Comments on: On hotness and blogging while female

By: Jenny Lamaack

Jenny Lamaack — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 02:46:20 +0000

Just to let you know your web site looks a little bit different on Safari on my netbook using Linux .

By: Jason R

Jason R — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:16:05 +0000

Are there any women on TV with the slightly pudgy, schlubby looks of the Mythbusters guys?

One of the sexiest women ever on TV fits this description. And she was a scientist (albeit a social one, how’s that for discrimination ). I don’t know if she has a show anymore, but then I watch less and less mainstream television. And I think therein lies part of the answer. Why look to the past for an image of our future? In the past, mainstream broadcasters had control of scarce resources (airwaves) that they tried to distribute to as many of the lowest common denominators as possible. So it is not surprising that they presented caricatures of both men and women and science. But the Internet is disruptive and the Danielle’s of the world can launch their own shows with very few barriers between them and an enthusiastic audience.

By: Hisly

Hisly — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:55:01 +0000

It’s true! When I volunteer, the young girls always ask if I have a boyfriend and they are pleased to find out that I do. And that I wear T shirts with cartoons on them and jeans and like to go out and have fun am friendly and (somewhat) normal on an interpersonal level.

Yes to “seeing normal female scientists”! It’s more about demonstrating that some Lady Scientists can look and act like “normal” people and not just sit in a dark lab all alone (which is where I am right now).

By: Miriam Goldstein

Miriam Goldstein — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:18:54 +0000

Oh no, don’t feel guilty! There is still a big gulf between the popular perception of what female scientists look like (either TV hotties or hideous unloved dorky dorks) and what we really look like (normal. ok, slightly more attractive than normal. ). Seeing normal female scientists has great value, I think – whenever I do outreach the kids are pretty surprised that a young not-totally-dorky woman is a scientist. Perhaps I’m contradicting myself, but whatever, I contain multitudes.

By: Miriam Goldstein

Miriam Goldstein — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:55:26 +0000

Dammit, no! If I had an awesome Darwin beard I would totally enter the contest.

By: Karen

Karen — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:36:02 +0000

Miriam, now I feel guilty about my scientist pin-ups series. Rick, you always know what to say.

By: Rick MacPherson

Rick MacPherson — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:35:23 +0000

i’d just like to go on the record saying that i first objectified chris mooney a full 2 years before any of this sheril kerfuffle…

By: OceanChaos

OceanChaos — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:19:51 +0000

I think this is part of the bigger and older trend of deciding yearly that “___ is sexy.” For centuries, it was “well fed” is sexy, then “3 inches of make-up” is sexy, then my personal ironic favorite “chastity is sexy”. (That one deserves more attention, particularly as it persists today). Two points: some of this may be buy-in. I am your typical grumpy misanthropic troglodyte computer troll AND happily married (and male) but I still very much want to feel sexy/attractive. Perhaps to the point where if there ever is a legitimate geek-chic, I’d buy in.
“Smart is sexy” is a tacit acknowledgement that some women are smart. We still have a million miles to go; but if you define progress as things getting worse more slowly, then this is progress!

By: Peggy

Peggy — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:31:26 +0000

The issue for me isn’t that comments saying Sheril pretty are offensive per se. It’s more that a number of commenters felt the need to immediately jump in and point out how hawt they think she is and how it doesn’t matter what she writes because she is so sexay (and the one that said “mmmmmmmm……….. wo-man” was just ew). Meanwhile, no one made any comment on Chris’s appearance, but focused on his writing and politics. Get enough of those comments in one place and I think it sends a message that a woman’s most important quality is her appearance.

By: DNLee

DNLee — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:26:15 +0000

actually, I didn’t really ‘get’ what the fuss at Sb was all about. I read the comment and saw nothing particularly lewd or offensive. I mean, Sheril is pretty (and Chris is cute, too). Is that a bad thing to say?

But I totally feel you on the looks and TV thing. For example, I would really would love to host my own science tv show, but the reality is, until I lose some weight, it probably won’t happen. It doesn’t matter that I have the smarts, passion, and enthusiam..Oh and age matters, too. Many celebrities (even sexy ones) lie about their age because a younger chronicle age is sexy, too. But I’m less worried about that issues because I’
m very fortunate to look years younger than my real age. Good genes, yay! Thrifty genes, boo!