The most recent issue of the Oral Otis, the University of Ottawa’s Engineering Students’ Society paper, featured misogynistic content. Again.
The Bad
Professor Kathryn Trevenen, with U of O’s School of Political Studies, “said the article was in such poor taste that she doesn’t think students should be paying for the newspaper out of their non-academic fees” (full article at the CBC).
The article in question was an advice column which contained “graphic references to anal sex, sexual aggression and pedophilia.”
The Ugly
Responding to controversy over a previous issue, U of O’s student newspaper The Fulcrum quoted the Oral Otis’ editor-in-chief Zacharie Brunet as saying:
“I was aware that [the article] was a little bit pushing it, but it was our first time writing a paper. I had no guidelines to follow; I didn’t know what the line was [and] if we were crossing it or not.”
Now that Zacharie has some experience under his belt, just what did he see fit to publish this time? From Professor Trevenen’s letter:
After counselling men on the biological irrelevance of the female orgasm, the authors offer “tricks that will get her to think twice about finishing faster than a pedophile at a preschool.” They encourage, “jerking off on her after she’s finished: if she doesn’t get the message after the first or second time, she’ll sure get the message when you start aiming for the eyes.” Finally, they recommend anal sex in language that evokes rape. They say: “Don’t stop: Hey, if she’s screaming and moaning in pleasure, just keep thrusting harder and don’t let her get away…remember, you two aren’t finished until you say you are.”
Rob Arntfeld is the vice-president of social affairs for the Engineering Student Society. The CBC quotes his response:
“For myself, personally, I think some of the content in the paper is meant to be humorous,” he said. He added that engineers “have taken a lot of flak for being engineers,” and are often the subject of jokes about engineers rarely touching women or getting laid.“I believe that when we take this sort of thing in stride and that sexual harassment, if we dish out a little bit of our own, who’s to say who’s more right?”
The Good
What the CBC article didn’t mention, which was covered in the several more comprehensive pieces at The Fulcrum are the reactions from the university as a whole, and the repercussions for the ESS and its newspaper. (Unlike the CBC, The Fulcrum also didn’t position the story as ‘Feminist Prof v Engineers’, but that’s a separate post)
The first time around similar actions were taken by: Seamus Wolfe (VP University Affairs for the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa), and Jordan Leichnitz (coordinator of the Women’s Resource Centre).
In this more recent case, Professor Trevenen’s open letter published in the Fulcrum was supported by 15 additional faculty members and 44 students and community members. Then there is the open letter from the Women’s Studies Student’s Association. An open letter from a 2nd year international development student. And the Editorial from The Fulcrum.
As for what happened to the ESS — “Oral Otis pulled from stands, denied ability to publish again: Rejection of content comes from all corners of campus”:
“…the editors of the Oral Otis will not be allowed to print another issue until they create a policy that outlines what is deemed reasonable content, and the ESS will be penalized—likely a monetary reprimand—for allowing the issue to go to print.”
The Rest
There are many good and decent people who are or want to be engineers. Some of them are my friends and family.
Unfortunately, engineering departments at many universities have a reputation of being schools within schools (a culture highlighted by many engineering frosh and social events). And they are, I think fairly, often associated not with taking all the best egalitarian traits of a university, but rather with being vestigial boys’ clubs.
In those departments where these boys’ club attitudes go unchecked, women are allowed in so long as they don’t make a fuss about it being a boys’ club. If you don’t just blend in to the misogynist wallpaper, then you are (oh sweet god no) a feminist, or worse, a humourless feminist.
Because what a downer you are if you don’t laugh about rape. You must not find anything funny.
As Danielle, who tipped us off to this story, rightly pointed out, it’s the female engineers who “often take the brunt of this sexual frustration and ‘humour’ and many end up feeling uncomfortable in the program once enrolled.”
Which I touched on in an article in the current issue of Shameless about women in Computer Science. Another discipline where women are still in the minority, and still have to deal with attitudes that anyone raised on a diet of Free to Be is incredibly disappointed to find still out in the world.
As long as universities continue to tolerate these attitudes, in any department, it continues to happen. Because there will always be people like Zacharie who will claim they don’t know where the line is, if you don’t draw it in giant indelible ink right in front of them.
So I’m looking at the story this way: The University of Ottawa, collectively, drew the line and sent a strong message that this sort of anti-social behaviour is not acceptable. Good on them.
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six comments
I guess something that happens as you get older is that more and more you're able to choose who you associate with, and what you read.
I think because of the filters that I've put in place in my own life to keep out language and content that is hurtful and hateful, I'm totally totally shocked that the Engineering newspaper would publish something like that. Maybe this means I should stop sheltering myself - because I guess if in 2008 in an "institute of higher learning" such hurtful, frightening language is okayed and perhaps even encouraged, my conception of the world must be skewed. Like maybe I shouldn't be quite so shocked.
Sometimes though, it's much more pleasant to live in a fantasy world where you imagine that people don't openly talk about women's bodies like that - or at least, that it's not considered socially acceptable and wouldn't be done in a public forum.
It is good to hear that the university itself has the clarity and decency to do what it did, and to not talk about this issue as if it is some special interest group (ie one of those whacky women's studies professors) griping about what might be nothing. (Bad CBC!)
Posted by Thea
March 20, 2008, 5:01 PM
Oddly enough, I'm glad this was done in a university. Because if it was just a random bunch of idiots who decided to publish a newspaper, I'd have to side with protecting their right to freedom of speech. Which I hate to do (especially with stuff like this), but it's necessary.
In this case, however, the University did the right thing.
Posted by Lindsay
March 21, 2008, 1:02 PM
SOOO glad you guys picked up on this. The comments from Rob Arntfeld are quite despicable. So these boys got teased by other males (most likely) for being engineers, lets allow them take the brunt of their frustration in misguided and often violent humour against women?
This isn't about setting up pranks, or painting yourself purple, those comments go way beyond the slightly uncomfortable humour found in U of T's engineering paper 'Toike Oike' for example. I don't know much about Ottawa's engineering program and how many women it has, but I find it hard to believe that same dialogue would have been allowed at other campuses.
Posted by Daniell
March 23, 2008, 1:25 PM
I am a former female software engineer student at the University of Ottawa, and frankly, this whole uproar about the oral otis is disturbing to me as a feminist. Every other student publication routinely make fun of men in crass terms, and not only at uOttawa. But here, the relentless teasing of men in engineering is incredible. Chants of "Engineers don't get laid" and songs about how, even if engineers will make good money, at least artsies get to have sex often, are rampant. Does anyone get up in arms about this? Of course not, it's against men. On the other hand, the oral otis has a clear warning on all of its issues about how the content may not be suitable for everyone. It also denotes how its articles are satirical and humorous, and not to be taken seriously. The article in question was funny and clever, but of course, since it is not quoted in full here and taken out of context, it seems rather harsh.
Do I think that, since these engineers have been tormented, that it is ok for them to torment back? Of course not. But the fact is, everything is taken in good humour. The teasing of engineers never getting laid? Everybody finds it funny - because everyone knows it's just a joke, that it's not true, the people chanting included. Women in engineering - like me - also think that the article in question was funny and relevant, not hurtful. Many people outside the faculty think the same, but in the face of such hate, do not want to come out and argue with such a controversial issue. Never have I felt threatened there by anyone. Never had I felt that my peers were misogynists in any way. In fact, they seem to respect women more than many other people I have met. Maybe it is because they DO have trouble getting a girlfriend, and once they have one, they make sure they are as happy as possible, I don't know.
The anonymous author should not be hated here. The neo-feminists, who target humorous articles instead of real issues like discrimination in the workplace or sexual harassment, should be ashamed. Because of this new wave of alarmist feminists, I hesitate to call myself one lest I be perceived as the same as them.
Please do not hate on something like this without knowing the facts. Many members of the Engineering Student Society that had nothing to do with the Oral Otis already quit just so they are not associated with the fiasco created by the Women Studies department (who, in passing, never wrote to the Oral Otis themselves, but went straight to the Fulcrum. This is sensationalism, not an attempt at fixing anything).
Posted by Jessica
March 26, 2008, 7:47 AM
"Women in engineering - like me - also think that the article in question was funny and relevant, not hurtful"
"Never have I felt threatened there by anyone."
Glad to hear you have never felt threatened there Jessica, but, how do you think the article would affect a person who has experienced a violent sexual assault?
Posted by Erin
March 26, 2008, 8:33 AM
Hi Jessica: Perhaps the reason why people aren't as upset about "Engineers don't get laid" is that it's a chant that's generally restricted to frosh week in universities - whereas violence against women is a systemic, endemic problem? And as you state, jokes about how engineers don't get laid are mean-spirited at worst, and funny at best. To me that really doesn't come close to jokes about anally raping women.
You mention we are not aware of the facts or the context of the article - we'd sure like to hear them if you'd like to share them with us.
Posted by Thea
March 26, 2008, 11:05 AM
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