unknownblogger: The IT Crowd

The Unknown Blogger (

unknownblogger) wrote,
@ 2006-02-03 00:45:00

The IT Crowd
This evening I watched the first two episodes of a British sitcom called The IT Crowd. The main characters are two male computer geeks, and a female manager who knows hardly anything about computers but somehow ended up in the IT department.

While I accept that this stereotype is used for comic value, I felt rather uncomfortable with it. In particular, I think that such stereotypes have a negative impact on many women in computing - they fear being seen as this "clueless chick" if they say or do something wrong.

Opinions? Do you think that we should just accept these stereotypes for humour value, or do you think that they might inadvertantly have a negative effect on computing culture?

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	omglaserspewpew 2006-02-02 01:57 pm UTC (link)
	Don't let PC govern your life. (Reply to this)

	wzdd 2006-02-02 02:15 pm UTC (link)
	I would also feel uncomfortable. Also, the "women don't understand computers" cliche is very old and tired, so not very funny. I do think this sort of thing strengthens negative stereotypes, though not in a particularly dangerous way: it's more lame than offensive. (Reply to this)(Thread)

unknownblogger
2006-02-06 03:38 am UTC (link)

Yeah, and in fact most of the cliches in this series are pretty old and tired, though I'll admit that some of it is nonetheless funny. For example, in the fire scene, part of it goes something a bit like this:

types out email, reading aloud
"Dear Sir/Madam, It has come to our attention that there may be a fire on the premises."
shakes head, wipes it out
"FIRE, exclamation mark, exclamation mark, exclamation mark!"

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	nerdi 2006-02-02 02:46 pm UTC (link)
	Maybe they're trying to break the stereotype. Usually the incompetent manager is a guy. (Reply to this)(Thread)

unknownblogger
2006-02-06 03:53 am UTC (link)

I don't think that they were deliberately trying to break any stereotypes, but you have a point. If the incompetent manager was a guy, then I mightn't have taken issues with it, but then there would have been an absence of women altogether. If the manager wasn't incompetent, or the others weren't socially inept male geeks, then that would eliminate some of the premises on which the show's humour is based.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

(Anonymous)
2006-02-02 02:59 pm UTC (link)

Trying to right comedy, above all else it has to succeed at being funny. Usually this is easier if the characterisations are recognisable. Sadly this stereotype is not unfair and easy to prick just now. In a few years, who knows...
How many highly talented women in IT do you know? A few? How many highly talented men? Is it a few more than that?
Of course that doesn't mean you have to like the show...

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	(Anonymous) 2006-02-03 09:35 pm UTC (link)
	In absolute numbers you are right, but when you take it as percentage of people who think they know something about IT or who are in the industry, I think there are probably more highly talented women, than men. Or put it another way, there are a lot more wannabe guys than girls. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	starskittles 2006-02-02 06:41 pm UTC (link)
	I mean, maybe it could be funny, but I don't like it. I love computers...I think it could steer women away from learning computers even more or make it seem like women know nothing about them. Also, it furthers the stereotype of 'greeky computer guys' (Reply to this)(Thread)

	unknownblogger 2006-02-06 04:09 am UTC (link)
	Yeah - the number of women who study computing is proportionally low, and I think these sorts of stereotypes contribute to that. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	ladybliu 2006-02-03 05:56 pm UTC (link)
	actually, im being sent to a woman at HP to talk about how im being discriminated against because im a woman- and im sick to shit of having no other girls in my classes, at work, and getting bullshit for it. Down with those bastards... i hate stereotypes, they make my life grouchy. So ya, i think its right that that show made you upset. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	unknownblogger 2006-02-06 04:53 am UTC (link)
	Yeah, and the lack of girls in computing makes it harder for other girls in computing, so it's a circular problem. But be strong, don't let anyone give you bullshit. You'll show them! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	red_kat 2006-02-06 12:57 am UTC (link)
	I think that it is hard enough for women in IT to obtain respect, so I am not really about the steriotype thing. That said I am sure I am hideously hypocritical and laugh at other steriotypes I am not oversensitive about.. so maybe we have to bow to the freedom of artistic expression. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	red_kat 2006-02-06 12:58 am UTC (link)
	of course mocking the ditzy blonde who cant spell stereotype is completely of limits too.. lol (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	unknownblogger 2006-02-06 04:40 am UTC (link)
	Whoops, I somehow managed to reply to this in the wrong spot (must be my inner ditzy blonde), see below :) (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	red_kat 2006-02-06 04:51 am UTC (link)
	argh! I cant even type 'off' what am I on today? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	unknownblogger 2006-02-06 04:53 am UTC (link)
	lol, didn't notice that :) (Reply to this)(Parent)

unknownblogger
2006-02-06 04:37 am UTC (link)

Hahaha ;) Never!

Yeah, it's difficult to define the limits of freedom of artistic expression, and it's not clear who should draw the line, so I generally err on the side of avoiding censorship and letting people make their own decisions.

But the fact is that people are scarily malleable, and do take on board what they watch, read and hear. Even if they're conscious that something is humour, propaganda, or whatever, I think it can still have a subconscious effect.

For example, this is the principle on which art reviews work. If you read enough reviews praising a particular artist, then many people will believe that before they even see the works, and it's only people with strong convictions who will dare to point out that the emperor has no clothes.

At the risk of sounding like a conservative, I also worry sometimes about the effects that violent movies have, in terms of how they affect people's fears and power fantasies.

(Reply to this)

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