Your Sunday morning rage-on

[sabotabby]

Listening to CBC's Sunday Edition on the lack of female writers in magazine publishing. All of the women they're interviewing have interesting and relevant things to say on the subject. For some reason, they felt the need to interview John Macfarlane, editor of the Walrus, who has nothing interesting to say, beyond reminding me of why I never read the Walrus.

For example, he says that when one assigns articles, one wants to be gender-blind (what?) but sometimes it is just more appropriate to assign a certain gender. Like you wouldn't assign a man to write about parenting (double-what?).

I can't believe, in 2011, there are people who say this shit. Though I think this has a lot to do with why the magazine publishing industry is dead in the water and I only read blogs now.

Comments

[fengi.livejournal.com]

I had a similar response to a recent article about Chicago's persistent racial divide in the once-enduring, now-struggling Chicago Reader. They do have a decent gender mix, but it's almost entirely white, with African Americans the least employed minority (even as freelancers) and Latins rarely writing as well. While nothing could have been done to prevent the problems of the online age writing off two thirds of the population as the other sure didn't help.

[jvmatucha.livejournal.com]

you wouldn't assign a man to write about parenting

o_O

I'm sure the magazine industry, like the newspaper industry, will whine that thee internet is killing theior industry, but I can tell you a major reason that newspapers are dying in the US is because they're printing crap. Public trust in the major media is at an all-time low in this country. If trhey started printing real journalism than people would start buying their papers again.

[unemployia.livejournal.com]

thanx for sharing this! @fengi - do you have a link to that article?

[90pointmetaphor.livejournal.com]

sometimes it is just more appropriate to assign a certain gender

Because they're going a lot of investigative reports on, say, mammograms?

[sphinctourist.livejournal.com]

I sure hope Mistah Macfarlane doesn't have any kids. Any father who couldn't think of enough to fill an article on parenting clearly is never there to BE a parent. It boggles my mind just how unbelievably stupid some people are. I just want to slap him.

[metawidget]

I actually noticed that parent remark intensely enough to send them a comment at their feedback page.

I thought Terry O'Reilly mocking the all-male credits on a Disney film on menstruation (on Saturday's Age of Persuasion) was, if not brilliantly insightful, at least a better possible example.

[sadwizardscrypt.livejournal.com]

frieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeend meeeeeeeeeeeeee (check my post to see who I am).

[bike4fish.livejournal.com]

I guess that all my advice to friends who have breastfed their kids has been useless.

[zingerella.livejournal.com]

Oh GAH.

Okay. There are certain articles I would be less likely to assign to writers of certain genders. As mentioned above, I think most men are less able to discuss menstruation and its overall effects on one's life as authoritatively as most women can. I am more likely to want to read an article on bras (especially on bra shopping), that is written by a woman. Articles on being a woman carry more weight when written by women. Articles on being a man carry more weight when written by a man. I'd be more likely to accept the authority of a man on, say, erections, too. I'd be less likely to read books on fatherhood if they were written by women. However, parenting is a subject on which many parents and some quasi parents or parental adjuncts can write interesting and engaging material.

Yes, this is why I don't read the Walrus. Or, really, listen much to CBC. However, I am going to have to listen to that show, in order to discuss it with my students.