According to Strupp's article, the copy of Gee's posting with news of his firing first appeared on another Web site, www.bostonsportsmedia.com.
As both a former teaching associate at two major colleges and a former sports writer, I was not surprised. One wonders: Is this the way the sports writers for the last 17 years talked about women--their colleagues, their interns and their athletes they interviewed? Did such attitudes make these women more comfortable?
I do know that some men are quite obvious about their salivating lusts in the classroom to the extent that students will transfer to another class or section. I do know that some fellow teaching associates freely spoke of women in terms of sexual attraction and when criticized displayed the same carefree attitude.
Does another woman really want to hear a mutual colleague or student described as "well, I wouldn't kick her out of my bed"? One of my student confided that she transferred out of that male teaching associate's class because of the way he looked at her.
My impression, working as a sports writer over a decade ago, was that sports journalism was one of the last refuge for the male chauvinist and homophobe--from male sports writers expressing surprise that a heterosexual man would contract HIV as Magic Johnson did because it was, after all, a gay man's disease; to men wanting to know the female athlete's romantic attachments because it was somehow newsworthy to know about a woman's boyfriend in a feature story and not a man's girlfriend, to a snickering report about an underage female ice skater who seemed to have numerous sexual liaisons (without exploring the men involved since the male skaters were mostly legal age), to the assertion that male ice skaters must be gay.
Blogs are not private journals, particularly ones where many people post, all of whom are or aspire to be writers.
There has been some debate about the person who called BU, David Scott. Did he "rat" on Gee or was he just being a journalist, himself, following up an story?
From subsequent emails, Scott learned that others had warned Gee, who blew them off.
What we don't know is how the female student, the object of Gee's lust felt. In the Washington Post article, Michael Feldman, who lectures on foreign law and business at BU, wrote on his Dowbrigade Web site that:
Article comments
1 - RJ
It's a tough issue.
For example, there are several women where I work who are rather attractive. Should I never mention that on my own blog?
And if I do mention it, am I just asking to be fired for "sexual harrassment" or some such?
2 - Tan The Man
I always use pseudonyms for the girls I describe.
3 - Dave Nalle
>>I always use pseudonyms for the girls I describe.<<
If your descriptive skills are any good, how would that help?
Dave
4 - Eric Berlin
I try to be as vague as possible about my profession / paying gig(s) in the blogging world, just to be on the safe side.
5 - alpha
I am only just learning the power of the net and its dangers. It can also be used to strike at you by showing that you have written something (almost anything) not offically approved of. Your local enemies and the government can both get together to exert control over what is published.
6 - Purple Tigress
To answer RJ's question: You should first see what your company's policy is on blogs. As I previously noted in another article posted here, people have been let go for things written that were not work related but made his co-workers feel uncomfortable. The person in question was a vendor/contract employee.
As for describing people, when I copy edit, I weigh whether the description of the men and women are equal.Oddly enough, I rarely find men describing other men as attractive or handsome and for this reason, the women should also not be so described.
I have to also add, that if you use the word "girls" to describe someone over the age of 18, you are already in trouble. Same goes for describing minority males over the age of 18 as boys. Certain circumstances are exceptions, of course.
Sexual harassment is continued or continuous directed unwanted attention that creates a hostile environment.
The person in question, Gee, was obviously clueless, even after being warned by fellow bloggers--all male. How much more clueless was he when similar patterns of behavior offended women?
I, personally, do not feel the need to describe attractive men in my blog.
7 - Temple Stark
In my experience sports writers are exactly like this. Borish, yes. Most of the ones I've known however, don't go the extra stumble and post about it on the Web, saying how attractive and f***able the star women's basketball player is.
(And for the record I have no idea in my city who the star basketball player is and couldn't name one of the players on the boys or girls teams. CYA, and true)
8 - Mark Sahm
I see no literary merit in oogling over attractive women on your blog, unless you're working for a modeling agency or something close to that. I love the female form as much as the next guy, but it all stays in my brain. That's what fantasies are for, eh?
9 - Joe
I've actually had a very similar experience at my former job. Never in terms of sexual attraction, but mentioning your boss negatively in any kind of online public forum can and will lead to your boss trying to find a way to can your ass. Kinda sucks.
10 - Cerulean
I've said it before: If you want to write honestly about your lusts and who your hatreds, you'd better change everyone's name and obscure every detail. Otherwise, you're looking for trouble.