Rosetta mission scientist Dr Matt Taylor cries during apology over 'offensive' shirt

[chrisberb]

If a client has 'cause for complaint' regarding your clothes then they are morons and they can feel free to find another representative. However, even there your analogy falls apart as clients are generally paying for your services specifically, this guy just happens to work at NASA, he doesn't work for any of us. I also highly doubt your clients would encourage bullying based on your choice to wear jeans.

Guessing you've never had an important (no insult) job before? If a client is paying for services, and thinks that your work attire is unprofessional, they may choose to take their business elsewhere. These are the types of standards society has set.

[Pengalor]

NASA is funded by tax payers...

Yes, it is. Still doesn't make you their boss. I could name a hundred other things funded by taxes that you have absolutely zero control over. Always cracks me up when people give that argument, they always use it as a way to exert 'superiority' over a public worker doing something they dislike (cops get this shit all the time).

[Jingoism]

He essentially helped in the raping of a comet. If that it doesn't offend you that Men are able to rape our heavenly-space-woman bodies then you must be some kind of rape-aholic. Y'all need feminism.

[Wells]

Yes, it is. Still doesn't make you their boss. I could name a hundred other things funded by taxes that you have absolutely zero control over. Always cracks me up when people give that argument, they always use it as a way to exert 'superiority' over a public worker doing something they dislike (cops get this shit all the time).

Are you really saying I have no right to have an opinion on how public employees behave in the public execution of their job capacity?

[Zathrendar]

Guessing you've never had an important (no insult) job before? If a client is paying for services, and thinks that your work attire is unprofessional, they may choose to take their business elsewhere. These are the types of standards society has set.

Which is fine... why does this man's shirt pose an issue, however? And really, why is this even relevant?

I mean who is paying for him to dress sharply?

[Deleted]

oh who gives a shit. Really? a shirt? is that what some idiots care about.

There are real honest problems about women getting into and getting on in scientific fields, and yet a fucking shirt is what people bitch about.

How about someone wears one with half naked blokes on it and we'll call it even shall we? and then concentrate on something important.

[Pengalor]

Guessing you've never had an important (no insult) job before? If a client is paying for services, and thinks that your work attire is unprofessional, they may choose to take their business elsewhere. These are the types of standards society has set.

"If a client has 'cause for complaint' regarding your clothes then they are morons and they can feel free to find another representative."

Words. They have meanings. You literally just repeated what I said. If your firm/company/whatever has an issue with this then they would make sure to list that it's not acceptable. They don't so they have no place to complain. The clients, being people who are hiring the company, either accept the rules laid out by the higher ups or they take their business elsewhere so if the company feels their customers will have a problem with what someone is wearing it would behoove them to make it clear what is required. Not doing so would be illogical.

[chrisberb]

I really don't see how just quoting the usual parade of arguments advanced in its defence would justify that sort of assessment. Particularly without mention of the critiques of this process, like this.

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Do you need it made any clearer?

I can't believe you're seriously arguing about whether peer-reviewed material is a better source of information than the huffington post or a blog.

[Pengalor]

Are you really saying I have no right to have an opinion on how public employees behave in the public execution of their job capacity?

You like trying to twist things around, don't you?

You are free to have any opinion you want. Doesn't make your opinion informed or intelligent and you certainly aren't entitled to any control over the people working at NASA (in regards to the 'I pay their salary, I deserve a say!' type nonsense). You certainly have no right to bullying the man into submitting to your point of view.

[nextormento]

Are you really saying I have no right to have an opinion on how public employees behave in the public execution of their job capacity?

You do: If you choke on your cornflakes over a shirt, you have every right to bring it up to your representative. Publicly prosecuting the guy, as these idiots are doing, is not a right, though, but an extension of freedom of speech; one particular expression that should be received with scorn. Because 1: the complain should be to his superiors and 2: it's a fucking moronic, useless, opinion.
I fail to see how NASA is related to this anyway.

[Zathrendar]

I can't believe you're seriously arguing about whether peer-reviewed material is a better source of information than the huffington post or a blog.

I'm not. What I am saying is that simply searching for articles positing a particular viewpoint wouldn't amount to making Wells's argument for him. Besides, Huffington Post and the like propagate this work, anyway, so if you dig deep enough you will find an (often misunderstood) peer reviewed article at the bottom of it. I also think the process is ascribed far more merit than it actually contributes to the quality of research, but yeah, I'm not saying those would be better sources...

[Xilurm]

Why is his shirt sexist btw? I don't get that. Because anyone with a little shred of common sense wouldn't be offended by that.

[Wells]

You like trying to twist things around, don't you?

You are free to have any opinion you want. Doesn't make your opinion informed or intelligent and you certainly aren't entitled to any control over the people working at NASA (in regards to the 'I pay their salary, I deserve a say!' type nonsense).

So your response boils down to "no you're dumb". Ok then.

You do: If you choke on your cornflakes over a shirt, you have every right to bring it up to your representative. Publicly prosecuting the guy, as these idiots are doing, is not a right, though, but an extension of freedom of speech; one particular expression that should be received with scorn.

No one is "prosecuting" him. They're expressing their opinion. It seems you only accept their right to an opinion if they don't say it out loud.

[Pengalor]

Why is his shirt sexist btw? I don't get that. Because anyone with a little shred of common sense wouldn't be offended by that.

Because it has 'sexualized women'. Keep in mind, we're dealing with sex-negative feminism.

[Theinquisition]

He essentially helped in the raping of a comet. If that it doesn't offend you that Men are able to rape our heavenly-space-woman bodies then you must be some kind of rape-aholic. Y'all need feminism.

LOL

totally making this my new sig.

[Pengalor]

So your response boils down to "no you're dumb". Ok then.

Actually, it wasn't, but considering you either twist everything to try and suit your argument or have serious issues with reading comprehension now I'm wondering.

[Frozen Death Knight]

That's just plain idiotic. I feel sorry for the guy. Seriously, this is just petty beyond belief.

[Jingoism]

For those dismissing this, take a moment.

Ever sat in an upper division math or science class where there are only 1 or 2 women? Or none? Women's involvement is increasing in some disciplines, but all too often, science has been outright HOSTILE to women.

I used to do IT consulting and supported everyone from Creatives to literal rocket scientists and it's a HARD ROAD for women. Everything from how Math and Science is taught, how the professors are sometimes outright hostile to female students (I had one professor who was simply dismissive to female students entirely) to entry into various scientific endeavors where money can be significantly less and the harassment can be palpable.

So, during the moment when a scientist is announcing one of the cooler moments in science... in casual clothes... and let's face it... space science hasn't had all that much great stuff in the last 10 years happen for it... for him to do it in a shirt that represents all that women have had to fight against in science... well, to call it insensitive is proper.

I wouldn't ask for him to be censored or disciplined, but certainly educated. He certainly has to understand that his COLLEAGUES have an unequal struggle that as a male, he doesn't have and can't have.

It's VERY easy for people who've never experienced a kind of discrimination to lack empathy and this is the age of the lack of Empathy. It's rampant and we see it in all walks of life.

TL;dr, Don't think the guy should be censored, but he was insensitive and the issue of women being dealt with poorly in science is a real thing.

tl;dr ur shirt ofnds me so i dun wan do sienze, pls chek ur pravleg ok?
thx u angela dworkin, i readed ur bookings so mnay tim on way 2 sciemces.

How do you get so fucked up?

[nextormento]

No one is "prosecuting" him. They're expressing their opinion. It seems you only accept their right to an opinion if they don't say it out loud.

And it seems you have trouble understanding words: I support their right to complain and to even form a twitter lynch mob if they so desire. And I welcome society and every individual to mock the attitude of these idiots: because their behavior is objectively retarded, and their opinion completely absurd.

[Deleted]

Why is his shirt sexist btw? I don't get that. Because anyone with a little shred of common sense wouldn't be offended by that.

Because women have a very hard time in STEM careers so wearing a shirt covered in scantily clad women could be seen as pretty insensitive. Now personally I think that the bigger picture of landing a probe on a comet is much more important, but he could have been smarter about his choice of shirt.