If you don`t read books by feminazies or queers you are a bigot.

[Carl]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026692695

Mon May 18, 2015, 11:35 PM
Star Member Liberal_in_LA (36,614 posts)

You might not think you're sexist – until you take a look at your bookshelf


But passive bias is still bias - and it has ripple effects into the broader culture. Is it really so much to ask that we pay attention to what shapes our tastes?


For example, I was riding the subway recently when I noticed my seatmate scrolling through a Twitter feed that looked remarkably like mine. I was tickled to be sitting next to a like-minded person, but as I looked on I noticed there was one thing that seemed to be missing from his newsfeed: women. He was following fantastic and smart men, but still - as far as I could tell, all men.

I got the same uneasy feeling when I listened to a podcast interview with a TV showrunner and writer that I admire. He spoke eloquently about his passions and mentors - and the people whose work he liked most. All men.

I’m sure both of these people are smart, engaged and not deliberately or actively sexist - but when your worldview is solely shaped by men, you are missing out. And like it or not, your taste in music, books, television or art says something about you: it sends a message about what you think is worth your time, what you think is interesting and who you think is smart. So if the only culture you pay attention to is created by men, or created by white people, you are making an explicit statement about who and what is important.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/18/you-might-not-think-youre-a-sexist-until-you-take-a-look-at-your-bookshelf
8

      

This is why normal people think you cretins are insane.

Response to Liberal_in_LA (Original post)Tue May 19, 2015, 12:10 AM
Star Member haikugal (2,225 posts)
1. This has been true since I was in HS...

I had no idea how influenced I was by the surrounding culture. It takes thought and reading, talk and OP's like this, but we can all improve. The difference between then and now is that there are many more women to look to in our culture than before. We need to keep going!

Thanks for the OP...great post!

Whatever,leftist drivel will always be leftist drivel.

Response to Liberal_in_LA (Original post)Tue May 19, 2015, 02:14 AM
Star Member Behind the Aegis (36,674 posts)
2. Same applies to racism and heterosexism (and a few other -isms).

As someone who is an avid TV viewer and has a husband who is the same, and is an avid movie watcher, I noticed this with people's viewing habits, too. How many books do people have from GLBT writers or about GLBT topics or watch programs/movies with POSITIVE portrayals of GLBT people? What about books/movies/shows about other cultures/countries?

It is a function of the subconscious, IMO, to seek out "similar". It takes more of a conscious effort to change it, and finally let it (searching out "the other") be something that easily appeals to you.

Michael Jackson and Jerry Sandusky ask the same question.

Response to Behind the Aegis (Reply #2)Tue May 19, 2015, 03:54 AM
Star Member cali (101,316 posts)
4. the first LGBT book I read was a novel called The Well of Loneliness

I was around 12 and it had a huge impact on me. It was in my parents' library- which was a pretty amazing place. My much more modest library is well represented by works from LGBT authors and minority authors. I've always sought out different from me when it comes to reading.

So that explains your ****ed up life and self portraits of insanity I guess Eva.

Response to laundry_queen (Reply #17)Tue May 19, 2015, 08:27 AM
Sobax (110 posts)
20. I already know that I pick books because they interest me
 
Not because the author is a certain gender or race. It's just not something I pay any attention to. No further introspection is necessary.

And for what it's worth, some of my favorite authors are female. There are no "prejudices" to examine

Noob doesn`t realize that smell of shit is what it is hip deep in.

Response to Sobax (Reply #20)Tue May 19, 2015, 09:11 AM
Star Member gollygee (17,268 posts)
24. The whole point is that, by not paying any attention to it,

people often unknowingly limit themselves in the way the article says. It's a suggestion to start paying attention to it.

Not realizing you are a hate filled bigot makes you a hate filled bigot.
See how simple it is?

Response to kcr (Reply #49)Tue May 19, 2015, 03:30 PM
Sobax (110 posts)
52. Well I haven't sat down and worked out exactly what the male-female ratio is
 
But I'd guess 70-80% of the books I read are written by men, which apparently could mean I'm unconsciously sexist according to Jessica Valenti.

You are a man after all.

Response to Sobax (Reply #52)Tue May 19, 2015, 03:35 PM
kcr (8,444 posts)
53. Well, yes. That's the point.

It's not conscious. But once it's pointed out, one can either respond by making a conscious effort to search out other authors to diversify their tastes more, or reject the premise as if it isn't possible and remain deliberately ignorant. But once it's been pointed out it's no longer unconscious. It's a choice.

Or like most normal people,I can look at you as the crazier then a shit house rat that you are.

Response to Liberal_in_LA (Original post)Tue May 19, 2015, 11:23 AM
Bluenorthwest (35,808 posts)
32. Oh my God, it applies to all minorities as well. Example, it's obvious from the posts about LGBT

issues from many straight posters that they have never, ever read any LGBT political books or speeches, they have no idea what, for example, Harvey Milk actually talked about nor what ACT UP did and worse, they don't want to know. They want to assume. So that's what they do. Smugly and with great certainty, they assume.

Say,I wonder if Bluey is a faggot?

I have a lot of books by Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham so guess I am okay! 

[98ZJUSMC]

but when your worldview is solely shaped by men, you are missing out.

Uh, no.  Sorry, toots.  My worldview was shaped by observation and experience.

Harvey Milk

I wonder if that faggot knows that that faggot was against gay marriage?

[freedumb2003b]

I read Sue Grafton and watched Star Trek episodes written by DC Fontana.

My worldview is balanced.

[SVPete]

Heh!

  Among many others, I have a couple of books written by Tammy Bruce, and a couple of books written by Thomas Sowell.

[98ZJUSMC]

I read Sue Grafton and watched Star Trek episodes written by DC Fontana.

My worldview is balanced.

    

[thundley4]

Patricia Cornwell, Anne McCaffrey, Jean M. Auel, Anne Rice, Ursula Le Guin, Tanith Lee, Marion Zimmer Bradley, C.J. Cherryh , James Tiptree, Jr,  some of the female writers that I've read several stories or books of.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I wonder how the DUmmies would feel if I admitted that one of my favorite baseball writers is transgender...

"Chris" and or "Christina" Kahrl.

Look it up.  Unlike you clowns, I don't give a damn about gender, race or background.

[Fourwinds]

Screw it then, I'm a bigot. Being called that and a homophobe has as much punch as being called a racist these days. Whatever.

[Mr Mannn]

I've read a number of books by chicks. They have big glossy photos and fold outs.

As for queers, no. If I'm not gonna bake a cake for you, I'm certainly not gonna read some D@mn, drama queen, drivel by you.

[Big Dog]

A newly discovered form of hidden bigotry, detectable only by DUmmies.

 

[GOBUCKS]

How many books do people have from GLBT writers or about GLBT topics or watch programs/movies with POSITIVE portrayals of GLBT people?

Gross.

[obumazombie]

A newly discovered form of hidden bigotry, detectable only by DUmmies.

 

Custom manufactured for you by them.
The next product in the product line is a detector device.
Then they will be rolling out a cure for your non pre existing custom manufactured bigotry.
For lib it's a win/win/win.

[diesel driver]

OK, I'm a bigot.   

Anything else?

[landofconfusion80]

oddly enough, there just doesn't seem to be a huge market for books written in ebonics or having a lisp.

[diesel driver]

oddly enough, there just doesn't seem to be a huge market for books written in ebonics or having a lisp.

The closest I've come to reading a book by a feminazi or a queer was a how-to book on tongue-in-groove flooring.   

[Movie buff- The Sequel]

I have pretty much the same view as Sobax (Who will probably be tombstoned before too long for not paying proper fealty to the altar of identity politics); In everything, I go for what interests me, which does help me come across diverse sources.
Last Thursday, I was part of a Barnes & Noble discussion panel on 'To Kill a Mockingbird' (One of my all- time favorite books, and which happened to have been written by a woman and dealing with the subjects of racism, injustice, and moral courage in the face of both), and will likely reread it soon in anticipation of the debut of its sequel, 'Go Set a Watchman.'
Another of my favorite books, 'Under God' (An excellent look at both prominent and less well- known men and women of faith who helped forge and strengthen our country, and an examination of various good and not- so- good periods in American history from a Christian perspective), was written by a white man and a black man, and I feel like the black author, Michael Tait (Current frontman for the Christian rock group The Newsboys), was likely the one who contributed the most to it.
A friend of mine has gotten me into Patricia Briggs's 'Mercy Thompson' book series, which features a female mixed- race protagonist, and its supporting cast includes a gay couple that is probably the best, most developed and yet not in the least bit preachy or in- your- face portrayal of a same- sex couple I've ever seen in any medium.
On the TV front, some of my favorite currently- running shows include 'Once Upon a Time,' 'Grimm,' 'Arrow,' 'The Flash,' and the new show 'iZombie.' All of those shows feature women in quite prominent, empowering roles, all of those shows feature racially- diverse casts (With the possible exception of 'Once Upon a Time,' but that show kind of compensates for it by portraying certain guest- star fairy tale characters in it as black, such as Rapunzel and Sir Lancelot), and a mid- level supporting character on 'The Flash' was recently revealed to be gay with it again being handled in a mature and non- preachy way.
On the movie front, don't get me started. Just look at my handle here, after all. I am into ALL kinds of movies, including many with racially- diverse casts and leads and women portrayed in strong roles.
I do not say any of this to brag about being "Enlightened" or whatever, and I do not intentionally seek out these shows and movies and books for that reason, I'm just bringing it up to reinforce my point that I follow things that interest me and that often leads on its own to diverse material.

[Big Dog]

Hey, Dummies: does this count?

No? Then there is nothing about gyno-Marxism or Same Sex Attraction Disorder which interests me.

One of my favorite books was written by a woman, with a strong female protagonist:

None of my books are about homosexuals. The only books by homosexuals are The Portrait of Dorian Gray, by the notorious cocksucker Oscar Wilde, and A Treatise on Money and The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money by the socialist sodomite John Maynard Keynes.

[redwhit]

Gee, I tend to read books by authors who are good.  Don't really care about their private lives.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

I was apolitical once.

I read Marx, 60's feminists and gay rights authors. Not just a few but dozens. Not books about them but books BY them (HINT: It's why my moles have been able to so easily hang out with the HoF'er heifers).

I realized just how demented and hateful they were so I became a conservative and never looked back.

[BuzzClik]

I read Marx, 60's feminists and gay rights authors. Not just a few but dozens. Not books about them but books BY them (HINT: It's why my moles have been able to so easily hang out with the HoF'er heifers).

I realized just how demented and hateful they were so I became a conservative and never looked back.

And I suppose you don't see any irony in your comments in bold above. Calling women "heifers", posting in a forum where one of your posters still uses the "N-word" without even a visible cringe from his cohorts, and in a thread where the title drops the word "queer" and the author of the OP calls another poster a "faggot"?

And you talk about not looking back at the demented and hateful people you left behind? I'm sure you don't see the irony, so let me explain: you're still associating with (and behaving like) demented and hateful people.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

And I suppose you don't see any irony in your comments in bold above. Calling women "heifers", posting in a forum where one of your posters still uses the "N-word" without even a visible cringe from his cohorts, and in a thread where the title drops the word "queer" and the author of the OP calls another poster a "faggot"?

And you talk about not looking back at the demented and hateful people you left behind? I'm sure you don't see the irony, so let me explain: you're still associating with (and behaving like) demented and hateful people.

I don't have to like you and you don't have to like me.

But nothing in my plan of action requires you to do anything to accommodate me.

Yet, the mental degenerates that are your compatriots have no objective except to force everyone else to become like them.

I condemn wanton violence but I'll shoot you through the ****ing head without an ounce of remorse if I find you inside my house uninvited.

Get the difference?

[Big Dog]

And I suppose you don't see any irony in your comments in bold above. Calling women "heifers", posting in a forum where one of your posters still uses the "N-word" without even a visible cringe from his cohorts, and in a thread where the title drops the word "queer" and the author of the OP calls another poster a "faggot"?

And you talk about not looking back at the demented and hateful people you left behind? I'm sure you don't see the irony, so let me explain: you're still associating with (and behaving like) demented and hateful people.

The language anyone chooses to use is immaterial.

You have no right to not be offended, but you have two choices: the choice to read or not read, and the choice to reply or not. What you don't have is a claim, or power to demand, anyone else to accomodate your feeeelings.

You see, Buzz, words are like abortions. If you don't like the word '******', don't use it.

[BuzzClik]

Yet, the mental degenerates that are your compatriots have no objective except to force everyone else to become like them.

I condemn wanton violence but I'll shoot you through the ****ing head without an ounce of remorse if I find you inside my house uninvited.

Get the difference?

I get your point, and the difference between you and femininsts is and always has been totally clear: When I challenge a femininst about her point of view, she'll insult me, rage at me, and get me banned from her private feminist enclave at DU. When I just challenged you, you raged a bit and then made some bizarre threat of violence -- true to the standard discourse: If you perceive me as a threat, you'll kill me.

Got it.

Now, after that needless little tangent, my point remains. And for the record, it's always been my complaint about The Cave. You carry on and on about how stupid, hate-filled, and depraved DUers are, but your behavior is no different. Well, other than the veiled threats of violence, of course -- that's your exclusive ground.

[BuzzClik]

The language anyone chooses to use is immaterial.

You have no right to not be offended, but you have two choices: the choice to read or not read, and the choice to reply or not. What you don't have is a claim, or power to demand, anyone else to accomodate your feeeelings.

You see, Buzz, words are like abortions. If you don't like the word '******', don't use it.

Of course, Dog. That's always the case.

But, if I support the right for somebody to arrange for an abortion for their concubine, the Right-to-Lifers will call me an accessory to murder. Similarly, if somebody here calls someone a ******, they'll be called out on it. It's the full cirlce of free speech -- you can say what you want (within very few constraints), but when you say something stupid or offensive, there is likely to be someone around to exercise their free speech in reacting to you.

(I am not going to elevate this to the level of a sh*tstorm; but, I did want to point out a couple of things. I also recognize that I will pay the price. )

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

I get your point, and the difference between you and femininsts is and always has been totally clear: When I challenge a femininst about her point of view, she'll insult me, rage at me, and get me banned from her private feminist enclave at DU. When I just challenged you, you raged a bit and then made some bizarre threat of violence -- true to the standard discourse: If you perceive me as a threat, you'll kill me.

Got it.

Now, after that needless little tangent, my point remains. And for the record, it's always been my complaint about The Cave. You carry on and on about how stupid, hate-filled, and depraved DUers are, but your behavior is no different. Well, other than the veiled threats of violence, of course -- that's your exclusive ground.

How could you possibly feel threatened unless you had plans to enter my home uninvited?

I assume you have no such plans so the threat level to you should be somewhere around ZERO.

But neither should you harbor any illusions about any other possible result for entering my home uninvited. To intrude is to unleash a state of affairs that will not end until one party or the other is dead. Therefore, those with such intentions should weigh their motives and expected outcomes.

To be invited is to be greeted with beer, meat and friendship. Ask for nothing you'll be given everything. Demand anything and you'll get nothing.

This is so simple and basic you had to put in extra effort to be butt-hurt over it.

It's so simple and basic that everyone on this board understands it to be a foundational understanding with everyone else. They know what will happen if they trespass against me and I know what will happen if I trespass against them. And yet we seem to have a very hospitable and amicable relationship with each other. We sincerely enjoy each other's company. We certainly don't have the endless stream of tantrums and in-fighting that is DU.

Weird, huh?

The problem with Proglodytes is they insist on entering everyone's home and business and house of worship...and not in a metaphorical sense. They do it literally. Violently. But they don't have the ****ing balls to do it themselves. They hide behind government regulator SWAT teams, twitter mobs and anti-cartoon terrorists-by-proxies. Real people are being really hurt and the Proglodytes are insatiable, unappeasable zealots.