• merc@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    It’s not necessarily being “scared and intimidated”.

    We’re just conditioned that when someone at the top of their field talks about their hobbies / interests / skills outside that field, it’s very often a very shallow level of skill. Why? Because being at the top of your field in almost anything takes a lot of focus. You don’t really have time to develop other skills / hobbies.

    There are countless examples. Actors or athletes who release music albums that are just awful. Celebrities who write really amateurish novels which would sink into obscurity if they didn’t have a famous person’s name attached.

    Making the problem worse, often the entourage of those rich and famous people is filled with sycophants who heap praise on the celebs. That leads them to believe that they really are good at their hobbies.

    Then there’s the fact that the world is so hungry for celebrity gossip and special interest stories that “journalists” often get a tiny nugget of information and use it for the basis of an entire article. So, if a celebrity mumbles something about liking their backyard barbecue, it will spawn countless articles about how that celeb is an expert at the art of BBQ, they might release their own branded BBQ sauce, their skills were endorsed by some celebrity chef, etc.

    So, given all that, it’s perfectly reasonable to be skeptical when you hear something like “This [insert celebrity type here] can [insert hobby here] like an expert!”

    • body_by_make@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 year ago

      You know damn good and well that if this was a hot dude that could do these things, the comments towards them wouldn’t be nearly as hostile.

      • ddkman@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        This is a complete strawman, and pretty much completely wrong. If you look at the heroes of the IT community, Linus Torvalds, Steve Wozniak, Gabe Newell, or the lesser known Terry A. Davis. These are not conventionally attractive people living a glamourous lifestyle.

        This does not mean this post is not sexist, but the strawman of “if this was a male they would idolise him” is just complete horseshit, and in no way better than assuming a “pretty little woman” couldn’t do programming.

        • body_by_make@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          1 year ago

          You’re moving the goal posts. I said if this was a hot dude the comments wouldn’t be nearly as hostile. Both of us know this, but you’re busy insisting these incels are only making these comments because the media or some bullshit. You know they’re doing it because they’re jealous and you’re no better for trying to justify their bullshit.

            • body_by_make@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              1 year ago

              No. I made a pretty clear statement that if this was a hot dude, the commenters wouldn’t be as hostile. That’s setting the goal posts. Saying I said they’d be praising the man is moving them.

    • TheMauveAvenger@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      “This [insert celebrity type here] can [insert hobby here] like an expert!”

      The original post doesn’t say “like an expert”, but you continued to create a strawman argument focused mostly on this aspect.