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This was pretty painful to watch as a gay technologist.

by seanmcq 14y ago

SeoxyS 14y ago
I don't quite get how you could see this as anything other than a harmless april's fool prank. This is not homophobia, it's just comedy. Lighten up[1]. [1]: Yes, I read that article on sexism the other week… call me insensitive, but I think lighten up is a perfectly valid answer in this case.
- georgeorwell 14y ago
  > This is not homophobia, it's just comedy. Stop it! You guys are killing me!
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
  - philwelch 14y ago
    Please explain how the humor of spooning with one's coworkers represents "discrimination or marginalization in your life".
Locke1689 14y ago
Why?
- philwelch 14y ago
  Homophobia doesn't just mean "bigotry against gay people", it refers more literally to a literal fear of being in a homosexual situation[1]. This fear, or discomfort if you put it more charitably, underpins a lot of attempts at humor, including the OP. As a bisexual spooning enthusiast and also a developer, I personally don't mind; I think it's totally valid, and potentially pretty funny, to feel apprehensive about that kind of thing. I understand that feeling because that's how I feel about paired programming much of the time ;) [1] The connection to bigotry comes from the notion that bigotry against gays is motivated by the psychological fear that gays will try to have sex with you; hence someone who seeks to oppress gay people is motivated by homophobia in the more literal sense. No comment on the validity of that notion.
  - Confusion 14y ago
    Upvoted this thread, because I think this is an important discussion. However, I think your analysis focuses on the wrong point. Interestingly, you and seanmcq engage in stereotyping by making this situation of male-male intimacy about homosexuality. To me, the joke here isn't that spooning with a male would be uncomfortable. The joke is that you are spooning with a colleague, in the office. It's a transgression of the relationship you have with colleagues and a transgression of the normal activities that happen in an office environment. That's what makes it uncomfortable and thus funny. That the colleague is usually male is besides the point: it is even funny to gays that feel uncomfortable when thinking about spooning with a colleague in the office. So you are completely right that a feeling of discomfort underpins this humor. I just disagree with the source of the discomfort.
    - philwelch 14y ago
      > Interestingly, you and seanmcq engage in stereotyping by making this situation of male-male intimacy about homosexuality. It's not a stereotype; the whole point of literal homophobia is that male-male intimacy does border uncomfortably on the homosexual. In any case, your interpretation of the joke is probably more on target; I was just explaining how it could be seen as homophobic.

This was pretty painful to watch as a gay technologist.

by seanmcq 14y ago

This was pretty painful to watch as a gay technologist.

I don't quite get how you could see this as anything other than a harmless april's fool prank. This is not homophobia, it's just comedy. Lighten up[1]. [1]: Yes, I read that article on sexism the other week… call me insensitive, but I think lighten up is a perfectly valid answer in this case.

georgeorwell 14y ago
> This is not homophobia, it's just comedy. Stop it! You guys are killing me!
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
- philwelch 14y ago
  Please explain how the humor of spooning with one's coworkers represents "discrimination or marginalization in your life".

Locke1689 14y ago

Why?

philwelch 14y ago
Homophobia doesn't just mean "bigotry against gay people", it refers more literally to a literal fear of being in a homosexual situation[1]. This fear, or discomfort if you put it more charitably, underpins a lot of attempts at humor, including the OP. As a bisexual spooning enthusiast and also a developer, I personally don't mind; I think it's totally valid, and potentially pretty funny, to feel apprehensive about that kind of thing. I understand that feeling because that's how I feel about paired programming much of the time ;) [1] The connection to bigotry comes from the notion that bigotry against gays is motivated by the psychological fear that gays will try to have sex with you; hence someone who seeks to oppress gay people is motivated by homophobia in the more literal sense. No comment on the validity of that notion.
- Confusion 14y ago
  Upvoted this thread, because I think this is an important discussion. However, I think your analysis focuses on the wrong point. Interestingly, you and seanmcq engage in stereotyping by making this situation of male-male intimacy about homosexuality. To me, the joke here isn't that spooning with a male would be uncomfortable. The joke is that you are spooning with a colleague, in the office. It's a transgression of the relationship you have with colleagues and a transgression of the normal activities that happen in an office environment. That's what makes it uncomfortable and thus funny. That the colleague is usually male is besides the point: it is even funny to gays that feel uncomfortable when thinking about spooning with a colleague in the office. So you are completely right that a feeling of discomfort underpins this humor. I just disagree with the source of the discomfort.
  - philwelch 14y ago
    > Interestingly, you and seanmcq engage in stereotyping by making this situation of male-male intimacy about homosexuality. It's not a stereotype; the whole point of literal homophobia is that male-male intimacy does border uncomfortably on the homosexual. In any case, your interpretation of the joke is probably more on target; I was just explaining how it could be seen as homophobic.