Sexism and Pipes?

[cosmicfolklore]

LOL, I don't think of myself as typical in any way. I'm a single parent of two little girls, and I work all day where my only customers are women. I think of myself as very aware. I have to wonder about you though.

This is all just very odd.

 

[blindmansleeps]

I don't think of myself as typical, either. (And I think that's kind of my point.)
This thread has been odd. I don't think it needed to be, and I certainly didn't intend it to be, but the reaction to my post was certainly odd.

 

[Perique]

"Perique, how on earth have I trolled, man? Your reaction is really confusing to me."
It's fairly simple, really. Your first post here was to criticize the community, while admittedly having little to no experience of the community. As such, we can conclude one of the following:
1. You have an ulterior motive.
2. You have an obsession with politically correct pseudo-science.
3. You have a bone to pick with the pipe tobacco community.
4. You have a personality disorder
Either way, such a critique (from a position of self-admitted ignorance) is not welcome here. Nor is the mind-set that would presume to judge the pipe smoking community from outside the community itself.
As I said above: "Maybe involve yourself in some threads about pipes and pipe tobacco. Attend a few pipe shows or club meetings. Then come back and enlighten us as to the "social sciences" and your "broad" definition of sexism. Until then, you'll forgive some of us from simply finding you a troll."

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Calling something "sexist" is not to be taken lightly, IMO. And doing so as your first post toward our community strikes a nerve.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

My girlfriend is getting into pipes and my daughter has smoked a pipe. I just don't see the world as you do. Sorry.

 

[blindmansleeps]

Perique, you've assumed me into a position, when I'm merely asking about a tendency that someone else has acknowledged on this very thread.
I'm also part of the pipesmoking community. And am responding to a phenomenon I've experienced.
Now, if you take my admission of having not an incredibly extensive knowledge of the community in it's context, you'll see that I followed that by pointing out that in my limited experience, I've come across it quite a bit. It would be natural, then, that I would see a tendency.
You really need to step back from the thread a bit, man, clear your assumptions, and read it over again.

 

[crazypipe]

I have been around all kinds of pipe smokers in my 50 plus years of puffing and Gender has never crossed my mind when smoking a pipe. ::

 

[Perique]

Nice back-peddle. Your post:
I've noticed something in the pipe-smoking community, though, that unsettles me a bit. I understand that pipe smoking is something of a tradition, and gives off a sense of nostalgia for the past. But, why is there a good deal of sexism in the community? It's as if we still find smoking a pipe to represent hyper-masculinity vis-a-vis Popeye. Just listen to the ad for Molto Dolce which played in last week's Pipes Magazine Radio show. I certainly don't have that kind of hypermasculine experience when smoking a pipe, and it's certainly not the reason why I smoke a pipe.
Has anyone else picked up on this tendency? It's really entirely unnecessary to the enjoyment of a good smoke, but it seems to permeate the pipe-smoking community just about everywhere I look.
***Maybe involve yourself in some threads about pipes and pipe tobacco. Attend a few pipe shows or club meetings. Then come back and enlighten us as to the "social sciences" and your "broad" definition of sexism. Until then, you'll forgive some of us from simply finding you a troll."
Or go away. And take your political correctness with you. We want to talk about pipes, smoking, and tobacco. Not bullshit.

 

[blindmansleeps]

Cosmic, I have no problem with women smoking pipes at all. My wife occasionally smokes a pipe. I didn't imply that I had any problem with it. Again, I've just noticed a recurring phenomenon of hyper-masculinity and such in the pipe-smoking community. And it's not as if I'm inventing the association, either. Simply do a Google search for pipe ads in the 50s and 60s. Some of them express that same kind of thing.
Putting ads like Molto Dolce's in that context complicates it a bit to my mind.
To me, smoking a pipe is about relaxation. I don't care who smokes it, how often, or where you smoke it. Which is why I'm a little thrown off by the occasional resurrections of vintage pipe culture.

 

[bigvan]

Tread lightly, Blindman. You just got here.

 

[anglesey]

I've got to ask, before all the scratching and hair pulling starts, why does it matter if some members of the community are sexist? Thats just life, deal with it. Also, popeye doesn't represent hyper masculinity in any way. Popeye comes from an era when the pipe was as much the norm as a cigarette, and popeye himself is actually quite an underdog character with skinny arms, until he eats his spinach and knocks out bluto

 

[blindmansleeps]

Perique, the very next post I made on this thread:
"I haven't exactly run the social circles of the community. But seeing how I've run into quite a few instances of it in my first few months of exploration, at the very least you can understand why I'd be curious."

 

[Perique]

How many pipe shows and pipe club meetings have you attended?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

If you'll check reviews of the blend, I think that the reason that Motlo Dulce was portrayed as a tobacco that illicits a sexual reaction from women is that, that has been the experience of some pipe smokers. Just as the ads for Axe men's cologne does the same.
Like I said, I think that Kevin was doing his best with a blend that has become notorious in our community for being a sexy smoke. However, I think that he has learned that there are some out there that are sensitive to things of a sexual nature.
I think that calling it sexist and the community sexist was just uncalled for and a jab on your part. I still think that you are projecting something on it and us that just isn't there. Sure, we responded harshly, but being called sexist can do that to a person.
I apologize if I have offended you.

 

[Perique]

I just wanted to take this time to thank Kevin for all his hard work in promoting and supporting the pipe smoking community.

 

[lonestar]

Dumbest. Thread. Ever.....

 

[Perique]

lonestar: agreed. I humbly apologize to the board for feeding the troll.

 

[blindmansleeps]

Cosmic, I just want to clarify that I wasn't calling the community sexist at all. Maybe some of members have said sexist things (but that doesn't mean I condense their entire character into one little word like sexist), and some of the ads and reviews I've run across from the community have been tinged a bit. But even so, I wouldn't call the community as a whole sexist. I'm from the South. My grandfather probably makes a racist statement every day, but he's still a wonderful guy.
That's kind of what I mean by unintentionally saying sexist things. In my grandfather's case, it's just part of his world. It's unconscious to him, but it still is a little sexist. I could be projecting--I mean, we all live our lives projecting--and if that's the case, I'm sure my further experience with the community will lessen any noticed tendencies of the kind.
Perique, I've already admitted to having limited experience with the community. What purpose does it serve to make me admit that I haven't been to a pipe club meeting or a show?

 

[blindmansleeps]

Lesson of the day: once Perique jumps to the conclusion that you're a troll, you might as well just give up convincing him otherwise.

 

[Perique]

"Perique, I've already admitted to having limited experience with the community. What purpose does it serve to make me admit that I haven't been to a pipe club meeting or a show?"
To emphasize the fact that your first post here was to criticize the community from a position of ignorance, rather than to take the time to truly understand or involve yourself in the community. It's shameful, really. But part of your team's M.O.
(But then, that's par for the course for the politically correct pseudo-science crowd, isn't it?)