Some people don't have maps

[40cakes]

Y'know, Dubya says a lot of stupid shit, and he's in charge of the country, but nobody rails on him the way the entire universe came together to mercilessly mock Miss Teen South Carolina. I'll go out on a limb and say it's because everyone wants to demean a pretty, dumb girl. So I really, really, really don't want to find this shirt funny, but I do.

Though to back up my claim that she's so famous due to the misogyny of our culture, the female shirt comes in 3 sizes - small, medium, large. The male size goes all the way up to 3-FUCKING-XL.

Comments

[nothingjerk.livejournal.com]

I never thought making fun of her as misogynistic.

Also when "we" as a culture mocked her it was safe, where as when u mock or don't the "President" it's a political statement no matter how dumb it is to say there wil still be people who are like "You can't say that its teh president!" and others who say " I can't believ this dumbass is president".

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not saying mocking her in any way is misogynistic, cuz, HOLY CRAP was that funny. But the continued infatuation with her screw-up leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Especially given how much the world focused on a TEENAGE BEAUTY QUEEN compared to the fuck-ups of the leader of the free world.

[misterpardonme.livejournal.com]

i can't quite put my finger on it, but there was something special about her response. if she'd just said, "um, i really can't asnwer that question in 30 seconds", this wouldn't be a big deal. If she'd just said "because they don't teach geography in schools very well" or even "because a lot of kids don't have maps", it wouldn't have been the sensation that it is.

instead, she unleashed a verbal train-wreck of buzzwords, catchphrases, and fillers to which Slater really should have responded:

"what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul. "

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

Heh. Well, okay, that last part is true.

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

Also, I still think she should've stopped at "Some people don't have maps."

[nothingjerk.livejournal.com]

You Mean the Eveil Patriachy has removed maps from the schools to prove a stereotype about women having poor sense of direction

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

That fifth of Americans that removed maps are just the men who won't stop and ask for directions, as per many a Blondie Sunday funny!

[misterpardonme.livejournal.com]

that may not be a stereotype:

There is a fair amount of evidence that men are better than women at solving certain sorts of spatial problems, such as remembering the locations of topographical landmarks

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure that that research proves that particular hypothesis. He took more men than women around, and yet the women had a better sense of direction.

Also, China is in no way an oppressive sort of culture in terms of gender, so I'm sure Chinese women haven't had it beaten into them that they love red and pink. And about a hundred years ago, pink was a boys' color, and there were probably evolutionary psychs there to prove it as such then.

[nothingjerk.livejournal.com]

Chinese men and women are suposed to love Red

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

THERE IS NO RED, THERE IS ONLY ZOOOOL!

[misterpardonme.livejournal.com]

exactly. that would have been a legit answer. a short one, but legit.

[misterpardonme.livejournal.com]

actually, i believe there have been several books compiled of the dumb shit George Bush has said. I also have a talking george bush doll that says only stupid shit. and at least a third of The Daily Show's humor is devoted to making fun of the stupid things bush says. Same for Wonkette

also, let's not forget that people have absolutely no problem ripping on ugly, smart girls as well. I think the truth is that people like making fun of any easy target- guy, girl, animal, vegetable, whatever.

All that aside, that t-shirt is really funny. i want it.

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, people do enjoy making fun of girls as often as possible.

[imre-nico.livejournal.com]

Honestly? I think when a bimboy says something as dumb, the flack is just as bad. Or hell, when something random happens to them, regardless of whether it's their fault or not- witness when poor Fabio got struck by that goose.

It's schadenfreude.

Teen pageants are intrinisically a self-loathing vehicle for sad little women-children to demean themselves anyway, by gamely submitting to have their relative aesthetic worth judged by a bunch of middle aged men, including the illustrious (and balding) Joey Lawrence?! [WTF]

Unfortunately, that is a siren call to all the quasi-cute, desperately mediocre girls with "daddy's approval" issues.

Smart beautiful women feel bad for dumb little girls. We are feminists for them, not ourselves. We don't even see misogyny as a personal problem, because it doesn't apply to us.

I spend a lot of time feeling bad for "women" in our culture, without ever putting myself in that category. Ironic.

At the end of the day, the more self and externally actualized a person is, the less gender plays a role in their life.

So yeah, while I agree we need to protect the weakest little three-headed, one-legged lambs of our flock, I'm conscious of the fact that she isn't the kind of "victim" that deserves the most sympathy- she's complicit in her own social victimization. She put herself in that position by wanting an empty victory from an insignicant source.

[pyrobovaphiliac.livejournal.com]

Seconded! If schadenfreude was was gender-based, there wouldn't be all those America's Funniest Home Videos episodes where a cat falls off the couch or something.

Though I don't think it's terribly ironic (besides definition qualms) that several feminists do not categorize themselves with those they wish to help. There's an intrinsic differentiation involved when you join a people-centric cause in which you distance yourself from the group in order to not seem as if your actions are self-serving. Terrible remnants of the American Protestant Work Ethic remain for us to stab ourselves in the face with.

[nesmith.livejournal.com]

Well, of course! Women who matter don't come in a size bigger than 8!

And it's not just her; I was watching a news report from NBC and some genius animated a map to show the state of Kansas--

--only the map had Missouri labelled as Kansas. I know they're next to each other but COME ON. It's called RESEARCH, PEOPLE.

[grandlarseny.livejournal.com]

Gotta love patriarchy. Fuck.