Satire or insanity?

Critics seeing red over push for female walking signals

Victorian pedestrians could soon have an equal number of female and male walking signals in a big push for gender equality in the state’s road crossings.

The mere conversation sparked outrage among many who insist the push for more female shaped green and red-flashing lights is political correctness gone mad.

Lobby group the Committee for Melbourne doesn’t agree though, they believe the male silhouettes reinforce unconscious bias by discriminating against women.

“Unconscious bias reinforces stereotypes and influences daily decisions and attitudes … the Equal Crossings initiative will draw our attention to these issues in a practical and positive way,” Committee for Melbourne CEO Martine Letts said.

Upon first reading this article, you would be tempted to laugh and wonder why an obviously satirical piece has been taken seriously by so many. People don't realise it's satire? They really think this is happening? Poor fools.

But then it hits you: no this is actually a real news article and there are actually people who are campaigning for this to happen. Suddenly, the situation does not seem so humorous after all.

Please, Committee for Melbourne, drop the act and tell us this is a joke. We won't be angry that there is no morale to be learned or punchline to comprehend, just allow us to take comfort in the fact that real people are not advocating for such an outrageously ridiculous notion.

Has a more stupid suggestion been made? I cannot remember finding such a creative way to waste money and resources and appear universally stupid all at once...

a reply to: Dark Ghost

This isn't shocking at all to me. Politicians on a city-town level are so desperate to make a splash that they come up with a lot of arrant nonsense. And there really are very few things within their purview, at least in the States.

Having said that, and I realize what a waste of time this is, who cares? The slippery slope argument isn't a strong one and perhaps little moves like this will satisfy those afflicted with political correctness hysteria.

I mean does your average employed non-government work have the time or interest in theses things?? Your trying to put food on the table, worrying about gas prices, health care. What is the daily life like for these insane people that obsesse over gender issues??

a reply to: Dark Ghost

The fun part is, how will they make it look female? Putting it in a skirt? Giving it boobs? Isn't that even more sexist?

a reply to: Peeple

That is a great point.

a reply to: Dark Ghost

Okay, I confess: Sometimes I call myself a feminist. But if they put skirts on the "females" I'll be right PO'd. Long hair on the current emoji won't work either. If they put boobs on the females, I wanna see evidence of true masculinity hanging down between the others' legs.

What in blue blazes is happening in our world? There are so many truly important things going on and people waste my time with this bullpuckey?



OK. Not you, Dark Ghost. Thanks for posting but I am so sorry I read it 'cuz then I was compelled to post too.

I agree, it's PC gone mad, and to prove it, we should just make them all female, and then when no males complain, we will have our answer.

Women have to wear dresses now? Hahah I see what you did there!

Satire/Insanity...it all seems to be mixing together. Like the petition to change Cracker Barrel's name because it's racist: www.change.org...

a reply to: Dark Ghost

Yep that's Melbourne for you, they always have to be different, in a weird kind of way.

This PC madness has to stop before there is no longer any individuality left .

You can call it PC I suppose but people really do respond better to things when they see themselves reflected in it.

a reply to: soficrow

Some people on these boards continually claim that PC gone mad is an exaggerated concept and doesn't really exist. Well, examples such as these serve as an important reminder that it does exist and the ideology behind it is striving.

Do you really wanna laugh?
Then please use a translator and read the following article:
Linky Link

It´s not that we wouldn`t have any real problems, nooo.
And to be honest, if i have to wait at a traffic light, i don´t see the figure but only the color.

But hey, we don´t have any real problems...

People have lost their damned minds. I'll just leave it at that. We're headed towards trouble and a bunch of it.

Rationality is ignored. Extremism is "hip." Everyone has to have everything 100% their way.

"Looks like rain."- Geralt of Rivia

a reply to: Dark Ghost

The crosswalk figure doesn't have a bulge. It's gender neutral. For Christ sakes people get a grip.

originally posted by: Dark Ghost
a reply to: soficrow

Some people on these boards continually claim that PC gone mad is an exaggerated concept and doesn't really exist. Well, examples such as these serve as an important reminder that it does exist and the ideology behind it is striving.

I should have clarified: All the 'walk signs' I've seen are neutered unisex symbols. So a non-issue, the way they should be. But I admit I don't know what they look like in Australia. Just have a real problem visualizing walk signs with skirts and boobs.

originally posted by: DerBeobachter
Do you really wanna laugh?
Then please use a translator and read the following article:
Linky Link

It´s not that we wouldn`t have any real problems, nooo.
And to be honest, if i have to wait at a traffic light, i don´t see the figure but only the color.

But hey, we don´t have any real problems...

You're probably also conditioned (particularly as male) to not see it as anything special. I don't think this is some huge issue to society or anything, but if you were a man and the only generic people symbols you saw were all women, you wouldn't see much of an identity either. When people see themselves in the machines, they're more likely to obey them because they can relate.

If mixing genders on street signs convinced pedestrians to obey traffic signals more often wouldn't you argue it's a good thing?