Joe Rogan tweeted some things recently that were a little.. provocative to say the least. PZ shared the complete set on Pharyngula:
While the comparison to dogs is quite over the top, is it unreasonable to dislike people for disliking other people?
It doesn't sound very crazy on second reading.
Of course, PZ adds his opinion:
If you don't like people of a particular age group, that's fine.
If you don't like people that don't like people of a particular age group, then you're a violent homophobe... ?
Really?
At no point has Rogan stated that men don't get a free pass.
Here's a tip: People tend to share a lot of opinions about qualities they like in the opposite sex. It doesn't mean they give their own gender a free pass.
For example, when a man says "I like thin women", it does not mean "It's OK for men to be morbidly obese".
Alas, PZ has no problem putting words in Joe's mouth just to slander his name though.
Onto the comments:
Akira MacKenzie (#24) writes:
Ichthyic (#135) explains what Joe was really thinking:
The Recap:
- "I view women that don't like children the same way I view dogs that like to eat their own shit."
- "My "women who don't like children..." tweet has tapped into a whole community of child hating women. How simultaneously odd and gross"
- "To clarify - there's nothing with not WANTING children, but if you don't LIKE children you're most likely a hateful twat."
- "To all the white knights coming to the defense of women who hate kids - they're still not going to fuck you weak bitches."
- "Sad white knight men automatically supporting women on all issues are nothing but gender traitors. Know this: the zombies will eat you first"
- "If you're a man and you call yourself a feminist I hope you choke to death on a vegan pizza while crying over a lady gaga song"
Yikes...
But hold up for a second.
While the comparison to dogs is quite over the top, is it unreasonable to dislike people for disliking other people?
It doesn't sound very crazy on second reading.
Of course, PZ adds his opinion:
How odd. Personally, I like some children, especially my own, but I don’t automatically melt into affectionate reverence when I see one; I have no problem with someone electing to not have children of their own. [...] It’s OK to not want kids, or even to detest the very idea of having kids, as long as you avoid having them and making them as miserable as they’d make you.PZ again fails at reading comprehension (remember when he misread Julian?) because this is precisely the same sentiment that Rogan shared when he said it's entirely acceptable to not want kids.
But the way it’s phrased by Rogan is so weird: if you don’t like children, it’s equivalent to indulging in process that is disgusting to others. You are socially and psychologically required to want children, or you a morally reprehensible person. That’s a mindset I can’t embrace.At no point did Rogan state that must want children. But PZ continues along anyways...
We get a lot of the equivalent attitude from right-wingers: if you’re a man who doesn’t like having sex with women, you’re a vile human being.This is how it works in PZ land:
If you don't like people of a particular age group, that's fine.
If you don't like people that don't like people of a particular age group, then you're a violent homophobe... ?
Really?
Which leads into the real repugnant attitude here: all of his comments are addressed to women. Women, you must love children, if you don’t, you’re odd, gross, weak, a “hateful twat”. I have to ask…what about the men?
That’s the more disturbing part of his rant. He’s trying to shame women into doing something he considers vitally important, apparently, but men…eh, they aren’t part of his concern. We men can go ahead and dislike children, and that doesn’t make us weak and gross.PZ builds a straw-man Joe Rogan.
At no point has Rogan stated that men don't get a free pass.
Here's a tip: People tend to share a lot of opinions about qualities they like in the opposite sex. It doesn't mean they give their own gender a free pass.
For example, when a man says "I like thin women", it does not mean "It's OK for men to be morbidly obese".
Alas, PZ has no problem putting words in Joe's mouth just to slander his name though.
Don’t worry, though. He’s a comedian. He’ll say he’s just joking around.Which happens to be exactly the same thing PZ says on a regular basis.
Onto the comments:
Akira MacKenzie (#24) writes:
Joe Rogan is pretty tight with Penn Jillette. ‘Nuff said.Anthony K (#29) adds:
Hey D.J., another speaker to line up for next year’s TAM.optimalcynic (#30) writes:
I view women who don’t want to have children as prime life partner material.
And women who don’t like children at all (a subset of the above) as excellent companions, because we can all have a chuckle over the woes of the bechilded :)Goodbye Enemy Janine (#41) writes:
Please be aware, Justin Vacula has declared Joe Rogan to be a #BraveHero.Anthony K (#43) writes:
He can talk about 9/11 being an inside job at TAM!
Skepticismforthewin!Goodbye Enemy Janine (#61) writes:
One would think that among the last people that should have children are people who do not like children.
Oh, wait, I keep forgetting that one of the essence of being a woman is the absolute desire to have children.mythbri: (#62) writes:
I don’t want kids. In general, I don’t like kids.Caine (#83) writes:
*Men are childfree too. That seems to get missed a lot. I guess because it’s okay for them.naturalcynic (#119) writes:
Liking children is just a matter of not overcooking and using the proper herbs to season them.When people show up to the thread to explain that "Rogen didn’t actually say that women had to breed but just like kids." people entirely dismiss the facts!
Ichthyic (#135) explains what Joe was really thinking:
actually, he really was saying that.
you have to know people like him to be able to read correctly between the lines.
- Nearly the entirety of the angry commenters misread Rogan's comments in the same way Myers' did and assumed Rogan was stating that women ought to want kids.
- Random comment digs at Penn Jillette, making the statement that Rogan's association with Jillette is enough to dismiss Rogan immediately for some reason.
- Another comment forms a relationship between Rogan and Justin Vacula, again in the line of thinking that there is a network of evildoers that may be disregarded.
- Several shots are made at DJ Grothe and TAM, even though Grothe and the organization he leads has nothing to do with Rogan's comments whatsoever.
- Even after being told what Rogan did indeed say, commenters went as far as to explain what Rogan really meant was actually the complete inverse of what he stated.
- Thread contains random jokes about eating children as meals.
The Questions:
- Is Pharyngula ageist?
- Would it be OK to have a thread among people discussing how they don't "like" women and find them prone to irrationality and emotion?
- Would it be OK to have the same discussion about seniors? Various people discussing that they don't "like" old people and their behavior.
- Would it be OK for conferences to exclude children, given that the attendees don't "like" them?