Check out Greg Epstein on Twitter.
A couple of days ago, the crowd of anti-feminist atheists on Twitter zoomed in on him because…Anita Sarkeesian is Harvard Humanist of the Year. She will accept the award at an event next Sunday.
Well you know that can’t be allowed. So the shouting began.
Chas Stewart @BirdTerrifier Feb 3
.@gregmepstein baby, darling… Why are you watering down humanism? Surely there were more deserving HotY recipients. How’s she a humanist?Greg Epstein @gregmepstein
.@BirdTerrifier Your tone is inappropriate & gives me just a tiny hint of the massive disrespect Anita addresses bravely, strongly. Blocked.Chas Stewart @BirdTerrifier Feb 3
@gregmepstein dude, inappropriate. Can’t nudge someone with a “baby, darling”? Why haven’t you all justified the pick? Whence humanism?Notung @SIN_Notung Feb 3
@BirdTerrifier if people disagree with the award, that just proves how RIGHT the award is! 😉Chas Stewart @BirdTerrifier Feb 3
@SIN_Notung I might’ve run afoul of the civility pledge but baby darling said to a man is different than to a woman.Astrokid NJ @AstrokidNJ Feb 4
@gregmepstein Dear @BirdTerrifier she’s a humanist just like past great feminists. Didn’t you get the memo from AHA?
http://americanhumanist.org/feminist
That’s just one thread. There were a bunch. Greg Epstein now has some idea what the harassment is like.
Greg Epstein @gregmepstein
.@BlueBallSkeptic what we’re thinking awarding Anita? Feminism=central to humanism; she=brave/important; & you=blocked if only f/your handleJacques Cuze @JacquesCuze Feb 3
@_sinisterBen the real problem is that @twitter is a shit UI with too few controls. @Aneris23 @Shermertronsinister @_sinisterBen Feb 3
@JacquesCuze @twitter @Aneris23 @Shermertron and a lot of children shouting obscenities then crying for their moms when responded to.Shermertron @Shermertron Feb 3
@_sinisterBen @JacquesCuze @gregmepstein @Aneris23 @BirdTerrifier Hey, it’s not as though he is a prominent Humanist (TM) with power…Etc etc etc
It’s revealing, isn’t it.
Greg Epstein @gregmepstein · Feb 3
Heard there’re a lot of sexist atheists online but am privileged not to have to think of y’all much. Guess we’ll see how misguided you are.
This is now a pinned tweet:
Greg Epstein @gregmepstein · Feb 3
Am blocking atheist men behaving badly/like sexists. Don’t mean you’re evil-just what your behavior deserves. I wish you strength to change
With a long long string of retorts – a sample –
DC in Detroit @DC_in_Detroit 18 hours ago
@gregmepstein @D4M10N I wonder how many of those bad-behaving atheist men were actually women.Black Trident TV @BlackTridentTV 14 hours ago
@uberfeminist @gregmepstein @UniversityWatc1 Sarkeesian is feminist. Doesn’t feminism literally stand in direct opposition to humanism?A Man in Green #982 @BackToTheBlade 14 hours ago
@UniversityWatc1 @gregmepstein Anita is a humanist for calling hundreds of thousands of people Sexist Misogynists? Harvard Trash. #GamerGateAndrew BLeh @AndrewBLeh 14 hours ago
@BackToTheBlade @UniversityWatc1 @gregmepstein anita has done more to scare women away from gaming than anyoneUniversity Watch @UniversityWatc1 13 hours ago
@BackToTheBlade @gregmepstein Yep, @femfreq is about CENSORSHIP & DEMONISATION. She doesn’t even play games.Miranda Celeste Hale @mirandachale 13 hours ago
.@gregmepstein This is ridiculously condescending. The men in question aren’t misogynists. They just disagree with you. See the difference?Mindgamer @denouc 13 hours ago
@mirandachale Fundamentalists call those who disagree with them “sinners”. Feminists call them “misogynist”. Cult mentality. @gregmepsteinJake Follain @JFollain 12 hours ago
@mirandachale @gregmepstein He’s apparently convinced that sexism against men doesn’t exist, because of Anita’s made up definition of sexismdBetty @ddbetty 9 minutes ago
@gregmepstein @gregladen After 9 years old, it takes gut level emotional experience to change. Power wedgie may help them focus.
All of which goes to show, there is no sexism and no misogyny and we made the whole thing up!
Or something.
Oh, jeez, and it’s just the same old trolls who’ve been at this for years. You’d think by now they’d come up something interesting and different to talk about.
Impressively concise.
It’s a pleasure to be featured on your blog again.
I’m sure it is, especially when you’re featured in such an impressive capacity.
I was hoping there was a blog post somewhere explaining Sarkeesian’s Humanist bona fides but haven’t found that yet.
Greg explained on Twitter.
I love how they bleat on about being called misogynist when, at least in the tweets above, they are the only people to use the word. Sexist behaviour/beliefs does not automatically equal misogynist. Apparently that’s what they are afraid of though. It really just smacks of self-perceived cool kids hating on an out-group getting any recognition that they so clearly deserve (rolls eyes).
chasstewart says
February 5, 2015 at 5:03 pm
Are you unable to read, or does Greg Epstein need to submit to your review a 20-page Executive Summary with a 400+ page thesis on Anita Sarkeesian’s Humanist bona fide’s. Have you demanded the same level of documentation for Lawrence Krauss from AHA or is providing support and cover for a convicted pedophile sufficient justification for a humanist award for you?
Greg Epstein @gregmepstein
.@BlueBallSkeptic what we’re thinking awarding Anita? Feminism=central to humanism; she=brave/important; & you=blocked if only f/your handle
However, I am sure that Greg Epstein will be reach out to you, shortly, with your requested 400+ thesis in order to get your approval.
I admit* that I’m somewhat curious about chasstewart & co.’s definition of humanism.
*at the risk of encouraging this nonsense
My conception of Humanism derives mainly from what Kurtz and James Croft have written. Basically, I believe that the Humanist of the Year should have: made a great contribution to science, organized a humanitarian effort, created/bolstered a secular community for an underserved area or made an outstanding effort to strengthen the wall separating church and state.
Media criticism just doesn’t move the needle for me. I do detest the people that send her all those threats and feel sorry that she’s been treated poorly, however.
So…no definition, then.
Well I find it daunting to define humanism when there are such wonderfully complete essays on this ideology. But
Humanism is the celebration of: the varied cultures around the world, the scientific discoveries that expand minds and lessen the tribulations of life, and the knowledge that we must love and lean on one another because there is no parent in the sky we can turn to.
Congratulations. That is truly vapid. Using that definition, a humanist award could be given to practically anyone, in “celebration” of one of the “varied cultures around the world.”
Chas appears to have left out the most important criteria to him and his ilk: is a d00d.
But wait…Weren’t you the one who asked “Why are you watering down humanism?” Are you accusing Epstein of diluting “a celebration of: the varied cultures around the world”? Are you calling him a homeopath?
You’re mean, SC. I already explained in #10 what qualifications I thought were needed for the Humanist of the Year and it was more focused than #12.
You’re confused.* I didn’t ask you about the Humanist of the Year for any organization or the qualifications you thought were relevant. I asked about your definition of humanism. Which you’ve provided, and it was vacuous.
*Obviously not, but I’m playing along.
But then you said my definition is so vacuous that nearly anyone could qualify for a Humanist award… You’re right I’m confused.
Here’s a definition of humanism:
It’s a vapid one, but has some good qualities. If this is honestly your definition of humanism, the criteria for any Humanist of the Year should be based on these elements. The first is so vague as to include virtually anyone (including Sarkeesian); the third doesn’t really form the basis for a criterion (and so could include Sarkeesian and many others); and the second is meh: a humanist award should probably pay attention to intent, and lessening the tribulations of life (which isn’t at all limited to scientific discoveries) is likely an endeavor based on humanist values, which you haven’t discussed.
But loving and leaning on each other, and actively challenging the people who threaten Sarkeesian – those are good. Love, lean, condemn threats, chas.
Oh, SC, don’t you get it? If Sarkeesian had targeted religious tropes in video games, everything would be fine! Feminism, though? That’s just like religion, and therefore totally undeserving of the humanistic label.
(/snark)
Why would I care about religious tropes in games? Maybe if I feared that these tropes had the ability to derange the player in to becoming theists? But that’s a cynical view of humanity that I don’t subscribe to (and a belief that has no data to support it).
I categorically condemn those threats against Sarkeesian and believe anybody who does this cannot in good conscience call themselves Humanists.
Myers @1:
If you think culture and institutions of power are being taken over by a cabal of feminists, everything looks like a nail. Besides, we’re not their target audience, in the same way a mantra isn’t intended for casual passers-by.
chasstewart @21:
Ah, so you think human beings are perfect dispassionate observers, able to separate themselves completely from their environment and rationally analyze all of it. I’m surprised, philosophers and theologians have been arguing over dualism for millenia, and last I heard it was on the ropes. You must have stumbled on a rather marvelous proof, then!
I’m unfamiliar with this definition of dualism.
chasstewart (#5):
Really? I’m waiting for a post that explains why she isn’t deserving of the award. You know, one that doesn’t boil down to “I’m totally clueless about humanism, and a sexist arsehole to boot”.
chasstewart @ 10 – ah but maybe it’s not the media criticism per se that won her the award – maybe it’s her continued media criticism in the face of an onslaught of misogynist harassment meant to punish her for that media criticism that won her the award. That would be ironic for all those punishers, wouldn’t it.