Cause white dudes need all the love…

I read the Houston Chronicle every Sunday while I eat breakfast. I’m sad that it’s gotten so small, and some weeks, it feels more like a flyer than a full paper what with all the ads in it.

This week, I had even more reason to be disappointed. Despite all the important news going on in the world, there were two feature pieces that told me they are completely at of touch:

“White men get help in addressing diversity”

“Working-class whites are having a moment”

Yup. Two big ass articles about white men. (To be fair, the second piece isn’t *just* about men, and it was written by a woman, but still...)

In the first piece, a middle-aged white guy, Bill Proudman – not a joke name – is interviewed about his business, “White Men as Full Diversity Partners.” I think my favorite line in the whole article is when the author summarizes a point from Proudman, saying that minorities often quite their jobs because “they feel mistreated because of their ethnicity or gender.”

Those bastards! How dare they feel like they’re being discriminated against! It’s not like they are, wait, never mind. They are. Duh.

But there’s more!

According to the piece, “the workers who quit, though, also hurt themselves and their communities when they miss out on promotions and pay raises.” 

The problem they don’t seem to see is that they quit because of a *lack* of promotions and pay raises. They are trying to better themselves, but the discrimination stops it from happening. And then white guys say things like that, causing the “others” to suddenly be at fault for their responses.

I understand that Proudman is trying to help, but maybe if he had a diverse staff, that might show that he’s not just profiting from talking the talk.

The second piece has an awesome first paragraph:

“White trash, trailer trash, rednecks, hillbillies, squatters, crackers, goobers, and bubbas – all the names for these people are insulting. Their avatars in the culture, from Honey Boo-Boo to Bob and Mayella Ewll in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ are the opposite of inspiring.”

Woah. Really? Are you telling me that white people are…gasp!...sometimes painted in a negative light?!

In a later part of the article, there’s a comment from UT Professor John Hartigan, Jr.

‘That the white trash are simultaneously treated almost as badly as black people and still seen as the source of racial prejudice is just one of the paradoxes fueling white-trash hatred.’

Now, he’s talking about a book here, but still.

Think about this.

Poor white people being treated ALMOST AS BADLY as black people causes racial prejudice.

Let me get this right: unless the poor whites are treated better than black people, they’re going to be mad about it?

Because, somehow, they deserve to be treated better than black people?

Shouldn’t this be more about the fact that, while poor white people are treated badly, they still aren’t being treated as badly as an entire race?

My head hurt just reading this.

Now, I get it – don’t shoot the messenger. Just because he brought up the feeling behind it doesn’t mean he supports it or agrees with it. (No hate mail to him, please.)

But the fact that it IS the truth is more the problem.

How do you convince people that they don’t have to look down on anyone else? That they can just focus on themselves? That no one is deserving of scorn?

I have no idea. But I think we need to figure it out if we’re going to fix it.

Can I get a “what the fuck?”

Now a town in Alabama has passed a law that says that people must use bathrooms of their birth gender, regardless of anything else. Apparently, having that liberal, progressive Target in town scared them.

Seriously, how far is this going? Everyone needs to throw up their hands and offer a “what the fuck?” to the sky.

The main reason people are giving for these rules and regulations and laws is that they’re afraid that perverts are going to get into the bathrooms.

Um, news flash – it’s already happened.

Do you honestly believe that by stopping certain people from using bathrooms, you’re going to stop sexual assault? If you do, then let’s start by keeping out people who actually have sexual assault records. Get a cop to stand outside each bathroom at each public location in each town, and have them run a record check. What? You say that’s ridiculous? Yeah, it is. So if putting cops at bathrooms isn’t going to work, how are you planning on “protecting” the women and children? By passing a law that someone who plans on breaking a much more serious law is going to listen to? I think that, as a rule, criminals don’t follow laws, so who are you actually stopping? Someone who has to pee? Congratulations.

I keep waiting for it all to blow over and for people to go back to being sane, but I’m not sure that’s going to happen at this point. I’m worried that now that the crazy has been unleashed, it will only get worse. Like this random guy in Texas who decided that it was his job to patrol the bathrooms. What would he have done if someone didn’t meet his criteria for the ladies’ room? Detain them? Attack them? I don’t know about you, but I’m a lot more scared of a guy who is going to use his “best judgment” as to who belongs in the bathroom. Who died and left him in charge of the genitalia checks?

Transgender issues are feminist issues. We can’t exclude trans women any more than we can exclude women who were born intersex or who were born without vaginas or who had complete hysterectomies. Your genitals and sex organs don’t define who you are. Laws that discriminate against transgender people discriminate against women.

Be an ally, not an asshole.

Can I get a “what the fuck?”

It’s a trap!

I play some games on my phone, and as part of the free option, there are ads. Lots of ads. Probably too many ads. I say that because the ads become overwhelming and distracting when it comes to actually playing the game, and I wind up getting annoyed and frustrated at the ads.

Like the one for ‘Honey Trap.’

According to its Google Play page, “Have you ever dreamt of conquering the world and having fun with countless HOT beauties? Honey Trap is definitely your choice! The year's hottest mobile RPG “Honey Trap” has been officially released! Players will be able to experience the turbulent times when battlefields filled the land and flames of war are wide-spread. Come! Assemble your heroes and set out to conquer the world! The beautiful belles are awaiting your arrival!”

When I saw the ads, I had no idea that there was anything in the game other than sex. The ad that I saw, and the one that’s up on YouTube does nothing to say that there is anything other than sex in it.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjRMh-I72Ic

The focus of the game is to attract and get “belles.” The ad doesn’t even give them that much respect. It instead shows them as cards that you can flip over and “get.”

Can I "get" a what the fuck?

I mean, seriously, how sad is it that we are creating games where it appears the main purpose is to have sex with random (mostly Asian) women that have no lives and personalities of their own. I do understand the point of porn, and I understand that this is basically just an RPG of porn, but still. What are we teaching men and boys if we give them games like this?

People wonder why men and boys have no respect for women. Well, if they grow up playing games like this, I can’t be surprised. You’re basically teaching them to win women for their daring deeds.

Let me tell you a secret: women are not prizes to be won. They are actual human beings with their own ideas, thoughts, and feelings. They aren’t there for your amusement and your pleasure. They are there for their own, and if the two happen to intersect, success for all! But to imagine or pretend that women don’t exist except for how men perceive them to exist is a problem.

Again, I understand porn. I enjoy porn. This isn’t porn. This is purely objectification. There can be no arguments made that the women in this game are being empowered. They are being used. And they are teaching men that’s all they’re good for.