Purpleface is
Before today's poll, I'd like to see how effective the neutral approach has been. Based on how and what I've written, is the Purpleface persona a
White male
Black male
Hispanic male
White female
Black female
Hispanic female
Submitted by Purpleface on Wed, 2007-05-09 08:10
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Was I successful in obscuring something as basic as race and gender? Take a guess so I can find out.
"Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge" -- Kahlil Gibran
I go with..
White male. Only because I'm playing the odds.
http://wealthweekly.blogspot.com
Wii FC:2805-8311-8040-2678
Brawl: 2277-7051-2186
Ditto
What do we win if we're right?
Edit: hmm, I guess the timestamp reveals that I'd already seen the frontpage poll results... am I disqualified?
Come, my friends. 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world -- Tennyson
Pride in your powers of observation.
But I haven't voted in the poll yet. I'm waiting for the rest of you to take a guess.
I'll post a pic of my ugly mug, but I'm not sure you'd think that's a prize. . . but I could be wrong ;}
"Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge" -- Kahlil Gibran
definitely
white male... Though I know you emailed me once or twice - but I honestly don't remember anything about your name (if you even included it in the email). So this is a guess.
"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
Black male
It is the economy, stupid.
Tlaloc, GoRight
If you're still on, please vote in my diary.
"Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge" -- Kahlil Gibran
Wow.
I always assumed a white male, although gender was more significant in my mind than race.
I see now that I was quite wrong. That is a very nice picture. Lovely.
So, you are also an INTJ, a Mastermind. Brains AND beauty. Looks like you have the total package. :-)
Thanks for sharing.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
I honestly hadn't thought about it
If I had guessed I would have said male, mostly because that's sort of the default assumption on the net. I had no idea about race.
I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.
You are
a Hispanic female.
"I also like to live dangerously" - Austin Powers on why he goes against the ridiculous odds. :-)
Thank you Specter
I won't be able to evaluate my little experiment if everyone whom I've interacted with doesn't vote.
"Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge" -- Kahlil Gibran
Obviously...
You're a purple.
And the answer is
Here's one with me being serious and all.
I added one with a smile to my profile. It's a little purple. . .
hehehe
Don't hold it against me, OK?
"Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge" -- Kahlil Gibran
wow who da thunk it
why did I always imagine you as a guy? I guess that's what we assume with a non-female sounding nicknames and you never gave us a clue.
Pretty cool!
"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
Nice to meet you!
You're quite reasonable for a woman ;-p
Come, my friends. 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world -- Tennyson
Are you a model, er what!
You are a beautiful woman. Gorgeous eyes and hair. The photo has an old time feel of the Hollywood glamour era.
....... and here I had you pegged as a black male........ man was I off.
Just goes to show that a woman can write just like a man!
It is the economy, stupid.
Wow, I lose...
Looks like I was wrong. You fooled me, but I'll get you next time Gadget...next time!
http://wealthweekly.blogspot.com
Wii FC:2805-8311-8040-2678
Brawl: 2277-7051-2186
Cool photograph.
Thanks for sharing.
Besides my guess,
I would've never guessed.
Congratulations on pulling a very gender neutral approach over on us for so long. It also helps that you do not get in our heated mini-flame wars. People always assume that females are the emotional gender and males are the level-headed rational ones, but you have proved to be more than reserved in your arguments to the point that you showed these stereotypes to be false.
Three questions:
1) Have we ever assumed you were a male in the past, perhaps by referring to you as 'him' or 'he' when discussing you?
2) What do you think of your experiment?
3) You don't happen to be Hispanic do you? (I was hoping to win the really big trophy, but I guess I should be happy with the gender award at least.) :-)
Nicely done.
As an experiment
It worked out differently than I expected. Although I avoided any use of gender-specific pronouns or personal references ("spouse" instead of "husband"), I did not otherwise censor or adapt my writing style or my opinions. So it was always me talking, but just a gender-neutral me.
There were a several times when I thought for sure I sounded like a woman (e.g. Thanksgiving dinner and the "women in the GOP" threads) and only a couple of others where I might have given the opposite impression (e.g. the Texan vs the Aztec god, gun issues). Your comments are interesting, because I assumed that my "reasonability" and desire for civility & fairness would be interpreted as feminine characteristics, not as level-headed unemotional masculine ones.
The adoption of a silly screen name was also intentional. As was my photo selection ;} Since I would be revealed by the poll (to the admins at least) I figured I had an opportunity to leave a positive image as a counter to both the screen name and the intentional gender ambiguity. Time has since moved on for me, but the girl inside (and the one at the keyboard) are still the same.
No Hispanic roots I'm afraid. Prussian and Czech ancestors. Which in my parent's generation was considered mixed race, BTW. Overheard at a family reunion just last year: "Those damn bohonks, thinking they're just like white folks or something. . . ."
I'm glad if I shook up a few stereotypes. But that was not my original intention. I just wanted a fair opportunity to voice my thoughts and have them evaluated without regard to my gender.
"Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge" -- Kahlil Gibran
I think
most people these days are capable of overlooking the gender when considering the thoughts and ideas presented.
The only exception here would be missliberties who I think likes using her sex for various nefarious purposes :)
While you might think you "sounded like a woman" in some instances - the original perception of you being a man due to the asexual nature of your screen name and other gender neutral writing cemented your image... at least in my mind, and small discrepancies would not have raised any flags unless they were blatant :)
That's an interesting subject of what constitutes sounding like a woman... I am fairly conscious of sounding like a man when I write and I think it easily comes through but others (like specter though not pico imo) are much more gender neutral in their writing. Perhaps liberal ideology also weighs against pronounced masculine bent? :)
"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
I would agree
that many men are capable of ignoring gender when discussing ideas, especially on the web where people have the ability to put forth a full argument for evaluation. My husband, a typical manly-man, is one of the most un-chauvanistic men I know. But it is still a man's world, Ender. Being a man, you may not notice that. When joining this site I had to make a decision as to whether or not to disclose my gender, so I took the conservative approach.
I'm not someone who wants to eliminate all gender differences in the world. If you hold the door open for me I will accept the gesture as it is intended and thank you sincerely. I like men (a lot!) and in general, I think life works out pretty well in the dance between the sexes these days.
But like Donna in That 70s Show, I remember what life was like before "women's lib" when men were not always so willing to listen or to believe that a woman's POV had value. For example, my father would not consider paying for college for me despite being courted by some of the big-name schools, because I was "just a girl" who would never use the education anyway. It's not that he did not care for me, but that was just the way he saw the world. And that attitude is still present even if it is less widely held among Westerners.
"Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge" -- Kahlil Gibran
I was thinking
white male. Man was I wrong.
Nice
boudoir photo.
A follow-up question on PurpleFace's experiment ...
I have been thinking about yesterday's surprise revelation regarding Purpleface. My question is as follows:
For all those who guessed male, how likely is it that you will now view her posts through the prism of the female stereotype and, as a consequence, interpret her responses just a little bit differently?
I have my answer but I would like to know how others respond before sharing my perspective...
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
I thought about it as well
and while my mental image has changed, I doubt my reactions would be seriously affected if at all. I' haven't really been easier or different on someone because she is a female, at least not that I noticed.
Maybe a little bit different though due to the surprise. :)
"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
Well, here's my take.
I don't think that my replies would change too much, if at all, but I must admit that I probably have some preceived notions related to female stereotypes which might influence my default interpretation of her motives in some cases.
Especially in areas which are commonly close to a woman's heart such as abortion and gun control. I am by no means claiming that women are a monolithic block on these issues, but I do admit that it would skew my thinking a bit (but certainly not is some grossly exaggerated way). There are probably other areas as well.
Thanks, Purpleface, for raising my awareness.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Thank you
It would not be unusual if you thought a bit more about what I write in the next few posts. This was a bit of a surprise and, to be honest, a bit unnerving for me. I am grateful that everyone has been kind. Thank you, all of you.
You can evaluate the gun issue now, GoRight. I support responsible gun ownership and have taken advantage of Texas' concealed carry licensing. I'm not a fan of assault or combat-style weapons in civilian hands; semi-automatics are good enough firepower IMHO. Gun topics have come up on this site before (a couple of links below). I don't know if my stance matches your assumptions or not, but I like the sound of crumbling stereotypes----including my own.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, er, GoRight. . . .
http://www.swordscrossed.org/node/469#comment-26210
http://www.swordscrossed.org/node/1103#comment-46672
"Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge" -- Kahlil Gibran
Good for you.
It might surprise you to know that I live in a state that supports concealed carry, yet I don't have a permit. My wife, however, has jumped through the hoops to get one in spite of the fact that when we met I was already a gun nut and she wasn't.
This comment surprises me a bit, however, depending on your definition of the term "assault weapon". If you are referring to the guns actually banned by the Clinton Assault Weapons ban those were actually semi-automatics.
The liberal media successfully planted the notion that the ban was actually about full-auto weapons (via using bogus footage of people shooting full-auto) in the general public's mind. As you probably know, full-auto weapons are strictly controlled already.
Edit:
After reading the comments you referenced above I can honestly say that you don't fit the stereotype I have regarding the majority of women regard firearms, however you are not at all that far from my wife so I don't actually find you to be an oddity either.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
yeah
my future wife and children are like that too... :)
"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
Well, you never know..
Especially about kids. Kids many times grow politically opposite of their parents.
http://wealthweekly.blogspot.com
Wii FC:2805-8311-8040-2678
Brawl: 2277-7051-2186
Yes, this is correct.
Conservatives observe this a lot when their kids attend the liberal indoctrination centers known as the public schools. Go figure.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Guilty as charged
of making assumptions. I wonder why that is. The demographics of online political forums put the odds in favor of middle-aged white heterosexual males, but that doesn't explain why I gravitate towards that as the default interpretation.
I've met a handful of people from dkos, and I'm always surprised. Maybe I shouldn't be anymore. But it's strange how we construct the Other on here: Is it a matter of tone? The shape of a screenname?
What's funniest is the idea that, given an absurd enough set of circumstances, we could all be standing in the same room and not realize who the others "really" are. (Well, except for Purpleface, who's blown the illusion. ;) Ever wonder if the person checking out behind you at the grocery is someone you've butted heads with in a political forum?
Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited. - Ambrose Bierce