Women Only
Jan 16th, 2008 | By Bock | Category: internetLet me ask you a question.
This blog awards thing is coming up soon and I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of people face to face that I’ve only corresponded with electronically.
Now, suppose I announced that I was organising a meet-up but it was only for men. Suppose I said that women were banned from it, what do you think would happen?
Would people call me a stupid, sexist fucker? Would a whole heap of shite pour down on my head from every woman in Ireland for being an uptight, narrow-minded, anti-woman bigot?
Probably.
And they’d be right.
So what do you make of this?
The words mountain and molehill spring to mind here.
Why would this bother you in the slightest?
Spurious argument, buddy. Not addressing the question.
You have about 30 entries on your own Blogroll’s tech section. How many women in there? One.
On the plus side, muy points to you for this antisexist stand you’re making. Certainly nobody can now be in any doubt that you don’t have to be a woman to be a whiny little bitch.
Oh fuck off.
Because it’s a question that doesn’t need to be addressed.
The ladies are meeting up, as ladies do. I don’t think there’s anything more to it than that.
And honestly, I think if you were to say “Let’s have a lads meet up where we drink pints and talk about sports” there would be little or no objections from any ladies.
I wouldn’t go though.
I’m asking the question: would I be called a sexist bastard for it? More than likely.
Why? Don’t you think women can accept that sometimes ‘the lads’ need to blow off some steam without their fragrant presences?
Pint?
its always going to happen after drinks men will always chase after women so its a fact that if there are no women allowed they will still end up splitting up the crowd. can i have a ticket?
Dear Readers:
Mr Bock is the only blogger I’ve met in real life. Is he representative of them all?
Yours,
Angry from Manchester
PS What about all those repeats on the TV?
Angry from Manchester: Don’t be angry. Be even.
Dress up as a laayydeeeee, a la Little Britain. Then you can infiltrate their ranks and drink all their West Coast Cooler
I’d say either show up if you want to or hold your own party. But please, no men only parties. They’re dismal. Boring. I remember men friends who always had a Leonard Cohen room at parties in which NO women were welcome. You got glared at if you stumbled in. You backed out slowly. And my friend Christopher ending up in there once and telling me he could hear the laughter from the women in the kitchen
exploding through the floor and wishing he were down there with us.
p.s. Maybe if men were more fun at parties women would invite them.
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This cracks me up. A fucking tea party! Are they going to wear those awful freaking hats that certain Irish ladies insist on wearing to weddings that look like someone murdered a Who from Whoville! Oooh, and long gloves! Color me pink! I’m soo tickled. Bock – you should just go in drag…I’d find it hysterical.
And yes, you’d be called sexist. Until some sane and rational woman pointed out to the assembled unbrained masses that it wasn’t any different than the pub during a match, just without the formal “written” invitation?
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Errr, as I understand it the question is more about the general phenomenon of inverted snobbery. I understand it. My sister in law, pumped up after the womens mini marathon, heaped scorn upon myself and the less fairer sex, judging that “you men would never have the gumption to organise a mens mini marathon”. I have to point out I was minding my own business reading the paper at the time, I just happened to me the nearest bloke. It seemed a bit pointless but she clearly felt strongly about it. Apparently backlashes from minorities cannot legitimately be interpreted as any form of bigotry. That said, you example is a poor one Bock.
Pint?
Of Jameson, please. Ta!
I see the question you are asking but it is a bit loaded. I am a girl/lady/rockmother but I always slightly cringe at a ‘women only’ event as I tend to miss the blokes to break it up a bit. Oh – I’m not addressing the question am I? Pint of creme de menthe frappe please and a mini vol au vent please.
You see – I’ve let the girls down – I said please twice in the same sentence! Damn.
I have to agree with Twenty on this one – I think you’re making a mountain out of a molehill.
One of the reasons that Sabrina wanted to do the meet up is so that if anyone was going to the awards on their own they could meet some people in a more informal setting before hand. Not everyone would be comfortable just showing up at something like that having never met any of the other bloggers before!!!
You must have some appreciation of that, you did bring two of your friends to the awards last year.
It’s no biggie. I probably won’t go, but I know a lot of my girlfriends really enjoy girly company and love that kind of “tea party” stuff, the same way, as someone mentioned before, some of my blokey friends really like laddish sporty events. These things also seem like an especially good idea when everybody will be joining up later on.
My ideal meet-up would be a mixture, but I’m not cross with anyone for organising any same-sex meets. Also, you have to remember that the women going to this meet are probably already in some kind of social circle via blogging, drawn to each other because of their foodie blogs, style blogs, personal blogs etc. I think it’s just fun.
Maz and Annie: I couldn’t give a rat’s arse who meets who. I’m only saying if I slapped a men-only sign on anything, I’d be attacked.
It would make a lot more sense to announce a meeting about shopping. Or shoes. There wouldn’t be one solitary man at it.
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“I’m only saying if I slapped a men-only sign on anything, I’d be attacked.”
I’m just really not sure that you would. Maybe you should have tested it. Too late now though, everyone would just be proving a point.
heh. i say, crash it.
Have to agree with Annie here Bock. If you’d have asked the lads to watch a match and have a few pints before the awards, I seriously doubt anyone would have been offended. Like Maz I’m going because I will probably be going alone and would like to meet other people before the awards. When it’s girls only there’s no pressure to get dolled up and we can be at ease before the big event.
If the husband does come though, he reckons there should be a pre-award get together for partners who think all this blogging shite is a waste of time!
When it’s girls only there’s no pressure to get dolled up and we can be at ease before the big event
That’s heavy. You have to get dolled if there are men present? Men make you uneasy?
there should be a pre-award get together for partners who think all this blogging shite is a waste of time
But that’s brilliant. There are a lot of these odd people about. And they all seem to like Facebook…
You’re dead right Bock. More double standards. It’s only white law-abiding men who can be dicriminated against without a murmur from the protectors of the ‘everyone is equal’ approach to society. Let these blogettes have their get-together and fair play to them but bring back ’snugs’ and extend men-only clubs. Let them have a separate kitchen though. I agree that can be useful for fund raising events and the like! It’s about time the people who built the world started to hit back and demand their long-forgotten rights.
Brock
I think it means that the ladies are a sociable bunch. And if you organised a lads session as nicely then anyone who called you anything would be a twat.
Get over it already.
Dermot
Get over what, Dermot?
Next thing you’ll want to run Ann Summers lingerie parties.
“Would people call me a stupid, sexist fucker?”
No.
“Would people call me a stupid, sexist fucker?”
No, I wouldn’t call you that Bock. Dan Dare, however, is another story. And I bet he’s wondering why “white law-abiding men” never get invited places.
I don’t think you would have been called on it either Bock. The paramour frequently goes off with the lads for footie/pints whatever, and he’s the least sexist person I know.
Ann Summers lingerie parties??? The mind fucking boggles!
Alberta, why don’t you stop abusing a cool surname and go back to barging into rooms where you are not wanted or go shoe shopping? That should keep you busy.
Dan,
You’re right. It is a cool surname. And unlike yours I’ve earned the right to use it.
Sexist men are boring. Always wanting to invite themselves into women’s events so they can be the centre of attention and make a point, thereby wrecking the whole event for everybody. Can’t spell, either.
And I find one pair of boots gets me most places. No shoe shopping necessary. Go buy yourself some suspenders.
Of course Alberta, you are completely right. I’m sure your boots go great with your dungarees.
Ms Annie Rhiannon said exactly what I meant to say but couldn’t get it together to formulate it into something as eloquent as hers. Thank you Annie for putting it so well.
It’s amazing how people have such differing opinions about a fairly straightforward question.
I’m NOT a fan of exclusion.
I thought you were going to link to some Bishop’s meeting….
People can invite who they like to what they like, but again, I’m not a fan of exclusion, especially if it’s based simply on gender, religion, orientation etc…. Fine, invite people to a tea party / sport on tv event and if y isn’t interested in that then y won’t go, but to refuse entry to y because y is y??? Nah, not a fan of that.
“Of course Alberta, you are completely right. I’m sure your boots go great with your dungarees.”
Why yes, Dan, they do. They are excellent boots. I’m told they also look very nice with my lingerie. I have worn them in blizzards, on the sides of active volcanoes and to tea parties. You really are missing an awful lot being a sexist jerk, Dan. The world is wider than the one you see. And way more interesting.
wtf Alberta, I told you already you are completely right. Happy now you self-obsessed bore?
Cut out the fucking abuse.
OK but I thought I’d have gotten some witty ripostes. Disappointing it was irony free but your site seems to have developed international tentacles and I won’t post any more tongue-in-cheek comments. She didn’t even get the intentional spelling mistake. Waste of time. Up Munster. Over & Out.
Dan, I have no problem with robust argument, including whatever cursing people want to engage in. My only objection is to personalised insults.
Fair enough, but having a go at Leonard Cohen was OTT and set me off. A thousand million apologies but I still say irony is like a French rugby team when it comes to travelling. In future all insults will be generalised!
Having a go at Leonard Cohen?
God, I love it when arguments turn surreal.
I’m Canadian. I’m entitled to have a go at Leonard Cohen.
Some ladies might call it sexist to have a men only meeting but who gives a fuck? Equally, why can’t they have a ladies only meeting?
In general, the PC no-one-should-be-excluded bollocks is …bollocks. I think you’re being overly sensitive to what you assume others might think. People aren’t as stupidly PC as you imagine, which must be pleasantly reassuring. No?
It doesn’t bother me in the least if a group of men want to get together and play with their balls. You always get a minority of women these days who are still raging on about equality. The majority of us couldn’t give a shit. We’re too busy out shagging while you’re at your boys meeting.
Well done, Gilly and congratulations on all the shagging.
What boys’ meeting are you talking about?
I meant meet-up as quoted by you smart ars…. i love men so i won’t knock them. But we really couldn’t give a shite if ye have a get together where “no women are allowed”. I like to leave my partner at home if I go on a girls night out, i don’t want to have to breast-feed anyone while i’m out enjoying myself. The same goes for blokes. That way they can talk about all the stuff that bores us rigid. As I said, there are a minority who would cut your balls off Bock, but don’t tar us all with the same brush like… and I’m a cork lady dating a limerick man so whatttttttttcha……..
But Gilly, there’s no boys’ meet-up proposed or contemplated. I wouldn’t dream of being so discriminatory.
of course you wouldn’t. I’m no battleaxe, but i reckon you’ve had bad experiences with a few Bock, by the sound of it….
Well Gilly, you’re drifting deep into speculative territory now, considering the fact that you don’t even know if I exist.
you do! you do! isn’t that your pic at the top of the page? har har! Just defending my sex, Bock, that’s all…some of us are nice you know.
To directly answer your question, I consider myself a liberated woman of the millennium so I would never find something wrong with a guy only event. Just make sure it’s not a pre-party 170 miles from my house where I have to be left alone. Not too much to ask, right?
I quite like the idea of going for pints and watching a match – I can never get any female friends to watch the footie with me. And my chap doesn’t like football.
Damn you, gender stereotypes.
Come down to Limerick, Sinéad, and we’ll take you to watch rugby matches with the lads in pubs as much as you want. We’ll even watch soccer if you really insist.
Jaysus Bock, that’s the best offer I’ve had in ages.
‘Would people call me a stupid, sexist fucker?’
unless you have a strew of women throwing themselves at you already Bock.. maybe you do huh. oh what a pain for you 
men only meet up,naa not sexist.. just stupid
I really reckon you wouldn’t get hassle for this Bock. I mean, once you didn’t in the process of organising it say you didn’t want women there because you hate them or something.
Bock I might come along as well.