Rants 2?

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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Pruitt »

A_B wrote:
Pruitt wrote:The previous few posts make me cringe - as a freelance writer, I send out variations of that type of note all the time.

"Hey ______, Heard through the grapevine that you will be Producing/Story Editing/Involved with the new season of "_________." It's a project that I would love to be involved with. I'm attaching my updated CV for your files. If there's an opening/if you haven't yet chosen your writers, I would love to discuss my ideas for the show with you."

My father is a salesman, my mother was a salesman, my wife is a salesman, uncles, great uncles.... yet nothing used to make me more uncomfortable than sending out these messages.
Yeah, but you wound't keep sending the same letter to Dora the Explorer if they didn't respond or told you no, right? Big difference.
Absolutely true. There's a fine line between getting your name out there and being "that guy."
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Johnny Carwash »

Dear woman sitting, looking at her phone, in an idling car with North Carolina plates, facing the wrong way in the no-parking lane in front of Shaw's:

Fuck you.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by mister d »

A_B wrote:Yeah, but you wound't keep sending the same letter to Dora the Explorer ...
Ummm ... Dora isn't real, AB. She's a cartoon character.
Johnnie wrote: Sat Sep 10, 2022 8:13 pmOh shit, you just reminded me about toilet paper.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Johnnie »

Today I was given a Letter of Reprimand. At about 0930 I was pulled aside by my 1st Sgt and told that I had to be outside the Superintendent's office in full service dress at parade rest. I did something egregious, it seems, and I have no idea what. Being in this unit for this long, nearly anything can be held against you. But I had yet to ever be summoned in such a fashion.

Once inside the superintendent's office I was read the riot act for an hour. Numerous ups and downs ranging from "You're too intelligent a person." to "Do you even want to remain in service? Think about that." were lobbied at me while I was forced to remain silent.

So here's what the LoR said. (I'm using the "code" button and not the quote button in the chance that Google sweeps the verbiage.) Also, the 3rd and 4th paragraphs are there as formality. The meat and potatoes are the first two.

Code: Select all

SUBJECT:  Letter of Reprimand

1.      TSgt [Johnnie], on or about 28 September 2015 at approximately 0900, I approached you in your office with burnt out lightbulbs for the bathrooms of our building. I told you that group leadership took them out and that Chief XXXX handed them to me.  I told you to take care of this problem.  At 2000 hrs of the same day, I received a note that group leadership had to do your job. As a leader, you need to understand responsiveness, task prioritization, and servant leadership. Building Manager duty is NOT beneath you.  Your attitude and lack of attention to detail and follow-up will not be tolerated.

2.      You are hereby reprimanded.  TSgt [Johnnie], the leadership of this squadron and group have tried to motivate, mentor, guide, suggest and order you to be more responsive with your duties.  I, on numerous occasions, have told you that this building and the management of it is important and to follow up and inform leadership of issues they have directed you to fix. Each time, you seem to backslide to a point that leaders are asking you for updates.  You are a Technical Sergeant in the most powerful Air Force this world has ever seen.  You will start acting like it immediately!  This is the last time you will shrug duties or determine, for yourself, that leadership direction is not your priority task.  You will ensure you follow up on assigned tasks and make sure you have done EVERYTHING you possible can to accomplish assigned tasks.  We all have to change priorities on a daily basis and your situation is not unique. Any more failures on your part to either accomplish a task or follow up with leadership with an acceptable answer will result in a much more severe approach to this issue.

3.      The following information required by the Privacy Act is provided.  AUTHORITY:   10 U.S.C. 8013. PURPOSE:  To obtain any comments or documents you desire to submit (on a voluntary basis) for consideration concerning this action.  ROUTINE USES:  Provides you an opportunity to submit comments or documents for consideration.  If provided, the comments and documents you submit become a part of the action. DISCLOSURE:  Your written acknowledgment of receipt and signature are mandatory.  Any other comments or documents you provide are voluntary.

4.      You will acknowledge receipt and return this letter to me within three (3) duty days of your receipt. Any comments or documents you wish to be considered concerning this letter of reprimand will be included with your response.  If you refuse to acknowledge receipt of this letter within three (3) duty days, your refusal to do so will be recorded on the original or copy retained by the unit.

XXXXXXX
Squadron Superintendent
Yes, you read all of that correctly. Light bulbs. If you want a picture of said form, hit me up via Messenger or What's App.

Now a little context: I'm the unit's facility manager. (Amongst a slew of other additional duties.) I make sure that nothing ridiculous happens to the building, but if something does, I make a phone call to the Help Desk and put in a work order. I am not able to do the work myself when it comes to altering the facility or fixing equipment within. I, like all other squadrons, fall mercy to the way the priority list is set up. Well, the Superintendent thinks I have a magic wand and that I have pull and the ability to move along work orders that have been opened. Despite calling numerous times to the Help Desk, I don't get much. I've played the "Well, my Colonel is pissed" card before and it helps on some issues, but overall, certain issues will not be helped along. The Superintendent doesn't seem to care that I have a multitude of other jobs. So things that are seen that aren't taken care of make him think I don't do anything.

So fast forward to this. The Chief removed burned out bulbs from the bathroom. They were given to the superintendent. The superintendent gave them to me as I was leaving to go to my medical appointment. Figuring "Well, shit. They're light bulbs. It can wait until tomorrow morning." I left them on my desk. Well, the chief didn't take too kindly to them not being immediately replaced and wrote the Superintendent a condescending nastygram. That's where the shit rolls down on me.

Another point of note: this same superintendent made the comment that we as a unit walk past problems and wait for someone else to do it. So basically when something as easily fixable as a burned out light bulb happens it needs to be fixed...by anyone who is lower ranking than the superintendent. Hell, there was an unlocked door a captain I work with noticed the other day. Did he lock it? I think. But he also told the major who then told me. As if I'm the only person in the building with a key. This shit is frustrating.

I do have a rebuttal that I am allowed to write. It is sitting with the Area Defense Council (base paralegals) for review. The Superintendent fucked up his timeline. We had PT on Monday morning at 0730. It ended around 0830 and we were told to be ready for work at 0900. The Superintendent wasn't at PT. Also, he was manually deleting orders and authorizations for trips that were cancelled. How do I know? I'm the guy that approves said orders and authorizations. Furthermore, my medical appointment was at 1430. He gave those light bulbs to me around the time I was headed out the door: around 1350ish.

Why the fuck do I even do this anymore? I swear, if there's a 15 year retirement option, I'm taking it. Part of me really, really wants to black out the names and post this on Reddit. But my rational part is like "If that comes back to you...you're fucked." I have 4 months left here and I'm paranoid they want to fuck me over before I leave. I hate my job.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Johnny Carwash »

So the Air Force is basically like having the biggest asshole teacher from your junior high school for 20 years?
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by The Sybian »

How many Technical Sergeants does it take to change a light bulb?
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Ryan »

WATT IS YOUR MAJOR MALFUNCTION!?!?!
he’s a fixbking cyborg or some shit. The

holy fuckbAllZ, what a ducking nightmare. Holy shot. Just, fuck. The
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Johnnie »

The Sybian wrote:How many Technical Sergeants does it take to change a light bulb?
I need a witty answer to this joke.

And yes, JC. At times. The amount of micromanagement and entitlement with rank is unfuckingreal.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by The Sybian »

Johnnie wrote:
The Sybian wrote:How many Technical Sergeants does it take to change a light bulb?
I need a witty answer to this joke.
One. TSgt Johnnie's replacement after he gets busted down to Airman First Class.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by BSF21 »

Johnnie wrote:
The Sybian wrote:How many Technical Sergeants does it take to change a light bulb?
I need a witty answer to this joke.

And yes, JC. At times. The amount of micromanagement and entitlement with rank is unfuckingreal.
My buddy just posted this. Thought Johnnie might like it.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by The Sybian »

I can't find the fucking cricket in my garage. The sound reverberating in there sounds like a goddamn car alarm. Last time this happened, I found the fucker trapped in a box filled with small shit. I had to dig through all the crap to find him.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Johnnie »

So, the long version of my Japan-to-New Mexico sudden change and the continuation of the drama I've dealt with in Germany...

Tuesday night I received an email from the automated database that governs personnel stuff. I didn't read this email until Thursday morning because of the Veteran's Day holiday. It said there were changes to my assignment and to log in to find out what. I did and figured it was a change in unit at Japan. Nope. Suddenly everything read Whiteman AFB in Missouri. Trying to dig further, all I could find was "Position at gaining location is no longer funded. Member has been re-selected under Command of Entitlement."

To me this made no fucking sense. Everything was fine when the overseas list came out in August. Everything stayed fine until literally Tuesday evening. So I need to start making calls, but I'm 6 hours ahead. This had to wait until well into my afternoon. I became somber and pretty blue throughout the day, but I had to work. I put on my best "happy to be here, happy to serve" face and continued on. I told co-workers and they felt really bad, but they could only show sympathy. I appreciated it.

Finally, I was able to call the Chief at the gaining Major Command for the unit in Japan. I was told that, yes, the allocation has been defunded and that it has fundamentally changed to another career field. I press with questions and he immediately says "You don't want that unit anyway because it will stunt your ability for promotion..etc. etc." That's military nothing-babble. He doesn't know me from a hole in the wall and suddenly he knows my career progression. I roll my eyes. But he shuffles me to the assignments person because passing the buck is more important than caring for your people. (I mean, he's only 1 of 10 people like him in the entire career field, you'd think that would be a priority.)

I talk to the Master Sergeant assignments person and start asking questions. She's telling me about the initiative within my career field to pull all of us back into units that will enable better promotional growth and such and such. It's the strategic perspective. So the powers that be have finally taken to doing what I've wished they would have done 5+ years ago. It's good, but they failed me here. I ask "Well if this is the case, and has been talked about, why haven't I heard a single thing about it? Also, why was this job posted for me to volunteer for in the first place?" I even continued with my duty history and my situation a bit. She sighed. She understood my predicament. Apparently someone was asleep at the wheel (whether on leave, changing jobs, whatever) and failed to not post this job. It should have been caught, etc. Then she said it was for the best interest of my career and yadda yadda. I stated in a calm voice:

"I've been assigned in a 1 deep position since I've been in Germany. It's been horrible. I received a 4 EPR. I am overloaded with additional duties. And I am not getting a decoration when I leave. Going to Japan was the light at the end of my tunnel. I could stay overseas and have another awesome country to look forward too. My career has stagnated. I have orders in hand, appointments set up, and a date to leave. I now have to re-do everything from scratch. I leave in February and the holidays are around the corner. I don't exactly have much time."

You could tell she kind of had the wind knocked out of her when I said that. She felt horrible. She asked if my stuff had been shipped yet because if it did then I could have applied for a hardship type of move where they'd have to pull out all the stops to send me to Japan. Unfortunately, I still have a few months. So that wasn't possible, but she gave me the name of the new gaining assignments person to see if they could at least change my assignment to something else. This just so happens to be a friend of mine. Before we hung up she apologized for whoever decided to not be very attuned to the career field. She shouldn't have to do this, but at least she's being heartfelt about it. You could tell she cared in that moment.

So I give my friend a call and his first question was "What happened?" I reiterate everything up to this point. He's bewildered. He doesn't know why I didn't know of the changes. He was frustrated by the lack of communication. He was pissed the job was posted and I couldn't go. But he had a plan. He has pull with other assignments people from the other Major Commands. He was going to make calls. He couldn't promise anything, but he was going to try his hardest to make the best of a bad situation. During our catching up chat/vent session I said "If I absolutely have to go back to the States, can it be Davis-Monthan in Arizona? I love the southwest." He said "The rules with Command of Entitlement are pretty fixed. I'll see what I can do. However, in the meantime, with my command being the one with Command of Entitlement, I can make the a change within it immediately. So, would you want to go to Kirtland? That base was just realigned to me and while it's not Arizona, it's close. Plus it's in the southwest."

Knowing the 8 options I had (which I posted in the other thread), hell yes. I figure if there's no other way to get Japan or get me pushed back to Tucson, I'll take that.

We say our goodbyes and hang up. By this time it's the end of my duty day so I go home. At about 11 pm my time I get a Facebook message. He continued making calls to places on my behalf. And messaged "Not much I could do as the assignment rules are pretty firm." I asked if the gaining unit was still Whiteman. He said, "I got it changed to Kirtland. The Whiteman folks are bummed, but understood. The Kirtland folks are ecstatic."

I'll take it.

We chatted on the phone the next day. He caught me up to speed on the goings on the career field and said that he hopes to make his way out there next year. He has family in the area, plus it's just good to see what life is like at a base in your area of responsibility. I felt much, much better and started Googling everything.

So, I'm content.

I also contacted my gaining unit and they were as blindsided as me. Apparently they were asked to provide justification to make the change. My sponsor over there said they had a solid package and reasoning to keep my position. Ultimately it wasn't good enough and I was diverted out of there. My sponsor apologized and wished me well. Funny thing too...he came into that position as the rank I am now and he's leaving a Senior Master Sergeant. He made 2 ranks sitting in that seat in 6 years. It may have been under a different time in the career field, but clearly the stuff I was told by my chief of it "stunting my ability for promotion" looks like a weak excuse. Maybe it will be going forward because of the overhaul in military promotions these days, but right now? I doubt it.

Now I just have to undo and reaccomplish everything I've already done to get orders and appointments and all the silliness fixed. Ugh. That will be the next bit of fun in my dramatic turn of events.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by L-Jam3 »

Man, fuck this shit. In general. Fuck this shit.


ETA: To the Clonopin.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by rass »

L-Jam3 wrote:Man, fuck this shit. In general. Fuck this shit.


ETA: To the Clonopin.
Klonopin. Dummy.

(kidding, that shit is real, feel better)
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by mister d »

Mexican-Irish fusion. Garcia Brogan's. Juan Murphy's. Come the fuck on.



(How are none named Slaintro???)
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Johnnie »

Image
mister d wrote:Couldn't have pegged me better.
EnochRoot wrote:I mean, whatever. Johnnie's all hot cuz I ride him.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Steve of phpBB »

mister d wrote:Mexican-Irish fusion. Garcia Brogan's. Juan Murphy's. Come the fuck on.
This guy disagrees.

Image
And his one problem is he didn’t go to Russia that night because he had extracurricular activities, and they froze to death.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by howard »

So does Epstein's mother. That is so wrong. (Puerto-Rican Jew)
Who knows? Maybe, you were kidnapped, tied up, taken away and held for ransom.

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Oh yeah…
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by degenerasian »

reading everything over hope things get better in the US. Sounds like Germany was a huge shitshow cause you seemed to be doing well in Korea and yeah Japan would have been cool. You've posted many times and to me it seemed that nobody in Germany had your back and other than seeing Europe, work was hell every day
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by mister d »

If either of my kids ever opens O'Shaughnowski's, I will lose my shit.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Johnnie »

More drama to report.

I fly outta here on Tuesday morning. Typically the understanding is that when an individual is getting this close to leaving you leave them be and let them finalize all outstanding issues both personal and professional.

So, I get a phone call today from a Captain in my unit discussing my needing to come in to sign some paperwork. It smells of bullshit immediately. I've been on the outbound list for a long while now. Any and all paperwork that I could have signed has been signed. There's literally no significant paperwork my unit had for me that cannot be taken care of later. I press back. But, and to those that have met me from here, you know my tone. It sounds disrespectful. But I'm mostly agitated. I'm not mad at the person. I'm mad at the situation.

I know there's something else involved. And there is. A mandatory, random urinalysis. She finally tells me on the phone. It's a common occurrence. We all go through the awkward "Hey...uh, you have a mandatory appointment to attend...um, drunk water" phone call. Legally, you cannot state over the phone (even though she did because she's a rookie and didn't know the talk around protocol plus I'm sure my tone didn't help) and around others that a person has been selected for this. So my issue isn't with doing it, but moreso the shady way it seemed I "have to sign this paperwork before you leave." I honestly thought someone was being an ass because, hell, that's been my entire assignment.

During this phone call I'm told that on Wednesday I was sought after by a Master Sergeant for...something. I located her and asked point blank "What do you need?" I get no response. I ask again. Still no response. Whatever. Be passive aggressive. After doing a minor errand in the squadron I look again for the Master Sergeant. Nowhere to be found. Fuck it. I'm leaving and did. No inclination to any urinalysis test or anything. I'm not wasting my time.

Yesterday, no call, no text. That brings me to today and this phone call. That interaction is brought up and I say that at no point was anything discussed further and if it's that type of issue why wasn't I told? Usually you can be led into being told without being told, so I'm of the mindset that the unit is being ridiculous.

Well, I go in, sign the paperwork, head to the urinalysis facility, piss in a cup, and get back to the squadron. Well, apparently the Captain who I took the phone call from didn't like my tone and has demanded that I be in my blues in the morning before I do my final out appointment. Complete power play move and something I basically walked into because of my moving frustrations.

I get pretty heated and look for the first sergeant. After finding him all three of us had a sitdown and he honestly thinks I have to seek help if during my next assignment if I end up on the wrong side of people's attitudes. Maybe I'm just a cranky pissed off guy with an anger issue. As for easing up on my punishment, nada. They know I'm attending a funeral at Arlington National next week and that my blues are with me. Just a knife twist to make me wear them, basically.

It's times like this where I feel like I need Xanax or something. I've been on edge for far too long and it sucks. I really, really hope Albuquerque is better than this. My nerves are shot.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by mister d »

So you had to do something pointless at work and because you got demonstrably annoyed, they made you wear different clothes?
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Johnnie »

The Air Force has very petty individuals with very fragile egos.

While in blues I'll also be getting a Letter of Reprimand. I forgot to put that.

The dumb part is that this won't be following me to my next base at all. It's all for show and to get under my skin. And it all happens on my final duty day at this unit.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by govmentchedda »

While we're on the topic of formal military attire, why do the Army blues (pants and coat) not match? Seems stupid to me. Hoping for a cool reason.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Johnnie »

I'm not exactly sure. Our blues match and we look like airline pilots in cheap suits. The Marine Corps doesn't match and theirs look the best.

Gotta be a traditional thing.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Johnny Carwash »

So here's my pre-emptive response to anyone trying to push a "What's wrong with New Hampshire?" angle today because Trump won: Donald Fucking Trump won 1/3 of the vote of one of the two parties. That's roughly 17%. Less than the percentage of people in Utah who think you should be able to have multiple wives, or people in South Carolina who think dinosaurs are fake, or people in Florida who think it should be legal to fuck alligators*. There's nothing "wrong" with us to a greater degree than the general U.S. population, and in most cases much less. Now, go back to leaving us the fuck alone for the next four years like you usually do.

*This statement contains original research.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Pruitt »

Johnny Carwash wrote:So here's my pre-emptive response to anyone trying to push a "What's wrong with New Hampshire?" angle today because Trump won: Donald Fucking Trump won 1/3 of the vote of one of the two parties. That's roughly 17%. Less than the percentage of people in Utah who think you should be able to have multiple wives, or people in South Carolina who think dinosaurs are fake, or people in Florida who think it should be legal to fuck alligators*. There's nothing "wrong" with us to a greater degree than the general U.S. population, and in most cases much less. Now, go back to leaving us the fuck alone for the next four years like you usually do.

*This statement contains original research.
Good points - the media microscope makes everything look highly significant. Perspective and context are never important.

Tell them your state voted for Kerry and then tell them to shut up.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Pruitt »

I've not bothered to rant about my students this year, as none of the stranger occurrences or stories of entitled/moronic behaviour were new.

Until this week. I just posted something jaw-dropping in the racism section, but am going to leave this here.

The assignment called for Character Sketches for characters from the TV series that the students create. We work on this for about 6 weeks - start with a single sentence and end up with a smaller version of a TV series pitch bible (characters, plots, overall concept of series) and a short script based upon an episode.

One student handed in six character sketches like this one.

Image

I should point out that I not only teach them how to write them - what information to include - I also give them sample versions of everything they are to write. She had a copy of a professionally written series of Character Sketches. And three years ago, a particularly dense student asked if he needed to include an actual sketch with the character sketch - so ever since then, I make a joke about not submitting actual sketches.

Not a word of a lie - she handed in 6 of these, and my office stinks of Sharpie.

Best case scenario - she ran out of time to do the assignment and spent ten minutes before class doodling away. Worst case scenario - she thought this was appropriate.

Either way, she earned her 2/20.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by sancarlos »

Example #412 that it sucks to get old. Thursday evening, I'm hopping down from a three foot high ledge. Fucking rolled my ankle nearly 90 degrees. Lucky the X-rays came back negative on a break, but the ankle is all swollen up, and I'm icing it or wearing a boot all the time now. I don't have time for this crap!
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Pruitt »

Hard to say this without sounding sexist or many variations of ____ cist, but I couldn't care less that women are under represented as directors, or that __% or roles in major Hollywood films are filled by (insert name of ethnic group here).

Is this an issue that matters to anyone outside of a small circle of precious narcissists in southern California and New York?
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Jerloma »

I care so little that I didn't even know it was a thing.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Giff »

Pruitt wrote:Hard to say this without sounding sexist or many variations of ____ cist, but I couldn't care less that women are under represented as directors, or that __% or roles in major Hollywood films are filled by (insert name of ethnic group here).

Is this an issue that matters to anyone outside of a small circle of precious narcissists in southern California and New York?
If there are women/people who are being passed over as directors or roles because of their sex/race, that seems like a problem.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Pruitt »

Giff wrote:
Pruitt wrote:Hard to say this without sounding sexist or many variations of ____ cist, but I couldn't care less that women are under represented as directors, or that __% or roles in major Hollywood films are filled by (insert name of ethnic group here).

Is this an issue that matters to anyone outside of a small circle of precious narcissists in southern California and New York?
If there are women/people who are being passed over as directors or roles because of their sex/race, that seems like a problem.
Agreed, but in the list of important issues, it simply doesn't rate. And the amount of attention it gets? Very irritating.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by mister d »

Depends on if you think entertainment has a massive influence on shaping culture.



(Not whether it should, mind you, but whether it does. I don't know what parents of boys have to fight against, but trying to counter/shield the fucking princess bullshit is both annoying and impossible. Not exactly the same thing, but kinda sorta the same thing?)
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Ryan »

mister d wrote: I don't know what parents of boys have to fight against, but trying to counter/shield the fucking princess bullshit is both annoying and impossible.
Same.
he’s a fixbking cyborg or some shit. The

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Re: Rants 2?

Post by P.D.X. »

That complaint seems to assume that casting is done without pre-determining the gender/race of the characters.
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Re: Rants 2?

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Maybe this is my white male privilege talking, but outside of a particular group intentionally being blackballed (for lack of a better term) from an area he/she wants to be part of, I couldn't care less on the entire slate of things "[minority group] isn't involved in."

(Side tangent: it's always chapped my ass that women are a minority group despite being a slight majority of the population, but whatever.)

Lack of black people in baseball?
Lack of women in STEM related positions?
Lack of black people in CrossFit?
Lack of male nurses?
Lack of women playing Magic: The Gathering?

I'm like..."Ok, so?" But that response is looked at negatively. My indifference isn't prejudice. It's literally me thinking "If it isn't institutional discrimination, why are we going to shoehorn more people into an area they don't collectively want to take part in? To force diversity for the warm fuzzies?" Seems lame to me.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Johnnie »

Ah, jeez. I reread your post, Pruitt. You're coming from a different angle with your example and mine kind of encapsulates something else entirely. Didn't mean to hijack that.
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by BSF21 »

mister d wrote:Depends on if you think entertainment has a massive influence on shaping culture.



(Not whether it should, mind you, but whether it does. I don't know what parents of boys have to fight against, but trying to counter/shield the fucking princess bullshit is both annoying and impossible. Not exactly the same thing, but kinda sorta the same thing?)

This is a very interesting angle on the subject I've never considered before. Who got Mr. D's login info?
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Re: Rants 2?

Post by Steve of phpBB »

Johnnie wrote:Maybe this is my white male privilege talking, but outside of a particular group intentionally being blackballed (for lack of a better term) from an area he/she wants to be part of, I couldn't care less on the entire slate of things "[minority group] isn't involved in."
That is your white male privilege talking.

You are assuming that if there is an imbalance, the only two options are institutional discrimination or people not being interested. But it is a lot subtler than that. Pressures come from all kinds of places, and one source of pressure is the feeling that you are not wanted. If a girl feels that she is not wanted in an engineering job, or whatever, then she is less likely to be an engineer. Or play MTG.
And his one problem is he didn’t go to Russia that night because he had extracurricular activities, and they froze to death.
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