Hey, Why So Few Women In The South By Southwest Comedy Lineup?!
From Jessica Grose's piece on Slate...Um...er...
First off, only three women applied in the SXSW open auditions this year. Secondly, they did try to reach out to several women comedians, but many had scheduling conflicts. Finally, SXSW runs at the same time as television pilot season. "This year, it cost us some great women," Sotelo said.
From the paragraph before in Grose's piece, women instantly suspected foul play:
As writer Lindsay Robertson pointed out, "What the f*** is up with the fact that SXSW comedy has booked TONS of male comedians and only ONE female, YET AT THE VERY SAME TIME and same part of the festival they have a panel about the tired old "Are women funny?" question, which involves exactly zero female comedians?"
I'm reminded of the recent brouhaha about Wikipedia and the finding from a Wikipedia study, per a New York Times piece by Noam Cohen, that Wikipedia's contributor base and is barely 13 percent women. They're looking to up the number of female contributors, which I find disturbing. Are they trying to up the number of male kindergarten teachers or male wedding planners? Wikipedia is created through voluntary contributions. So, the notion that there's some Wikipedia glass ceiling is just nuts, although, of course, people go there. From the Times piece:
Sue Gardner, the executive director of the foundation, has set a goal to raise the share of female contributors to 25 percent by 2015, but she is running up against the traditions of the computer world and an obsessive fact-loving realm that is dominated by men and, some say, uncomfortable for women.
Oh, boohoo. So, then they shouldn't contribute.
There's similar whining about discrimination on the op-ed page. Now, maybe having a penis makes it easier to get on the op-ed page. I've submitted two op-eds in my life and I've had both published by the LA Times. My editor there is a woman, and I know that Charlotte Allen, who writes op-eds for them from time to time, has an editor who's a woman.
My most recent op-ed wasn't controversial and was LA-centric, so they didn't put it out on the wire like they did the last one (which ended up on the LA Times most-read list...as well of that of the numerous other papers that picked it up).
In short, in my experience, if you write a piece they think is good, they don't turn it down because you have a vagina.
an obsessive fact-loving realm that is dominated by men and, some say, uncomfortable for women.
The fact loving realm is uncomfortable for women? That explains a lot.
kaleb at February 19, 2011 4:51 AM
Truly amazing the extent that the quota notion has permeated our society. 'Analysis' like the complainers in the article reveal, is nothing but intellectual lethargy and your examples (wedding planning and kindergarten) show some actual thought.
I am sure if you had the opportunity to press them, they would quickly reveal that that they are concerned only with women participating and not one bit interested in the product consumer's experience.
John Tagliaferro at February 19, 2011 5:13 AM
If you are a woman and think Wikipedia needs more contributions by women, then make a contribution to Wikipedia already! If you aren't willing to do something about it yourself, then kindly shut up.
Pirate Jo at February 19, 2011 5:21 AM
Why is it even after te womens 'liberation' movement that men are still to lame for womens choices?
lujlp at February 19, 2011 6:52 AM
My question is why aren't they complaining about the lack of men doing personal advice columns?
Jim P. at February 19, 2011 7:41 AM
When they get around to complaining about NASCAR not having enough women, you can point out that it is not due to a lack of history.
John Tagliaferro at February 19, 2011 7:54 AM
Maybe it is because (in general) women dominate conversations, and men and women are both simply tired of listening to women rant for an hour- we do that everyday anyway. But put a talented guy on stage, let him go without interruption, and it's fresh with a basically unlimited range of topics. Women comedians tend to recycle the same material about their romantic relationships with cavemen and going to the bathroom.
Eric at February 19, 2011 8:11 AM
The short question is, who has the talent?
There's a glut in comedy. Listen to Comedy 104 on iTunes, you can hear the recycler running.
And John, NASCAR, really? They finally get Danica Patrick into a Nationwide car, and it's not just because she can drive - there's always, always the sex appeal in such cases, because the NASCAR fan is male. Really male. Piss off the back of the bleachers, screw it, male.
The drag racers have NASCAR beat. And that page doesn't even show Ashley Force (whoa!).
Radwaste at February 19, 2011 8:53 AM
I once had to hire two temporary computer support people to finish up a project. We advertised, selected, interviewed, etc. I finally hired two men.
I walked into the business office, and one of the women, after learning that I hired two men asked me (in high dudgeon), "Did you consider any *women* for the position?"
I was pleased to answer, "I would have if any had applied."
What was I supposed to do, drag a few broads in off of the street, interview them, and force them to work for me?
Steve Daniels at February 19, 2011 9:25 AM
I'd say that if feminists want to complain that there aren't enought women in the _____ field... do it yourself-or blame the women who won't do it, not the men (or society). As a woman, you can bitch that there aren't enough female comedians, engineers, bricklayers, whatever- but do the people complaining have any desire to enter the profession they're scrutinizing? I don't WANT to be an engineer or a security anaylist or a plumber.
ahw at February 19, 2011 1:00 PM
And they say women being bad at math is a stereotype.
(insert extensive eye rolling) Look there aren't but so many working women in the country, if the majority are taking up positions in one set of fields, such as teaching and child care, that results in a fewer number entering fields such as stand up comedy or physics.
Its basic logistics people, you can't get a 50/50 split across the board when there are majorities and differing priorities for large numbers of individuals.
I'm very fond of the exceptional wenches in the world...but the rest try my patience to no end.
Robert at February 20, 2011 2:36 AM
I really hate it when my fellow women get all hysterical and screamy and don't think logically.
I'm currently reading an otherwise excellent business book that contains a short rant about how it's harder for women to get business loans. The actual truth is that most small businesses are ineligible regardless of gender. Banks *want* to make loans. But they also want to know how you will pay them back, and that's where most applicants fail.
The ironic part about all this supposed "sexism" is that it creates a real, actual negative perception of women and some of us have to work even harder to prove that we are not "one of those women."
MissFancy at February 20, 2011 8:27 AM
I'm sick and tired of men being taller than women...the government needs to do something about this unfair condition. I'm sure money could be found for compulsory operations to shorten mens legs. We could then attach weights to their legs so they couldent run faster than women...that'll teach those sod's
timothy m. rainey at February 21, 2011 10:12 AM
"And they say women being bad at math is a stereotype."
Might be. (Whoa.)
Radwaste at February 21, 2011 4:06 PM
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