People from all over the place are claiming there has been a distinct increase in natural disasters in the last ten years. It has set many people off looking for reasons in every nook and cranny. Some of the reasons to blame to this point are global warming, atheism, homosexuality, secularism, just plain old natural disasters with there being nothing special about them, the lowering of standards for what is and isn’t sexually explicit, etc etc.
Can you spot the odd one out there? The second last, nothing special about them. In this day and age we have instant global communication as never seen before, someone sitting on the bog can be communicating on his phone to thousands of other people in every nook and cranny around the world, and this ability is open to just about anyone.
Previously if a crackpot managed to get the attention of their local media, that’s about where it would stop as it would take a few days at the very least for this to be replicated around the world, rather than minutes as it is now.
Jennifer McCreight has come up with a brilliant idea of a scientific experiment that could help save millions of lives from natural disasters, and it’s something I would like to see each and every person reading this blog get behind. It’s an amazing idea that needs everyone’s support, but before I explain what it is, please watch the following video to at least the 1:50 (one minute fifty seconds) mark.
An Iranian cleric recently decided he knows exactly why there’s been numerous catastrophic earthquakes recently, and it isn’t plate techtonics.
“Many women who do not dress modestly lead young men astray and spread adultery in society which increases earthquakes,” he explained.
So Jen’s idea? Whip ’em out. Well, not quite out, but get as many women (and moob-sporting men I presume) around the world to simultaneously wear the lowest, most revealing top they can for one day. And so the call is going out. #boobquake has been born, it can be followed on Twitter and Facebook.
On Monday the 26th of April 2010, please, for the sake of humanity and all the children in disaster struck areas, show us ya front bum. Please, think of the children!
.
Edit: This post was made entirely in jest. It is a joke. I am not actually calling for any of this to be done. Some people seem to be severely lacking in anything resembling a sense of humour and hence completely miss this fact. If you were offended or upset by this post, please read the next one before posting a reply.
Bastard Sheep 
You. Are. Kidding. Objectify atheist women, once again, rather than actually do something productive. It’s not as if women have it tough enough being taken seriously in society when the average female gets sexist attitudes projected on them every day.
Oh, why not get your tits out for the lads? Especially when it’s just so funny to ignore the bigger issues, more enjoyable avoiding actually devoting some time or resources to what Iran is undergoing — and just have a check of someone’s body on Facebook?
I’m sure that human right’s activists world-wide will see skeptics as such fine examples of productive members of society — wow, they have a FACEBOOK PAGE. Fabulous. Sign me up as a leering guy. Because we sure as hell know that’s what is the real response of all of you out there, and the poor women who are naive enough to think that this will make the next convention, interaction or discussion with a guy _so much easier_. Or have the women who do genuinely wish to talk about a project they want to get started have the response of ‘you going to do it the way they did and produce your body for our enjoyment to get your attention?’
When Tim Minchin did this, he demonstrated it as a joke. He’s a _comedian_. He makes critical comments about society, but the order is to reflect upon as not a science communicator, not a atheist spokesperson and it mocks the sterotype of the sex-obsessed guy. If you honestly think that it’s meant to be a model of behavior, then you’ve missed the point of feminism as much as the young women thinking that exposing their bodies equals automatic respect.
If you are honestly attempting to say that this will have ANY significant impact beyond sniggering at the women who are silly enough to equate ‘feminism’ with exposing their bodies for the attention of men — which, let’s face it, this is what it is — then you’re part of the problem. At any point are you going to offer real solutions for the women who are being oppressed, to the society over there that you supposedly care so much about? Why not, you just devoted a blog post to it — what else are you doing for this ‘so-important cause’?
Let me know if you have any example of honest, critical reflection on the situation that the theocracy in that country is doing to those people. Talked to any groups there. Or any research into what the women there are facing.
The whole thing smacks of those narrow-minded, playing-to-the-crowd atheists who stand behind the podium yelling ‘let’s kick Catholicism out of Africa!’ — fine words, fine statements, absolutely nothing productive in terms of finding out if it’s feasible, possible, or what are the bigger issues at hand that make that nigh impossible.
I’d say be fine if you want to be a comedian as a female skeptic. But for sod’s sake, do not fool yourself that you haven’t just made yourself a joke by doing this or thinking that it’s in any way a good way of real consciousness-raising or doing a damned difference to what is a serious issue underlying it.
Sure. Laugh. You’re laughing at the ongoing situation and doing nothing for it. But at least you saw some breasts that day. Ha.
Yes, I am kidding as a matter of fact. Do I need to get out the large red and yellow flashing sign that says “joke”?
I am sure you don’t honestly think someone could take this clerics comments seriously enough to want to do a proper experiment.
Jen herself has stated she will most likely wear what ever top she would normally wear that day whether she had posted her idea or not.
Your response is a fine example of why people should remember to take a step away from their computer and take ten deep breaths before hitting the reply button.
Have a nice day.
Yes, your honor. Avoid the bigger issue, why not, still.
I have still not seen anyone seriously engage with the issues at hand. Why not?
Simple, m’lud. It’s because the universal, non-critical-thinking, hedonistic, self-absorbed need for a good time, the opportunity to have yet another laugh; to put up the large ‘red and yellow sign’ at the expense of what is a case that could very well deserve a more critical investigation — why bother?
Oh look, bewbies. Unique. Just as well Jen has started to backtrack, WELL AFTER she started this case. Has she started thinking for the first time about the ramifications?
Of course, the new issue of how women in skepticism are now being generally portrayed as flouting their bodies in complete and utter ignorance of the Iranian women, let alone population, they purportedly care so much about, is overlooked once again.
This is what feminist and intellectual predecessors chained themselves to railings for and were killed for speaking out against religious and patriarchal dominance. This is what Taslima Nasrin presented at the atheist conference for. It’s what the women at the women’s panel would just love — to see a lack of critical engagement in a societal issue, so a few people can shake their *bewbies* in the joy that it isn’t a problem for _them_.
I look forward, your honor, to seeing you laugh in a similar fashion to the possibility of the Ethics classes in NSW being shut down, by your Australian women starting up a similar campaign with their bodies on explicit display? Get Your Tits Out For The Lads For Ethics Classes?
Because Phillip Cam and the like would so see that as vital, when they have other things that you could lend an actual helping hand with.
Why not, that’s a ‘skeptic concern’ too, isn’t it? And who cares about how the schools might see you critical thinkers by such a display, or the community leaders who might be otherwise convinced. Or the religious-right who just need more ammo to say ‘this is how they behave and this is what they’ll see as acceptable on social sites where kids can see it’. Oh, that’s right, you were being funny all along. The already skeptical had a laugh at the silly, silly women. That makes it okay then.
Stephen Fry had a word for this kind of thing. The word was ‘lazy’.
This is lazy, self-indulgent and potentially energy that could be better focused on showing that you actually do care, perhaps by urging joining groups who make a difference.
But then, that’s maybe why skeptic groups out there aren’t taken so seriously, and why the media can so easily nit-pick and vilify atheists: because time wasting on this and making women look cheap (and let’s face it, this is INDEED CHEAP: a cheap joke, a cheap shot and potentially cheapens women in the public fora let alone the minority of women in atheism/skepticism)
well, it’s funnier.
Fine work critical thinkers, pseudo-feminists and the masses of skeptics and atheists who have had the opportunity to do something that could rally the — how many people signed on for the Facebook Page? — population to do something that was more than just smut.
Defense rests.
What bigger issue? There is none. The post was a joke.
JOKE. As in, not serious. Jest. Humour. Not in any way shape or form serious.
Do you not understand that word?
You are trying to make something out of nothing. To make something out of what is not there. That is all there is to it.
Bah, Bah
The problem with these kinds of ‘jokes’ and I am certain that Jen really did intend for this to be a joke is that there really is no point to it.
The Cleric who made the comments is certainly no different than Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell… who blamed Natural Disasters on Homosexuals. I remember people addressing the narrow minded homophobic fear mongering through discourse. There was an opportunity to illustrate exactly how hateful the Far Right in the US is and it was taken by people who understood that it is in moments like that, when there is human misery and parasites attempt to take advantage that we are best able to educate others. If Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens offered to engage in wanton acts of televised sodomy as a means to prove the RightWingNuttery false I missed it.
I’ll tell ya… the Cleric is using fear and ignorance to impose his views on a people who are not really in a position to flash some cleavage to illustrate how ludicrous his comments are. There are those who because of ignorance will believe what he says, and there are people who will suffer because of that ignorance.
No one will learn anything from BoobQuake, and nothing will be accomplished. Actually I take that back… Once again the Skeptic Community had an opportunity to actually do SOMETHING of worth, something of value and ONCE AGAIN the community has resorted to fairly low brow levity when gravity is what was called for.
No one is meant to learn anything from it. No one is seriously meant to go through with it. It hasn’t resorted to anything. Once again, this whole thing is a joke.
If it was posted by one of the “official” skeptic sites such as the JREF site or Australian Skeptics Inc I could understand the backlash and the hate, but it wasn’t. It was posted on one persons personal blog, I have posted it on my personal blog too. You may as well be criticising me for my IT related posts, they’re not helpful to skepticism either.
This concern trolling is really getting out of hand. Once again, let me say “joke”. Please, repeat it a few times. It may eventually sink in.