Monday 7 February 2011

Me man, you woman. We all idiot.

Men drive better than women.

There, I've said it. It's the most commonly uttered sexist remark that will illicit chortles of derisive sniggers from men and bra-burning pickets of consternation from women. Yet, it's also somewhat universally agreed.

Recently, a scandal erupted from the good ole country of England that brought men and women together, vilifying respected gentlemen over a horrific sexist remark mentioned in broad daylight. (Apparently, if it's pitch black nobody notices.)

The offence: two middle-aged men, were surreptitiously recorded by a dastardly being, say to each other that the female linesman (yes, I know it's a misnomer) could do well with a little education. Nope, not a tertiary course in baking, but in football lore. Those in the footballing circle swiftly condemned the offenders, branding their remarks as from the Stone Age, totally unacceptable in today's climate that is striving for egalitarian societies where both genders (and those in-between) can prosper in harmony and sip on margaritas on a sunny day.

In short, they were pilloried for being men.

It wasn't the first time such comments were spewed forth from their mouths. In fact, more evidence has surfaced that it has happened before. Here's the thing: it was said in a private, tête-à-tête environment, expressed off-air with no intention of it making its way into the public's ears. Does that make it less bad? Of course not. However, they were framed. Caught in the act. Somebody must have received a really bad Christmas pudding from either of them or both to unleash the career-killer recordings.

Yet, when women call us men Neanderthals we have to accept it lest we be branded something worse. (I've thought of what is worse than Neanderthals but none come to mind.) Do I agree with what they said? Tough one. If the linesman was a male, the two men would've called him something accordingly but since it was a female the comments were so. Heck, if I had gone over to the local coffee shop I would've heard the same thing, in several languages at once, even.

We are inherently racist and having sexist thoughts come together to form an ugly side of humanity. In the office, if the pretty girl you work with gets the promotion you've been after you would probably comment on her gender. Your friends would do the same. The same goes the other way. The mind will pick the gender and then the race thus a volley of an obscene kind gets hurtled out from the mouth.

Raise your hand if you've not even thought of a sexist-based comment. Thought so.

Of course I knew you'd say that. I am man, after all.

This is manly Chris, signing off. 

P.S. It may come across that I am defending the two geezers. Yes, I am. Not their remarks but the fact that they have been criminalised because of their private affairs by people with grudges against them. Would you be happy if someone records your words?

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