Last week, Candy linked to a Forbes magazine article, Don’t Marry Career Women, which caused nothing short of a shitstorm online.
In the September 18th issue of Forbes, which also profiles the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women ironically enough, Steve Forbes, the editor-in-chief, offers the following apology (which can be read online if you sign up for a free trial):
On Aug. 22 Forbes.com published a piece entitled “Don’t Marry Career Women.” The article was intended to be part academic and part humorous. Instead it profoundly offended hardworking career women everywhere. We deeply regret having done so.
Nice. Wonder how many of the women who work at Forbes.com lined up outside his door to have a little Come-to-Jesus meeting with Steve about the “humorous” side of that article.
Humor? Ummm. Where? That guy must have a very, very, very sharp, sarcastic wit to have intended that article as humerous.
So…is he not a good enough writer to telegraph his delicious sense of irony to the masses, or are the masses not sensitive enough to appreciate it? I’m voting for the former, myself.
The side of Foot is wonderfully fresh this time of year Mr. Forbes, might I also suggest a big scoop of Asshat to go with it?
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If it was supposed to be humor why would they possibly have run a rebuttal alongside it the day after the shitstorm exploded?
I fail to see the humor anywhere in this story, and generally I have absolutely no problem laughing at myself, others or things that are usually completely inappropriate.
It wasn’t funny in any sense of the word. In fact, I’d call it smarmy and laden with agenda. Festering, oozing with agenda. Honestly, it sounded like the writer had an axe to grind with career women.
Well, he did apologize, which puts him head and shoulders above most politicians. Still. I wonder what the hell they thought would happen.
Er… not much of an appology. More like: “Sorry you don’t have a sense of humour… *sniff*”
I’m still pondering the ‘academic’ part…
He’s not a politician, really – he’s never held office. He’s a businessman first and foremost, apparently with the ability to realize a fuck-up when he sees it (10 days later after it kicks him repeatedly in the ass).
Did you ever see the SNL bit about Teve Torbes? Link: http://snltranscripts.jt.org/95/95qnightline.phtml
“The ladies loved Teve Torbes’ brilliant tax plan. That and the fact that he had a musky Victor Mature-like scent. no. Teve Torbes was definitely not a geek with a crooked smile. He was a babe magnet. Did I mention how much the ladies love me, I mean him?”
And Miri – my best friend’s favorite naughty phrase is ASSHAT. Thanks for a giggle.
I got that same canned email in response to my comment to Mr Forbes. I suggested the article was 99.98% sexist, misogynist bullshit, and that he should send that writer to remedial It’s-Not-1950-Anymore-So-Get-Over-Yourself training post-haste. My letter was intended to be part academic, and part humorous, but alas, I think that it probably landed in a big ol’ Ignore Pile where it couldn’t offend anyone.
Sigh. I’ll have to try harder next time.
Semi-off-topic:
Come-to-Jesus meeting! *lol* For some reason that cracks me up. I’d never even heard that until I got together with my husband. Until now, he’s still the only person I’ve known to say it.
Well, geez, we all know feminists have no sense of humor, right, guys? Otherwise they’d laugh when @sshats ridicule women. It’s all just in fun…right guys?
I don’t think these neocon dominionists have any idea how much female fury is going to be unleashed when women are denied access to birth control. The grrlz who grew up with the notion they owned their own bodies will probably become a bit put out.
spam-stop word: children55. hah!
This just goes hand in hand with the drivelous idiocy repeatedly published by the New York Times about how so-called “career women” are suddenly opting for the mommy track and don’t regret their choices, o not one bit.
For some odd reason these people think that if you clap hard enough, Tinkerbell will fly and Ward Cleaver will once again rule the world.
And, oh yeah, “researcher Andrew J. Blow”? Must. Not. Say it.