rational geekery

I'm SO with you, it hurts.

Dude, if it's hurting, you should probably sort yourself out. ;o)

Oh, it's never free. there is always some price to be paid. Usually in shoes or DIY.

I'm with Jennie et al. This post is reductive, misconstrued and plain fucking offensive to every female reader of your blog. You can do so much better than this.

Okay, fair enough.

I think you and Jennie should pick your fights, but if I'm today's designated bastard, okay.

No, Aaron. Actually, you don't get to demean what is, in fact, mine and Jennie's and many other female bloggers' very legitimate concern at your sudden display of really offensive sexist language. This is not some flippant attack on you. This is not, in fact, really about you at all.

You're not 'designated bastard for the day'. You not being randomly picked on by the OMG crayzeh feminazis. You wrote a post that was stupid, and beneath you, a post which both offended and alienated at least two women who had up until now been pretty committed supporters of your political writing. You did that because you were thoughtlessly sexist, ***and then you made it ten times worse*** by refusing to apologise properly and, what's more, by telling us that our hurt was irrelevant and our anger childish.

Grow up, get over yourself and don't do it again.
You fucked up, pretty badly in fact. The way for you, right now, to be a good feminist ally is to admit that you fucked up and to try not to do it again - not to try to paint us as a clutch of nagging harpies, which is what all of your comments on this today have seemed to do.

...not to try to paint us as a clutch of nagging harpies, which is what all of your comments on this today have seemed to do.

Penny, seriously...

Whatever I say on this situation clearly makes things worse with you guys. I've basically done nothing of the fucking sort.

I haven't tried deliberately tried to paint you all as anything. And I resent the fucking accusation, okay?

I think, you have a legitimate offence. Okay the post is offensive. A lot of things are. I should have tread the line more carefully. I don't apologise for writing, but I am sorry if it caused offence.

But you should fucking pick your fights more carefully. If I've pissed you off, be sure that the feeling is starting to be pretty mutual.

If this post is genuinely the worst thing in the world, I don't fucking see it. I don't think I will. As I said, sorry to anyone who was offended - it was was certainly not the intent, but this is getting out of hand.

I don't to lose any "allies", but if this continues, then I'll walk away. But I will have learned a lesson, be sure about that.

Now I'm away from the net for a couple of days. Please enjoy trashing my name across the internets.

"As I said, sorry to anyone who was offended"

Actually, that's the first time I have seen you apologise. And if you'd done that in the first place, instead of saying "I'm not going to apologise for being a little bit sexist" then we might not have tried to carry on explaining to you why we were upset, and you wouldn't have got so upset in your turn.

Nobody is going to trash your name anywhere. We try to explain to you why what you posted was offensive because WE CARE WHAT YOU THINK. The post itself was mildly offensive, but wouldn't really have been a huge problem if you had acknowledged that. It was that you refused to do so and completely went off on one that has caused all this. And still, I am not and never have been angry. I am sad. I consider you a friend, and like I said in my post, a friend is someone who will tell you when you have cocked up.

It's up to you what you do about that, I guess. I hope your time away from the net is healing.

I thought this was hilarious.

In fact, an entirely representative survey (me and teh colleague) found that the phrase "Now if you’re an appalling rutting stag like me, it’s arguably always boobie-time" was the funniest thing to appear on the blogosphere during March.

AND we're both feminists.

I'm with you guys and Sadie here, can't see anything offensive?!
Some people obviously don't have any sense of humor.
Oh, and I'm female too *hooray*.
It's amazing what you can get out of these silly blokes if they think they're on to a promise ;o)

The only (possibly/maybe) harmful or offensive thing I can see in Aaron's post is what he may or may not "expect" from the Mrs and what may or may not be free. Neither deserves a public slapdown, IMO, and I can totally understand why he would react by suggesting that someone needs to pick their fights (instead of, say, apologising immediately for... what, specifially?)

[PS - I agree with Aaron's observation; in times of stress, sex is often the last thing on women's minds and the first thing on men's. ]

Completely agree with Tim Ireland on this. Laughed when I first read the post, and this coming from someone who's usually 'Grrrr Men' in these situations.

Oh gawd! I am astonished that anyone would find this offensive. I think it's very funny. It's funny and it's honest.

I missed the bitch fight, can ya'll do it again but with no tops on and lots of grease?

Sounds like a plan, Daniel.

[tosses Aaron and Timbo some lube, and retires to the sidelines sporting an unattractive leer]

Oh Sadie, I is so turned on.

LET THE WRESTLE COMMENCE!