"I know you want it, I know you want it, You're a good girl"
Recognise those lyrics? Unless you were living under a rock for the last six months you will probably recognise "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke featuring Pharell Williams. What do those lyrics say to you? To me personally, it was about the differing view of society between men and women and that "good girls don't sleep with a man on a first date".
Even though I am an overweight geek with occasional neck-beard, I have lured ladies back to my house before from the club. Honest!*. On many occasions it was made VERY clear to me it was only for coffee and a chat and then they would get a cab home. After a tour of my "Man Garden"**, coffee, chat and a bit of making out there would usually be the "Do you want me to stay tonight?". The lyrics of Blurred Lines always makes me smile and think back to those days!
Same song, same lyrics, two vastly different interpretations.
What has this got to do with Eve Online? Well Rixx Javix recently posted a comic:-
I was a bit surprised at the anger levelled at Rixx regarding this comic. Is it really that bad? I can see how someone could take it as a man who used to beat his ex-wife and complain about not getting sex, but is it worse than what we see on the internet almost daily? Is this really offensive to some? Is there the 'Internet White Knight Effect' in play here? Are we seeing 'Group Outrage Mechanics'. Or are some of us, like me, just not getting it?
In the words of the British comedian Jimmy Carr, offence cannot be given, it can only be taken. I don't see that comic as offensive. However, I do like Jimmy Carr and he says his shows are not for the 'easy to offend. In fact they are not for the difficult to offend. They are more for people lacking a moral compass.". So may be I am the wrong person to comment on this!
* I'm talking well over 10 years ago when I was young, free and single!
** My old "Man Garden" back in the UK.
** My old "Man Garden" back in the UK.
Meh. Some folks will see something offensive in pretty much anything.
ReplyDeleteI find this comment offensive! :P
DeleteApparently, I have been living under a rock.
ReplyDeleteWe dinosaurs do this.
I thought the comic was meant to entertain and I took it that way. I didn't even consider any RL implications.
ReplyDeleteI am one of those simpletons that thinks most entertainment is just that. Not every entertainer is a George Carlin trying to create awareness for social issues.
I remember reading that comic and thinking, "that's really going to offend someone," but I wasn't that person who would be offended.
ReplyDeleteI took it as, no sex because of a VERBAL fight. Not a physical fight.
ReplyDeleteYep, me too.
Deletehttp://www.reddit.com/r/GirlGamers/comments/20zpor/interpret_this_joke_im_curious_if_my/ link to the reddit thread just incase anyone missed it on rixxs post. isn't defining yourself a girl gamer sexist ne way shouldn't u strive for a world where we are all just gamers........oh that's right most of these women don't want equal rights they want more rights then a man just because they are female.........interesting how that works.
ReplyDeleteI've already written a lot of words about this, but essentially I understand better than some how a piece of work - once it leaves your hands - is very much part of public discourse. I've had people see Swastikas in work that I've done, I've had people see or feel multiple things about my work over the years that I never intended.
ReplyDeleteThat does not take away from their right to feel the way they feel. That is their own personal perspective and it is valid TO THEM. I respect that. Just as I would ask them to respect the fact that the work wasn't intended to mean that, or that certainly it wasn't created with that intention.
I have, rarely, been convinced to change a work once seen in a different light. This is not one of those. There is, in my opinion, nothing offensive about that panel. I do admit, that given someone's personal background or experiences, it could trigger an emotional response that wasn't intended. But that is true about anything. We've probably all felt a certain emotional response to something that reminded us of a lost pet, a passed relative, or a bad relationship. That does not make the object in question inherently bad.
I have to admit that I stared at it for a moment and then laughed... but that I also felt like I laughed partly because it was representative to me of the attitude I've seen from a few people who I have had the misfortune of sharing comms with before on large fleets. (I have since moved on to an alliance which has the freedom to tell people like that to go fuck off.)
ReplyDelete