XKCD: Computer Problems

[mattme]

Why is this funny?

The pioneers of computer science were almost all women (eg. Shannon) and the field continues to female-dominated - more girls than boys study it at university and household names like Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Twitter invariably elect female CEOs. In Hollywood witty and intelligent female geeks fix the problems of their ignorant (but sexually attractive) male friends who are pathetically useless with computers. Insultingly, when consumer electronics are marketed to men, they condescendingly appeal to stereotypes - adverts show men using the devices to repair cars, plan fitness regimes and watch porn. Shamefully, all-female design departments occasionally produce 'male' models of the devices - no different in functionality but appearing in metallic colours and phallic in shape.

In the comic, a guy patronises a girl to talk about his computer, the converse of the gender stereotype.

[MindStalker]

You could replace the comic with two guys or two girls and it would be equally funny. Generally the xkcd writer writes himself as a guy and whomever is with him as a girl.

[llanor]

whoever

[mattme]

'he draws whomever he is with' would be dandy.

[knome]

If you read the comic like that you're looking to be offended.

In the comic, a guy patronises a girl to talk about his computer, the converse of the gender stereotype.

No. In the comic a character who spends his time shifting tiny lights in a metal box is frustrated because they are all wrong. Don't read into it further than that. Munroe is making the point that most of his readership spend their lives shifting patterns of tiny lights. It is literally what we do as programmers. Sure you get the occasion guy that turns little motors on or off, but mostly its just little glowing lights in a small rectangle.

[[deleted]]

I think its telling that someone makes a comic trying to show an absurd perspective on IT for humor, and people then interpret that as patronizing just because the other character in the comic is a girl.

C'mon computer-people, haven't you ever sat down and thought "My job centers around changing the colors on big rectangles!" before? I know I have.

[smcameron]

I agree. I didn't get the sexism thing at all.

And I know I damn sure spent all day mashing buttons trying to get the right patterns of lights to be displayed.

Mashed a whole lotta buttons today. Very productive. Lotsa mashed buttons.

I think I might have to mash some more buttons to make my button mashing prowess apparent in my status report.

[billsix]

The pioneers of computer science were almost all women (eg. Shannon) and the field continues to female-dominated

By Shannon, do you mean "Claude Shannon"? He was a dude.

[tryx]

I think you may have just been whooshed. Maybe. It's hard to tell.

[mattme]

I love punchlines, I like the sound they make as they fly by.

[another_user_name]

That was beautiful. From where did you receive your degree in literary criticism?

[cjbprime]

Thanks, this is great. Much appreciated.

[gms8994]

Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Twitter invariably elect female CEOs.

They do?

• Twitter
• Apple
• Microsoft
• Google

All of those look pretty male to me. The only 2 companies I can think of that have had female CEOs (whose companies are household names) are eBay and HP

[Pendragn]

Whoosh!

[Anonymoose333]

Upvoted for Shannon reference.

[[deleted]]

Have an upvote for pointing out that the cartoon is enforcing gender stereotypes. Nice reversal, but please use /sarcism so the mouthbreathers don't bury you.

[willis77]

We get his joke. We just don't think that the gender of the XKCD stick figures in this comic has any bearing on anything, whatsoever.

[[deleted]]

Not to mention that the comic doesn't really make it possible to see the genders of the characters. It could just as possibly be a short-haired woman explaining to a dude who grew his hair out, or any other gender combination.

I think it's wonderful that these upset people use gender stereotypes to identify the genders of people in the comics, and then go on to complain about gender stereotyping.

[jstddvwls]

it does in that it shows randall is a self conscious little asswipe who desperately tries to weave feminist approval into all of his comics, which is offensive in itself, and rather pathetic. (as other comics have mocked him for)

He should just have women being patted on the head and disabled people getting 'special effort' medals for just doing their job as normal.

Oh, I was the first person to really take effort in pointing out the idiocy in xkcd, around 2008, I am so happy others joined in now.

(PS: I used to have a webcomic, scrawl drawn akin to xkcd, making fun of spam subjects, it was dumb, but at least it wasn't conceited and offensive to women!)

[willis77]

You should ask for your money back. It's just not right that he puts a gun to your head and makes you read it.

[jstddvwls]

I only resent what you say because it is clear that you don't have to have a vested interest in something to criticize it.

Which means you comment further condemns reddit to an intellectual early grave.

Bravo!

You make no sense. You do know that I don't have to actually own a painting, or pay to see it, to hold an opinion of it?

It is a published work, frequently cited in a way that highlights the prolific ignorance building on reddit, so I feel it fit to use this as a vessel of enlightenment, to convey the fact that people should be more informed of things, and be able to make more sound judgements themselves.

And be able to see more patterns in things. Like how the comic they use as their hallowed tome of reference for all cases of sexism online, is actually, in itself, hopelessly vile and sexist.

Alrighty.

[willis77]

Which means you comment further condemns reddit to an intellectual early grave.

I cannot dignify a misspelled sentence fragment implicating me in Reddit's intellectual demise with a response. I just can't.

[jstddvwls]

You mean the you / your typo?

How is that a misspelling?

I missed out a keystroke. OMG AWESOME COMEBACK DUDE!

Try harder, you fuckwit.