Comments on: Warning: Patriarchy is Bad for Your Health

By: Feministe » Anti-Feminist News Coverage Is Bad For Your Health

Feministe » Anti-Feminist News Coverage Is Bad For Your Health — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 03:45:06 +0000

[...] nstance, the recent scare-mongering about a study which may or may not have concluded that equality was harmful to women’s health. If tha [...]

By: Anne Onne

Anne Onne — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 00:30:25 +0000

”We’re an opinionated bunch.” Well, I always though being opinionated was a good thing. I guess it depends on the opinion, though. ;)
Actually, I guess I never considered that sites wouldn’t allow comments. It makes sense, because there are always going to be unsavoury or pointless comments. I think a lot of newpaper sites do seem to screen their comments somewhat, but I’m not sure whether they just pick out the really bad ones, or whether they only choose a few from each side.

By: philosophizer

philosophizer — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 23:37:48 +0000

As a former newspaper editor, I can say that in every one I know of, copy editors write the headlines, and they aim for simplicity and shock value. ( I know I did.)

By: octogalore

octogalore — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 21:34:28 +0000

RM — the study seemed to be suggesting that “male privileges” had to do with being able to take for granted being senior to women in the workplace. Possible psychological discomfort resulting from that could have physical health ramifications.

But so what? As the article gives a nod to, this is a transition effect, and once men don’t have this expectation anymore, there won’t be the sense of having something taken away. Transition effects don’t have much relevance. I’m sure the plantation owners hated having their slaves taken away too, and some probably suffered physical effects. Does that mean, mom_of_2 notwithstanding, that slavery was a good thing?

By: Lesley Plum

Lesley Plum — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 20:55:56 +0000

I’m sorry, R. Mildred. Wrong RM. I was addressing my comments to Raging Moderate. My bad, as it was quite unclear. He picked quotes from the researchers.

Without seeing the study, it’s hard to know if the researchers fucked up the stats at all. I’m not sure they did. It’s just that there are multiple explanations for such an outcome, most of which are not “Ooh, bad feminism! Bad!” There’s also the issue of correlation v. causality.

By: Z. M. Davis

Z. M. Davis — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 18:20:42 +0000

For what it’s worth, Lesley Plum, I’m given to understand that reporters generally don’t write their own headlines, so it’s not perfectly clear to what extent one should blame Dobson and to what extent the editors of The Independent. Not to suggest Dobson is entirely innocent.

By: tzs

tzs — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 18:07:48 +0000

What, they didn’t also add the correlation between feminism and degrees north longitude?

Now, for their next coup: “How getting rid of slavery was bad for the health of the average Southern slaveowner.”

By: R. Mildred

R. Mildred — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 17:08:52 +0000

You’re also confusing the researchers with the reporter.

I don’t care about the reporter, the independent is left leaning, but is more center left, like kos, I’m intrigued by the research though, more a sort of morbid interest in how they fucked with the stats than anything else.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 16:45:37 +0000

It’s because dads are barely people to say nothing of occupying the same place as moms. Parenting is probably the one place where patriarchal culture screwed men as much as women. It’s silly because they say that only moms can be parents and dads can’t parent well enough to actually call it parenting.

By: Lesley Plum

Lesley Plum — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 16:35:41 +0000

RM, the title is a large part of the issue with the article. Titles convey information about the author’s focus. They hint where you, the reader, are supposed to pay the most attention. They color how you interpret a piece.

You’re also confusing the researchers with the reporter. The quotes you pick are from the study. No one here has rolled their eyes at the study. It’s the focus the paper directed readers to that’s at issue (“Feminism is bad for your health”).