Many of you will have heard about that horrid CollegeTimes.ie article that made the news this week after outrage on Twitter forced the editors to delete it from the site.
You know the one, where men looking for one night stands were told to “pounce” on women with low self-esteem like “injured baby gazelles”? The one where women were divided into two camps: the confident girls who would certainly turn you down, and the insecure girls who are so hungry for male attention that even the tiniest compliment will get them in bed with you?
If you haven’t, here’s a little taster of what we were dealing with, thanks to my lightning fast copy/paste skillz:
It is important to note that prime candidates include: girls who have just recently been dumped (very different from the over empowered dumpers that might also be out), girls with low self-esteem and potential daddy issues, and of course, the ones who just love that dick. Never fear however, low self-esteem, particularly around the current bikini season, is at an all time high.
The site released an initial statement saying the article was meant to be “satirical” and they were sorry if it offended anyone. Note that tone. “We’re sorry YOU were offended. We don’t think this is offensive.” After more pressure from Twitter users and growing media scrutiny, they released a full apology for the “insensitive” content.
Yes, that is the beginnings of a Josef Fritzel meme there at the bottom. Sigh.Advertised
Look. I have as good a sense of humour as the next person, and I like to think I know when a joke’s a joke. I have no doubt the writer actually intended the piece to be funny.
But there was no turn-around, no paragraph to indicate that this behaviour is actually creepy and unacceptable, no sign that the man in question found himself rebuffed by his target “insecure” girl who knew exactly what he was trying to do. It made women seem clueless and weak, and man the all-powerful predator. Which to me is a subject so often represented in media and pop culture and so ingrained in modern thinking that it just isn’t funny. It’s tired, and it’s offensive.
An idea of what to expect on the site - I went there so you don't have to.The article was removed, and the Twitter mob died down. But this piece is just one of many on CollegeTimes.ie that showcases this outdated view of women and sex. Remember, this is the website that hosts a “Creep of the Week” feature, where photos from an attractive student’s Facebook page are posted for all to enjoy. Admittedly the pictures are public, but it doesn’t make it any less weird. Clicking on the “It’s All About Sex” tab reveals dozens of how-to articles, inspired by the very realistic and attainable world of porn, with gratuitous pictures of women in bikinis,
The fact is the “One Night Stand Guide – For Guys” is just one problematic article of hundreds, and one problematic viewpoint out of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions. CollegeTimes.ie will probably put an equally offensive article up next week. And if they do, I’ll probably tweet until that’s taken down too. Whatever needs to be done to send a message
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Did you read the article before it was removed? Do you think it’s satirical or just plain creepy?
