Ex-Wonkette Ana Marie Cox talks about sex and "the role of women in the blogosphere -- a subject on which she and Helen are not in agreement" according to the Professor -- in the latest InstaPundit / Dr. Helen podcast. (NINA SUBA photo from Time Magazine)
"Get tired of talking about myself and my ideas? Why do you think I became a blogger," quips Ana Marie Cox in a revealing interview by the blogosphere's First Couple. We particuclarly enjoyed this exchange between Dr. Helen and the former Wonkette:
Dr. Helen: What would you say to women bloggers out there . . . and what's your opinion about why there aren't as many women as men?
Ana Marie Cox: Culturally women aren't as encouraged to share their opinions . . . Society has a way of communicating that men's ideas deserve to be heard.
Dr. H: Well why do you think women listen? I never did. I didn't care.
AMC: There's a lot of elbow throwing, let's say, and perhaps that's something that doesn't appeal to women.
Dr. H: So you're more of the Gilligan sort of theory that women are sort of more cooperative and get upset if somebody challenges their opinion?
AMC: I don't think they necessarily get upset, and I don't think women are delicate flowers. I think they have better things to do with their time than to get into some kind of . . . argument.
Dr. H: Like baking, or?
AMC: Like saving the world, like being lawyers or doctors or producing things.
Dr. H: But don't you have to -- it's the same thing -- if you're a woman in those fields, you also have to be somewhat assertive and have an opinion.
AMC: The attacks in the blogosphere tend to get pretty damned personal. And while I do know office politics can get personal as well, like it's not the only thing you're doing. Like right now the blogosphere is you and your ideas are the only thing being represented.
Dr. H: But isn't that the great equalizer?
AMC: As long as people know you're a woman, they can attack you in a sexualized way.
Dr. H: They don't do that to men? Glenn, have you ever been attacked in a sexualized way?
For the Professor's reply to his wife's flirtatious taunt, listen to the whole thing.
I haven't had time to listen to it yet. But in my humble little opinion.... the reason more women don't blog is simply because they aren't interested. If they had an interest - they would do it! It's the same reason they don't go into Math and Science fields as much as men.
My daughter - the social butterfly - knows LOTS of young women. On talking to them - self interest (what is important to them) is the driving force in what they do. It's pretty simple really.
Posted by: Teresa | January 18, 2006 at 02:59 PM
OK! Lets admit it. People are different from each other. Some men would be happier if they were women and visa-versa. The point is people who act responsibly should have equal rights. There is reason to believe that women generally have nurturing tendencies than men. Not necessarily but generally. That is why they often make better mothers than do men. So as long as it is constructive here is to people pursuing what gives them satisfation.
Posted by: goomp | January 18, 2006 at 03:42 PM
Haven't listened to it, don't really care to.
But, really, someone who made a name for herself doing anal sex jokes really, really just shouldn't complain about attacks being sexualised, y'know?
That would carry much more weight if her entire discourse and the form of her comments were not sexualised, is all.
Posted by: Sigivald | January 18, 2006 at 07:38 PM
Just one thing. "Wonkette" is not a blogger. She is an employee of Nick Denton.
Posted by: The Corrector | January 19, 2006 at 08:24 PM
On Ana's part, shallow strings of banal valley girl musings punctuated by frequent "um"s, "like"s and "y'know"s, and the idea that I should see her as the "victim" of "sexualized attacks" when she is best known as "the cute female blogger who likes to joke about anal sex", left me feeling like I'd spent the last two hours tied, gagged and forced to listen to a coked up cheerleader explaining her thoughts on the theory of relativity.
The only redeeming moments were when Mrs Instapundit took lazy jabs at her just to get her goat.
Helen is very cool.
Posted by: Scott | January 20, 2006 at 05:20 PM
Does being "attacked in a sexualized way" by a significant other count? :P
Posted by: andophiroxia | January 23, 2006 at 10:45 AM