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I skipped the article and went straight to the video. The investor's comment isn't rude. It's sexist. Sexism isn't about saying something "inappropriate". S

I skipped the article and went straight to the video. The investor's comment isn't rude. It's sexist. Sexism isn't about saying something "inappropriate". Sexism is about power and the abuse of gender to assert said power. Let me break the dynamic down for you: 1. This investor is in a weak position. He is not on the panel and he is a small time shareholder. He's a little nervous. 2. The investor gets his chance to ask a question. He makes a "joke" which reduces the stature of the person to whom he is speaking and elevates his sense of dominance. 3. The laughter in the room adds a little more juice to his ego. That's what this kind of "joke" does. 4. Then, he asks his actual question from a more powerful position. My guess is that he probably "jokes" with lots of people in this sort of way. Little so-called jokes. What makes it sexist is that the comments are gender based and really quite offensive if you think it all the way through. What makes it really sad is that this sort of thing happens all the time and women are expected to just "laugh it off".

tbrownaw 13y ago
Sexism is about power and the abuse of gender to assert said power. The definition I found is: "Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex.". Institutionalized sexism would be necessary in order to be able to assert power via gender, but I don't think this necessarily makes them the same thing? 2. [...] He makes a "joke" which reduces the stature of the person to whom he is speaking and elevates his sense of dominance. I would have thought it would reduce his own stature ("dirty old man" is not a good thing). Which is something that nervous speakers do seem to do for some reason.
- hownottowrite 13y ago
  The definition I found is : "Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex." Dig down another level and take a look at the root of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. You'll find all three are about assertion of power over another person or group of people on the basis of certain criteria (race, gender, ethnicity, etc). I would have thought it would reduce his own stature, which is something that nervous speakers do seem to do for some reason. That's the trick of self-deprecating humor. It's very effective in deflecting criticism from others. After all, once you've said something outrageous about yourself what else can someone do to you? However, it can also be used to soften or excuse what's likely to be a controversial statement. The investor's opening prattle works pretty much the same way. I should point out that it is highly unlikely the investor planned these remarks. It is more a learned action, practiced over time, which has become institutionalized in his behavior and the behavior of those like him.

tbrownaw 13y ago

Sexism is about power and the abuse of gender to assert said power. The definition I found is: "Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex.". Institutionalized sexism would be necessary in order to be able to assert power via gender, but I don't think this necessarily makes them the same thing? 2. [...] He makes a "joke" which reduces the stature of the person to whom he is speaking and elevates his sense of dominance. I would have thought it would reduce his own stature ("dirty old man" is not a good thing). Which is something that nervous speakers do seem to do for some reason.

hownottowrite 13y ago
The definition I found is : "Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex." Dig down another level and take a look at the root of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. You'll find all three are about assertion of power over another person or group of people on the basis of certain criteria (race, gender, ethnicity, etc). I would have thought it would reduce his own stature, which is something that nervous speakers do seem to do for some reason. That's the trick of self-deprecating humor. It's very effective in deflecting criticism from others. After all, once you've said something outrageous about yourself what else can someone do to you? However, it can also be used to soften or excuse what's likely to be a controversial statement. The investor's opening prattle works pretty much the same way. I should point out that it is highly unlikely the investor planned these remarks. It is more a learned action, practiced over time, which has become institutionalized in his behavior and the behavior of those like him.