bizarre and creepy that you continue to be intentionally provocative in a thread that is aimed at the women of OF, and is addressing the issue of why they are under-represented.
 
gatorcpa
Posts
12,541
Likes
16,894
connieseamaster connieseamaster
It's pretty easy to be funny without resorting to punching down, sexism, racism, or ableism.
I disagree with your statement. All these “-isms” are really crutches for the less talented comedians to try to compete those more talented.

The few professional comedians who are very successful have to be able to write funny jokes both dirty and clean for different venues. What people laugh at during the midnight show at your local comedy club is a lot different from the 3-5 minute stand-up that you might see on a TV talk show.

Very few can do both well. The late, great Bob Saget was one of them.
gatorcpa
 
connieseamaster
Posts
1,372
Likes
1,996
To be fair, I was considering jokes and commentary as such that we see on this forum, not the professional stage. Being considered witty behind a keyboard is a lot easier than holding an audience for a 10 minute set.
 
blufinz52
Posts
3,002
Likes
7,885
Dan S Dan S
I think ... that it's bizarre and creepy that you continue to be intentionally provocative in a thread that is aimed at the women of OF, and is addressing the issue of why they are under-represented.

Give me a break. If you find that post bizarre and creepy than you either are way too sensitive or just have h***-o* for M'Bob .
 
wrist time
Posts
94
Likes
113
Dan S Dan S
I think ... that it's bizarre and creepy that you continue to be intentionally provocative in a thread that is aimed at the women of OF, and is addressing the issue of why they are under-represented.
But, but he's just asking questions! /sarcasm
Edited:
 
Dan S
Posts
20,227
Likes
46,904
blufinz52 blufinz52
Give me a break. If you find that post bizarre and creepy than you either are way too sensitive ...

Seems like telling people that they are "too sensitive" is a common theme in this thread, and maybe directly relevant to the topic at hand. If you offend someone, maybe your first thought shouldn't be that they are too sensitive. Try some self-awareness.
 
Omegafanman
Posts
4,626
Likes
17,549
connieseamaster connieseamaster
To be fair, I was considering jokes and commentary as such that we see on this forum, not the professional stage. Being considered witty behind a keyboard is a lot easier than holding an audience for a 10 minute set.

I did get pulled onto stage at the comedy club once (long story) I did manage to get a couple of laughs in even though the compare was gunning for me… 100% it is so tough and hats off to anyone who can play the jester for us at a professional level. It is tightrope walking /maybe that’s why they get addicted and many hit the skids later in life.
 
24 More Posts...
Sign up or log in to reply...