Moving around the blog world there is a pretty even split between male and female bloggers.
Being a political animal i do tend to rotate towards the blogs that offer opinions on current affairs. Nothing shocking in the discovery that there are some seriously disturbing opinions being spouted on blogs out there. Whether the authors actually believe what they say or if it is just bravado afforded by the anonymity of a computer screen is something i hope i never find out it if turns out to be the former because some peoples solutions to problems are bordering on psychotic.
What i have noticed, and was confirmed when i stumbled upon the BlogCensus website, was that fewer than one in 20 of the political and current affairs blogs are written by women.
A quick straw poll taken among friends was that the no-holds barred, anything goes atmosphere that prevails in blogging proves to be intimidating enough to keep the 'fairer sex' away from putting there opinions out there to be picked over, debated and often ridiculed. The finding that the number of women writing personal weblogs outnumbered men by two to one bears this out.
In the two years or so that i have been blogging i have seen as many as eight or nine female bloggers change the flavour of their blogs away from what could be deemed political or at the very least involved voicing an opinion. About the same again have stopped blogging altogether so there is some truth in the assumption that the majority of us females do prefer to play it safe with our blogs and avoid criticism of our thoughts and ideals.
I am glad to say that there are some of us feisty, opinionated females letting our opinions hang out and absorbing the plaudits and brickbats but there seems to be such a disproportionate number of men doing the subjects that affect us all, it seems we are happy to leave them to knock lumps out of each other's opinions as long as we are left alone.
If you have an opinion then just say it loud and say it proud ladies because i know we are just as outspoken, forthright and psychotic as most of the men.
20 comments:
Interesting, Lucy. I got tired of the vicious kerfuffles myself, though usually they weren't over politics. It's true I haven't stumbled across many strictly political female bloggers, though most will give a political opinion here and there. It could be partly fear -- unless you've made yourself totally anonymous and untraceable from Day One, which many haven't, including me, you have to worry about stalkers and wackos when you attract a lot of attention for your opinions. Women are more likely both to worry about this and to attract the really nasty assholes who won't leave them alone
some days i can't help but rage about things going on politically. that's the whole reason i started blogging in the first place.lots to be said. thanks for the green light, sister blogger!
I agree that the tendency of some male bloggers to try to intimidate those who disagree with them (whether by using abusive language or by issuing explicit threats) is likely to deter more women than men from engaging in the political blogosphere.
I guess it's just a sad fact of life that there are these sad tossers out there. I would hope that we all treat them with the contempt they deserve, but having said that, I certainly don't blame anyone (male or female) who thinks 'to hell with it' and changes tack. Unfortunately, on the net, you never know what kinda whackjob is reading (and getting angry at) your stuff.
I have a few political femmes on my blogroll. Aside from you, Lucy, I have the Girl in Short Shorts and D-Cup from Politits. You are right, though, since I've noticed that D-Cup's political blogging has lessened, but not so much that she's a mommyblogger or anything. Becky in the short shorts will give you a fight if you ask for one, though, and her stuff is almost entirely political.
Maybe i have been lucky that i have not attracted anyone so whacked out that i have had to consider changing style or content. Hard to think of anyone that could because i have met them in real life and that has to be scarier than a few lines of comment here.
It has also been mentioned that of those females who blog, the larger majority have right wing views but i can't say i have noticed that myself so far.
Go see Becky.
Excellent post Lucy - we have this problem here in NZ where there are practically no female bloggers who write anything other than personal stuff now.
Paula if you are reading - I still read you via Reader, but have a new computer and for some reason I cannot comment on your blog.
Admitting that women are just as outspoken, forthright and psychotic as most men may be viewed by some as high treason, Lucy!
Speaking of forthright and psychotic, ladies and gentleman, Daniels back.
Perhaps being opinionated and feisty is just not ladylike... who cares huh Lucy?
lucy~ever since i finally saw v for vrndetta, i admit to a certain degree of obsession about guy fawkes day/night. would love to know more about how it is celebrated in the u.k., generally? is it mostly forgotten, centuries later? i have the urge to head down to the beach tonight and have a bonfire! i wish the u.s. had cool holidays like that.
sheesh. (thanks!)
A little, dumb, ankle-biting lapdog would be a much better avatar for you, Cody.
Like the chihuahua I used to have that would chase the neighbor's doberman out of the yard every time it came over? Very friendly with people, staunch defender of our property.
I could see Cody with an avatar like that.
Poor dog!
"i have the urge to head down to the beach tonight and have a bonfire! i wish the u.s. had cool holidays like that."
Unfortunately, the 5th of November is not a holiday here, Annie... Although, come to think of it, you've just given me something else to write to my MP about!
If someone trying to kill politicians isn't worth us taking a day off work in remembrance, then I don't know what is! :)
Ruth! That sucks about the comments. I miss yours.
This post has angered me, because I'm a fragile egomaniac whose entire sense of self-worth is wrapped in having people cheer me on via my blog, and because I am completely unable to comprehend what people write, and automatically get upset to compensate for this lack of comprehension. But it doesn't matter because I am pretty sure what you say and think differs from me, therefore I have every right to become filled with rage at your posts, and anyone who disagrees with me.
Therefore, I challenge you to a fight, and will call you many names and threaten to expose any personal information I have about you if you don't meet me for that fight.
I think that's the way it goes.
Ook ook
Just throw in a few accusations of being jew hating and let me change your link to point to a gay porn site and you have a deal fez.
Meet you in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Better bring your wellies.
Wow, I'm impressed. That's the most articulate and honest comment I've ever seen you post, Mar-
Oh it's you, Fez!
This post has angered me, because I'm a fragile egomaniac whose entire sense of self-worth is wrapped in having people cheer me on via my blog, and because I am completely unable to comprehend what people write, and automatically get upset to compensate for this lack of comprehension. But it doesn't matter because I am pretty sure what you say and think differs from me, therefore I have every right to become filled with rage at your posts, and anyone who disagrees with me.
Hey! Is that one of those personality profile thingers? 'Cuz that sure sounds like M, er, um, Me. :)
P.s.
I know I'm late, but that was some funny stuff there.
Also, I used to write strictly political stuff. It was fun, but then I got stage fright, deleted my old blog, started a new one and another new one then combined the two and now, well, politics some of the time. I kind of miss it, but not that much. However, I can say that debating hot-headed men has helped me develop a thicker skin. That's not so bad.
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