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UK/R.O.I GAF - Thread of geopolitical confusion
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Jeff Albertson
Member
Yeah they are good, one in Trafford centre and one at Liverpool one as well
Jeff Albertson
Member
Odd question time:
Does anyone ever feel a bit out of place on GAF, being a mainly American site?
It's not often I do but sometimes things just go way over my head. Most recently the whole gender neutral issue discussed in the Lego thread. It may just be me being ignorant and from a working class northern town but for the life of me can't see what is wrong with the whole blue for boys, pink for girls thing. Hell if I talked about how toys should be more gender neutral around here I would get some odd looks.
Things get a bit too PC for me at times.
Does anyone ever feel a bit out of place on GAF, being a mainly American site?
It's not often I do but sometimes things just go way over my head. Most recently the whole gender neutral issue discussed in the Lego thread. It may just be me being ignorant and from a working class northern town but for the life of me can't see what is wrong with the whole blue for boys, pink for girls thing. Hell if I talked about how toys should be more gender neutral around here I would get some odd looks.
Things get a bit too PC for me at times.
I don't really feel out of place, especially with having UK-GAF to talk on.
And I do actually think that raising a kid should be more gender neutral or at least less aggressively gendered. The whole pink for girls and blue for boys thing is a bit stupid, I hate blue and pink, but liked green growing up, my GF liked red growing up, it's kind of a pointless debate, but I think that girls should be encouraged to go out, play in mud and play rugby/football as much as boys are and that if a boy wants to stay in and play on a cooking set or whatever that's fine too. It does get a bit PC at times but I think that it'd be a rewarding experience to raise a kid without too many gender norms, although not go all militant and raise it without any gender whatsoever.
Psychotext
Member
You can certainly tell its an American site. Some of the general outlooks / opinions are very alien to me.
this video of a dog really reminds me of ukgaf
http://youtu.be/g8yN5fivBt8
http://youtu.be/g8yN5fivBt8
Jeff Albertson
Member
May just be me then.
My boys room is blue, I'll buy him boys toys, I'll take him to the football with me as soon as he's old enough.
Maybe I'm wrong but it never did me nor 99.9% of my generation any harm.
I'll also speak to him in English, maybe it should be more language neutral in case he prefers a different language, the wifes half Italian, maybe I should speak to him in Italian, she's also a hairdresser, maybe I should speak to him in Urdu.
My boys room is blue, I'll buy him boys toys, I'll take him to the football with me as soon as he's old enough.
Maybe I'm wrong but it never did me nor 99.9% of my generation any harm.
I'll also speak to him in English, maybe it should be more language neutral in case he prefers a different language, the wifes half Italian, maybe I should speak to him in Italian, she's also a hairdresser, maybe I should speak to him in Urdu.
These two aren't related though. I find myself out of place when people don't consider that this is the internet, and there are people from all around the world. People correcting spelling/grammar when it's obvious English isn't their mother tongue, people wondering why others haven't heard of a band, or a particular restaurant, or a TV show. It's pretty US-centric down to American game deals getting their own threads while other country deals just get a catch-all thread. It's really not a big deal though.
The PC thing is grating because most of it is gloriously hypocritical. Something is ok now, it wasn't ok then. It's not ok now, and it wasn't back then. It probably will be ok in the future, but we'll burn you at the gates for thinking it now. I glaze over vehement and evangelical political correctness, it doesn't do anyone any good. Most people here are level-headed, you just need to weed out the nutters and the bandwagoners, it has nothing to do with where they grew up, or even who they are. They appear to be roleplaying the 'perfect human' on this site, when that's never going to be case.
I think the thing is that most parents should be raising their kids, boy or girl, more like boys.
Boys get to go out and stay out until late, play in the mud, play sports, not care about vanity or make up or whatever whereas a lot of girls are brought up to do their nails look at barbies etc which is harmful for obvious reasons.
No I don't mean that a girl should be called John or that they need to have very short hair or whatever, just that they should be allowed the up-bringing of being a boy which generally involves more time doing physical activities, fresh air and other positive things.
JonathanEx
Member
What I object to is the vilification of accepting any gender stereotype. Like, I'm not saying we should enforce BLUE BOYS PINK GIRLS and offer more choices - but if a girl is interested in cooking, clothing, UGH HOW ANTI FEMINIST IS THAT HOW DARE SHE. How dare Lego want to sell to a market interested in stuff etc.
yeah pretty much I guess
phisheep
NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
No, never. GAF is a lot more cosmopolitan that it first appears - it's quite often a surprise to find out the nationality of posters when it turns out to be not American (and maybe a little worrisome to be taken for an American oneself on occasion).
That gender-neutral stuff, for example, is just as alive and kicking among the chattering classes of the Home Counties as it is in the US, even if it seems rather odd to those of us in farther-flung bits of the UK.
Of course Americans have their own quirks, and I tend to avoid most of sports-GAF and PoliGAF on that account, but they are mostly understandable outcomes of their history (e.g. the somewhat skewed approach to race) or politics (e.g. anything to do with gun law or anti-socialist rhetoric) or anything religious or anti-religious. For a nation that claims to be a beacon of tolerance they got a lot to learn.
But mostly I fell pretty much at home here.
Jeff Albertson
Member
I suppose.
My sister when young used to play and love football and was quite tomboyish, then she went super girly girly in her teens then mid twenties found out she was a lesbian.
JonathonEx - This is what I meant, some people seem to think its wrong that there are toys aimed at boys and toys aimed at girls.
I just wonder when it became not OK that boys will be boys etc
Maybe I'm just ignorant
Edit: Don't get me wrong I love GAF and I am with it more often than bemused but there is just the odd occasion, maybe its just the fact that its the internet and not real life thats all.
I know what you mean. I love this place but I sometimes feel like it's a fake universe where everything is seen through the eyes of a neurotic social worker. There are topics that have a very definite 'narrative' in place before a single post has even been typed and only a fool or a drunkard swims against the tide. I'm a foolish drunkard, fortunately.
It's interesting how different the culture is between the US and the UK.
LabouredSubterfuge
Member
Fixed and muchly agreed.
I think people dislike like that toys aimed at boys/girls play into stereotypes, and that stereotypically girl things seem so passive compared to stereotypically boys things. Girl things tend to have most of their worth in how they look and do very little (e.g. Princesses) compared to boy stuff which tends to be more active and action-orientated.
Yeah exactly this. I have a little boy, and we do what I guess is considered male orientated activities like football and stuff, but if I had a daughter, I wouldn't treat her any different or do different things with her. It'd be dictated by her personality and what she enjoyed. I know a couple who won't let their little boy play with dolls, cause boys don't play with dolls. I don't get it personally.
I agree on the rest though, I stay waaaay the fuck out of the big moral discussions on GAF and just stick to Football-GAF!
Jeff Albertson
Member
It was like that when we were young and it wasn't an issue, when did it become one?
Oh and Murkas, they can take our language but they can never take our cuuuuunt. (I think it gets its most use in the football thread)
I'm not sure if some of this notion on GAF is from folk who had girls but would rather have a boy so they were more into their games and comic books or whatever, if I had a girl I imagine we would most likely go down the Disney Princess route, I just can't fathom the problem with it really.
Jedeye Sniv
Banned
I don't think it's that simple. If boys want to be boys then it's all cool, but if boys want to be girls, then why not let them. The whole idea of gender neutrality is more that children should be able to make their minds up about what interests them, rather than having it all drummed into them from word go. If you give a boy an action man, why not give him a barbie as well, see if that tickles his fancy? It's more about leaving the options on the table, rather than removing half of them due to tradition.
EDIT: but really, if you're not interested in these issues then you don't need to feel bad about it or anything. I don't care about football, but I understand some people do (god knows why!), and there are threads for them. Some people care about gender/sexuality topics, and those threads are for them.
The thing is, most girls absolutely love the Disney Princess stuff and all the things associated with it, there's absolutely no problem with it at all as far as I'm concerned. The only thing I take issue with is when the child shows no interest or enjoyment from it, but the parents still continue to press the stuff on them with no alternative. I just think that shit like that should be dictated by what the child wants to do really.
But fuck, parenting is a minefield and everyone has their own opinion. There's no right or wrong as long as your kid is being looked after.
Psychotext
Member
I do, they're trying to take the word "cunt" from us
NEVER!
I do, they're trying to take the word "cunt" from us
are they? it'll sound terrible coming from them.
Jeff Albertson
Member
Fair enough I suppose your edit is right I do care about discussing the issue though I just don't get it fully.
But for me Boys will be Boys is just fine and it's how I'm bringing my boy up, should at an age he decide he doesn't want to play with a handy manny toolbox or a pirate ship and would rather play with a barbie I wouldn't stop him but nor would I enourage it before he showed that interest.
I don't for one minute think that makes me a bad parent, but apparently some people would do.
RibbedHero
Member
That's perfect parenting as far as I'm concerned.
As long as you don't force stereotypes on them I don't see any harm. My 3 year old son loves football etc, but he likes helping his mum "cook" so we bought him a little kitchen. As long as your child is interested and your not forcing them to conform should be fine
I blame the PC Master race.
MarkMclovin
Member
Haha great little story!
And props to the dude who wrote back. Could do with a few more primary school teachers like him.
Psychotext
Member
When it comes to stereotyping, I think its less about the individuals and more the about the society. Although individuals may not force stereotypes on kids, society does and that's what people have issues with.
Ew.
I don't follow sports.
Jeff Albertson
Member
Just women in the streets of Falkirk
l agree with what someone said in the footy thread, its been ipadified. l checked it out on my sons ipad and it does look slightly better.
Its probably the way the web will go, more suited for tablets.
I have a girlfriend and shop online. Only time I'm in the streets of Falkirk is bar hopping.
I look down on people who dress there best for a trip to there local high street.. Fuck those people lifes bigger than that.
There are women in Falkirk?
J Tourettes
Banned
What's the average price for a cafe fry up around the country? In London it's between 4 and 6 quid unless you got to a fancy place.
Just went to one near my flat for the first time (usually it's closed at the weekends, wtf?) and I thought it was pretty good value. Two slices of bacon, egg, 2 sausage, 3 big thick slices of black pudding, chips, beans, toast and a drink for £4.95.
Just went to one near my flat for the first time (usually it's closed at the weekends, wtf?) and I thought it was pretty good value. Two slices of bacon, egg, 2 sausage, 3 big thick slices of black pudding, chips, beans, toast and a drink for £4.95.
Where do you live: Marylebone, London.
Where are you from: Lytham, Lancashire.
Occupation: Student.
University: UCL.
Sports team of choice: Liverpool FC.
Current political party of choice: Conservative.
Barm, batch, cob or bun: Bun.
Favourite (current) UK TV show: The Thick of It.
Oasis or Blur: Oasis in the North, Blur in the South.
Where are you from: Lytham, Lancashire.
Occupation: Student.
University: UCL.
Sports team of choice: Liverpool FC.
Current political party of choice: Conservative.
Barm, batch, cob or bun: Bun.
Favourite (current) UK TV show: The Thick of It.
Oasis or Blur: Oasis in the North, Blur in the South.
Psychotext
Member
It's really annoying. It's not like it's particularly hard to make different versions of a site for different platforms, especially with the metric shittonne of developers the BBC has.
around a £4-5 up north I reckon, maybe £3 if you go looking
That's not bad, where was that? Bizarre it'd be shut on the weekends though, what are they thinking?
the owner wants a weekend and the main clientele are builders/white van men?
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