This reasoning is absurd. The structure of the site is designed to allow for thousands of forums on subjects as diverse as home brewing to uh, feminism. Saying that Reddit is sexist because it has a “Men’s Right’s” forum is like saying the internet is sexist because this guy exists (an argument for another day). The differential Adrian ignores is the money. The chick asked for cash, the dude didn’t. Shouldn’t anyone raise an eyebrow when a stranger asks them for money? On the internet? Chen completely glosses over this distinction because without the sexism angle his argument falls apart.
I doubt it really has anything to do with “reasoning” or “arguments”. Don’t we have a term for “journalists” like Chen and his co-panelist Rebecca Watson? Ah, yes, that was it.
But okay, so whining about Reddit is apparently a thing now among certain types of vacuous Internet activists. I’m so hoping we can get another hilariously ineffective progressive boycott out of it somehow. Does Jeebus love me that much?
March 14, 2013 @ 7:51 pm
Well…I've become sympathetic to your arguments about RW because her "wing" is just becoming so repetitive and offense-seeking. They are increasingly reminding me of fundamentalist Christians who claim to be oppressed because every public school assembly or zoning board of appeals hearing no longer starts with mumbled pablum thanking Jay-zus.
March 14, 2013 @ 5:54 pm
Sorry, Damian. The one link (dissentionisnothate) in question?
Almost textbook douchebaggery.
Pretty vacant-headed, too. Vague complaints, insinuations, etc. Even if Rebecca is involved heavily in the Offense-Industrial-Complex, a guy like this seems like he has a corner office in the same old building.
March 14, 2013 @ 6:45 pm
As a rule, I don't see much value in speculating about the "real" motivations of public figures. But I agree with his point in that particular case — there's just no way Watson was attempting to have a serious conversation on the topic, especially on Twitter, of all things. She was vague-yet-provocative on purpose, just to stir up controversy. I doubt the trendy obsession with Reddit's supposed "women problem" is any more heartfelt.
March 14, 2013 @ 8:10 pm
I'm — impressed? not quite the word, but it'll have to do — impressed with the way they abruptly shift from mocking "freeze peach" as if it's solely a relevant issue for hateful trolls to asserting that it's a "basic human right" to not be insulted or offended on the Internet.