How bad can sexism claims get?

[Ethane]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37332287

''The shadow foreign secretary has accused a TV interviewer of "sexism" after he asked her to name the French foreign minister.

Emily Thornberry criticised Sky News presenter Dermot Murnaghan for "pub-quizzing" her as they discussed Brexit talks, saying it was "patronising".

The Labour MP declined to name French minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, adding: "Can we talk about some serious stuff?"

Mr Murnaghan said he had asked male politicians similar questions.

He went on to refer to the time in 2011 when he asked the then shadow chancellor Alan Johnson about national insurance rates - a question the Labour MP was unable to answer.''

''Isabel Hardman, the assistant editor of The Spectator, tweeted: "Hum. Never realised I could just use "sexism" as a cover-all excuse for not doing my homework."

She later tweeted: "Seriously, though, sexism is still so rife and serious. This kind of thing trivialises it and makes it harder to fight."

Matt Chorley of the Times newspaper tweeted: "It would have been sexist if Murnaghan had asked Thornberry about Bake Off. Or her hairdresser. Not who she might talk to in government."

Leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson tweeted: "Plenty of genuine sexism & misogyny in politics. Don't need prominent women debasing the term to cover their own poor performance. Jeez."

But the Labour MP Paul Flynn came to Ms Thornberry's defence and tweeted: "Possibility of nuclear war is a issue of vital importance that should not be trivialised by Murnaghan's cheap smart-aleck pub-quiz question."

He later added: "Murnaghan repeats cheap trick to grab a headline for himself and his failing show by diverting attention from issue of mega-importance."''

I mean, come on, really? I don't quite understand how this can constitute sexism?

She didn't know the name of some important people in politics in relation to her job that she probably should know. That doesn't mean she should be out crying sexist. It only destroys the name of feminism. Are we really getting to a stage where men can't even approach women because if they say something, they might get accused of feminism?

I really don't know where to go with this now, because I've always been a supporter of the feminist cause, but when I see things like this, it just fills me with despair. This doesn't do anything to help women, it in fact just hinders them. Emily Thornberry is a disgrace to feminism.

I most agree with Isabel Hardman here, in that it damages the fight for women.

[FelrikTheDeleted]

The only thing that she has done in calling "sexism" on a blatantly non-sexist inquiry on the part of the reporter; serves to only to trivialise actual sexism.

[95X]

Are we really getting to a stage where men can't even approach women because if they say something, they might get accused of feminism?

I have conjectured earlier this year elsewhere on the Internet (in a place well-known to the NS crowd) that we've reached the point where simply agreeing with the statement "I find women attractive" is sexism/misogyny because it means one processes interactions with women and those one assumes is a woman differently than others. I don't have a way to scientifically test/prove that though.

[Dalvius]

Ladies and gentlemen, modern day feminism.

[Souseiseki]

Ladies and gentlemen, modern day feminism.

a politician can't answer a basic question and uses any dirty excuse they can to get out of it

huh, must be feminism's fault

[Dalvius]

Ladies and gentlemen, modern day feminism.

a politician can't answer a basic question and uses any dirty excuse they can to get out of it

huh, must be feminism's fault

Yep.

[Kelinfort]

Thread no. 5,259 this week over feminism, somehow, I guess.

Jeremy Corbyn's ilk is way out there, what did you expect? Thankfully they have as much of a chance of getting elected as a group of kittens.

[Risottia]

I mean, come on, really? I don't quite understand how this can constitute sexism?

It does not and Mrs.Thornberry is actually slandering feminism as a way to wriggle out of her own ignorance. But who cares about women's rights as long as both your buttocks continue to be comfortably seated in Westminster or its temporary replacement.

[The Two Jerseys]

No, Mrs. Thornberry, it's not sexism to expose the fact that you're just incompetent at your job.

[Socialist Nordia]

*sigh*
People like this are why feminism isn't taken seriously. All of the legitimate sexism in the world is being made to look trivial when people claim things like this are "sexist". A politician got caught by a tough question, and needed an excuse to get out of it, and made feminism look idiotic.

[Gauthier]

a politician can't answer a basic question and uses any dirty excuse they can to get out of it

huh, must be feminism's fault

Yep.

Feminism drove the dinosaurs to extinction. *nod*

[Liriena]

Politicians using any excuse they can find to get away from tough questions? Nothing new here. Her using 'sexism' as an excuse is nothing special, but I do not doubt that certain anti-feminists will see it as the ultimate proof that the entire feminist movement is a 'cancer' that has gone too far and yada yada.

[Dalvius]

Yep.

Feminism drove the dinosaurs to extinction. *nod*

Feminism caused the meteor to fall.

[Liriena]

Feminism drove the dinosaurs to extinction. *nod*

Feminism caused the meteor to fall.

Feminism killed the dodo.

[Ostroeuropa]

Politicians using any excuse they can find to get away from tough questions? Nothing new here. Her using 'sexism' as an excuse is nothing special, but I do not doubt that certain anti-feminists will see it as the ultimate proof that the entire feminist movement is a 'cancer' that has gone too far and yada yada.

The difference is that this kind of excuse vilifies the person its used against. It isn't merely dodging a tough question, its an attempt to discredit the person who asked it and potentially ruin their career.

One of these is a mere annoyance, and the other is behavior that has no place in the democratic process.

[Liriena]

Politicians using any excuse they can find to get away from tough questions? Nothing new here. Her using 'sexism' as an excuse is nothing special, but I do not doubt that certain anti-feminists will see it as the ultimate proof that the entire feminist movement is a 'cancer' that has gone too far and yada yada.

The difference is that this kind of excuse vilifies the person its used against. It isn't merely dodging a tough question, its an attempt to discredit the person who asked it and potentially ruin their career.

One of these is a mere annoyance, and the other is behavior that has no place in the democratic process.

Nothing new either.

[Gauthier]

Feminism caused the meteor to fall.

Feminism killed the dodo.

Feminism burned down the Library of Alexandria.

[Dalvius]

Feminism killed the dodo.

Feminism burned down the Library of Alexandria.

Feminism was the force behind the sword

[Liriena]

Feminism burned down the Library of Alexandria.

Feminism was the force behind the sword

Feminism destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

[Dalvius]

Feminism was the force behind the sword

Feminism destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Feminism part the Red Sea.

[Socialist Nordia]

Feminism was the force behind the sword

Feminism destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

It poisoned our water supply, burned out crops, and delivered a plague unto our houses!

[Liriena]

Feminism destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Feminism part the Red Sea.

Eve was a feminazi and Adam was her cuck.

[Ostroeuropa]

Feminism was the force behind the sword

Feminism destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Feminism swept domestic violence against men under the rug through bomb threats and harassment campaigns, along with lots of research about mens condition and sociology, scientifically and empirically gathered. It also redirected attention away from male rape victims and suicide for decades. If we assume rates remain stable, and apply the suicide stats based on post-rape victim rates, feminism is a death dealing ideology up their with the big leagues.

So maybe a little more than a library full of bronze age musings about bollocks and two middle age towns. Two cities, maybe, give or take, and a pretty good library of actually useful information rather than historical curiosities. You can keep dismissing the criticism with humor if you like.

Even your hyperbolic attempts at humor not being good enough demonstrate you still don't quite get how bad it is.

[Kelinfort]

Feminism destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Feminism swept domestic violence against men under the rug through bomb threats and harassment campaigns, along with lots of research about mens condition and sociology, scientifically and empirically gathered. It also redirected attention away from male rape victims and suicide for decades. If we assume rates remain stable, and apply the suicide stats based on post-rape victim rates, feminism is a death dealing ideology up their with the big leagues.

So maybe a little more than a library full of bronze age musings about bollocks and two middle age towns. Two cities, maybe, give or take, and a pretty good library of actually useful information rather than historical curiosities. You can keep dismissing the criticism with humor if you like.

Even your hyperbolic attempts at humor not being good enough demonstrate you still don't quite get how bad it is.

Always a good laugh as usual Ostro.

[Liriena]

Feminism destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Feminism swept domestic violence against men under the rug through bomb threats and harassment campaigns, along with lots of research about mens condition and sociology, scientifically and empirically gathered It also redirected attention away from male rape victims and suicide for decades. If we assume rates remain stable, and apply the suicide stats, feminism is a death dealing ideology up their with the big leagues.

So maybe a little more than a library full of bronze age musings about bollocks and two middle age towns. Two cities, maybe, give or take, and a pretty good library of actually useful information rather than historical curiosities. You can keep dismissing the criticism with humor if you like.

Even your hyperbolic attempts at humor not being good enough demonstrate you still don't quite get how bad it is.

Wow. Just wow. I'm with you insofar as I acknowledge the regrettable fact that certain feminists reacted with inexcusable violence towards attempts to address problems faced by men, but you lost me the moment you went "death dealing ideology".