Pajiba

I'm sorry, did you say "unflattering pose"? I happend to think it demonstrates her talents admirably.

There is no He-Man but Dolph Lundgren.

Thus Spake Figgyhustra.

And, I thought I was all cried out today. Jon Stewart proved me wrong.

Well it turns out she’s a hermaphrodite, so I hope all you assholes are happy now

*looks downward*

I've never been happy.

Well, that court decision in favor of Seinfeld sure did make my life easier. Now I'll just steal already published books, change a few words here and there, add in some colorful graphics and pictures and suddenly I created a new book. It's Semi-Homemade writing: do none of the work, but take all of the credit with your creative touches. I've always thought Gravity's Rainbow could use some color and pizazz...

The term is intersexed. Learn and use it.

Speaking of 9/11/01 .... checkout this site and spread the word. -->
Find Don

I hope that poor hermaphrodite is able to get whatever surgery is needed to improve her health (lots of cancer on cryptorchid testicles) and is able to comeback and KICK ASS in whatever she (she identifies as female, right?) is able to compete in. A great athlete is a great athlete. There has to be a place for her. Or him. Damn, now I'm confused. Can you imagine what she is going through?

And here's a fucking thought, assholes: if she lives as a women and identifies as a woman it is fucking disgusting to refer to her otherwise.

And here's another thought -- they're all over the place!! -- if she uses her genetic anomaly to gain an unfair advantage over legitimately female competitors, then he is ethically fucking disgusting.

See, these thoughts are tricky. Don't hurt yourself.

rikkitikkitavi, I would hardly say that it's fair to allege she's exploiting her "genetic anomaly" and is ethically challenged. Those leaps of logic might qualify you for track and field. It sounds a lot more likely that she has female external characteristics and was raised as a girl accordingly. I think it's adding insult to injury to start accusing her of ethical violations when she has to deal with the fact that the whole world now knows she's got internal testes and increased risk of cancer of organs she likely didn't know she had. Poor girl.

I would hardly say that it's fair to allege she's exploiting her "genetic anomaly" and is ethically challenged

I don't know the answers to those questions, which is why I said "if." There's a significant amount of evidence in the reporting I've seen on this story that there may have been collusion on her team to gain in unfair advantage -- her team doctors could hardly have missed the physical indicators, given that people all over the world raised the question after seeing her for a few minutes on television. That all lead to the testing and brouhaha in the first place. I'm hardly the first to raise the issue, which is the only reason I know about the story.

I don't give a crap about what kind of junk people have unless it ends up in my mouth. My main point was that nothing quells ignorant intolerance like profanity-laden insults.

Yeah, because I'm sure nobody ever commented on the fact that she was the only girl on the freshman track team with beard stubble. If this was a surprise for her, it damn sure couldn't have been a shock.

Oh shite. Something strange happened with the editing there in the text.

My statement amounts to: Unless one is refering the horrible and violent act
against another human being... > Rape is a horrible and offensive word and
it bothers me to see it used somewhat flippantly, anywhere.

Thanks again for your time / eyes.

Come on people. Jesopus is hurt and disappointed.

Come ON, people.

I agree Beets. I'm getting really weary of people trying to dictate slang terms or alternate usages based on their own personal cringe level at certain words. If it's not malicious toward the original word's occupants, then it's fair game. Marketplace of ideas and all that.

When I was in college, girls would say "no, no, no" all the time when I asked them out. It was hate speech, pure and simple, but I didn't make a federal case out of it. I just stocked up on chloroform and duct tape. "Jesus favors the prepared," my daddy always said.

Are those Bonsai sandals in the ad made out of Fozzie Bear?

my *favourite* swear is cunt

It definitely has its useful moments. Deployed sparingly, it can have a desirable impact.

In case no one knew, my *favourite* swear is cunt.

This ain't Inside the Actor's Studio.

Oh, I missed you Socalled.

I'm glad I've figured out how to fool Comedy Central into thinking my computer is American so I could watch Jon's speech again. Warming glow, indeed.

My Yankee friends, on this day, I give you all a big hug. If you try to sneak in a motorboat, I won't mind.

"Then he is ethically fucking disgusting.
See, these thoughts are tricky. Don't hurt yourself."

She had no idea he was anything other than a biological women, you lothsome prick. Please, do hurt yourself.

"Here's my official retraction on that statement:
He/She/What-the-fuck-ever-you-would-like-to-be-called-Sir/Ma'am"
Intolerant? Try indifferent. My level of couldn't give-a-fuck has reached near-legendary status."

Neat, you don't "give a fuck." Congrats on being one more of millions who can't be bothered to give a fuck. About racism, about child genital mutilation, about rampant sexual and physical abuse, about any number of real, vital issues.

Ooooh, you don't care. How very cool you are.

To avoid confusion I should have stated I was referring to the PC police regarding word usage like 'rape', not picking on the poor South African girl.
I don't want to incur the wrath of Serena.

Cindy, thank you, I'd forgotten about that beautiful montage. Funny stuff, that. My point was simply that I've always agreed with George Carlin when it comes to language and context.

Yeah well. The WORD rape makes this one person cringe. And after checking ye olde Dictionary dot com, there don't seem to be too many other definitions really to be
had there. {And no, that's not a damn challenge. Some of the commenters on Pajiba
are far more learned and word-smithy than I. The hat is tipped in that regard, thanks}.

As for being pc... kettles & pots ARE black (or were, back in the day)...
and obelisks are inherantly phallic. At least that's one of the selling points they
made a few weeks ago, down at the local special-toy store.

"Yeah well. The WORD rape makes this one person cringe."

I get that, and I sympathize. But it's ridiculous to expect everyone to conform to something that's personal to YOU. So I think you're going to have to just get used to cringing.

I'm honestly not trying to be a jerk here.

"The pot calling the kettle black"
I've been saying "that's like the black thing calling the black thing black" for about a decade, now, does that mean I'm racist? It does? Aw shit, I hate stereotypes!

And socalledonlycousins, how the *hell* did you know I was wearing my shirt untucked today??!?!? 'Cuz really, you're freaking me the fuck out right now, I keep looking over my shoulder, just waiting for OHMYSHITNOFORTHELOVEOFGODTOPUSSNOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

"ack, gurggle splurt"
*blood drips on keyboard*
........

I would argue that Obelisks are inherently geometric, coincidentally phallic. But I guess for some people anything perpendicular to the horizon is phallic. Some of said people probably should get laid more often.

I don't think this:
http://members.tripod.com/obeliscos_egipcios/kahatn_en.htm

Is intended to be phallic. Queen Hatsheput was not bragging about her sexual prowess. Although she did have a strap-on beard, so I guess we'll never know.

Got any strap-on beards at the special toy store?

my *favourite* swear is cunt

I've been a fan of twat, myself, ever since Misty Mundane was instructed to improvise dialogue with the most offensive curse words she could think of in Sick Girl and just kept screaming "TWAT! TWAT! TWAAAATTT!!" over and over. It's pure cinema magic, is what it is.

Have we had a sexual identity war on the site before? This might be a new one.

I really did not expect to see such an ignorant and close-minded comment on this website. Despite the high percentage of drunken readers, I suppose I hold Pajiba to higher standards than this.

Posted by: DorrynGrey at September 11, 2009 2:49 PM

---------------------------------------------

MY. OPINION. MY. COMMENT.

Last I heard this was still America, Stalin.

DYSLEXICS OF THE WORLD, UNTIE!

MY. OPINION. MY. COMMENT.

Last I heard this was still America, Stalin.

Yes, I am aware.

When you voice an opinion in a public space, you are opening yourself up to potential criticism of that comment.

It is "America" after all, right?

ps. If anyone here does decide that they or a family member need genetic gender testing, I demand that you use the phrase "tested for balls" to describe said procedure.

Posted by: s. pisaster at September 11, 2009 7:50 PM

are YOU a hermaphrodite?

When did Pajiba become a tool of the hermaphrodite lobby?

Jesus HATES Hermos!

It's all I'm sayin'

Story I'm reading here says that "Semenya is a hermaphrodite with no ovaries and internal testes that produce large amounts of testosterone." This is from the two Sydney papers that reported the test results, via Associated Press.

She may not have a beard etc. but if she's getting a testosterone boost she has an advantage on female runners. Though I really don't know what she was supposed to do about it.

I DO know a guy I sued to work with thought there should be a separate Olympics for steroid users. He also thought they should build separate highways for drunk drivers. I thought he was a genius.

Ack!

*--used

All I've got to say is this: I hope she (yes, she's lived her life as a she, so she gets to call herself that) takes to the underground for a few years before deciding to be a surface dweller again, whereupon she enslaves us all with the attributes of both man AND woman. I, as a devout follower of whoever has the power to destroy me, shall sit at her right hand and be a loyal lackey once she achieves ultimate power. Then, and only then, will I have the authority to request the skull of Harmony Korrine, which I shall hollow out and drink Guiness from...

This is a dream I've had all my...

Well, actually - only since I've seen Gummo, bu still... IT SHALL BE DONE!

HOLLAH!

Wasn't this an episode of 'House'?
15 year old supermodel turns out to be male. Had testicular cancer. Daddy was boy-touching when he thought he was girly-molesting.

Come to think of it, it was more than one episode of 'House':
A 12 year old boy collapses on the basketball court after not only playing well with others but also making the winning basket. His/her parents had been medicating him/her with testosterone for years because the doctor told them at the child's birth to just pick a gender and stick with it. House spills the beans, pissed everyone off.

I wouldn't be surprised if my dad's wife is a bit Hermy around the edges. She is a jock, looks like a 13 year old boy, has reproductive malfunctions, is insanely competitive, and seems to have difficulty relating to people. But boy, can she (he) run, bike, hike, swim....She is the younger brother/ second son my Dad always wanted.

a'ight, here's my final take on this Semenya controversy. I really believe she didn't know. When they did the blood test, her coach has said he lied to her and said it was for doping. I think he was probably trying to shield her from all this. I don't think she's ever been tested before. I suppose it's possible the coaches suspected and decided to turn a blind eye, but even that I find hard to believe. Hermaphrodites aren't exactly all that common, and I really don't think most people are gonna look at a teenager who's externally female and think, "sure she's got a pussy, but I bet there's some balls up in there too." Things like that don't usually occur to people. Regardless, I'm sure this whole thing could have been handled more tactfully. Whoever decided this needed to play out on the world stage is an asshat. If you want to debate whether she should keep the medal fine, but please at least do it in a way that grants Semanya some basic human dignity. Being a teenage girl sucks enough, she doesn't need everyone on the planet making crude jokes about how she's really a man, or ugly, or a cheater, or whatever other insult you want to hurl at her because of this.

I should have qualified that. *Things like that don't usually occur to non-pajibans.

"Just out of curiosity, what's your sourcing for that statement, other than her own denials?"

I guess the main reason is the fact that she's lived her entire fucking life as a woman. I mean, it's totally possible she's been planning this ruse since birth (that ethically disgusting bitch!), but color me somehow unconvinced.

Pssst. Psssst. I'm totally up here. Watching. Waiting. Being balls.

Well said, Seastar. That girl probably had no idea she would become an international joke like this, and it is a tragedy that the people around her have betrayed her basic rights to privacy. There is, of course, room for discussion about what the information means to the results of this race and the future of sport in general, but to expose her internationally as though she's a criminal is pure and simple discrimination. She wasn't doping - she has male sexual characteristics, and I haven't heard any compelling evidence from the TABLOID this info comes from that that gave her an extraordinary advantage.

I have never been tested for undescended male sexual organs, and neither have any of my mannish, flat-chested friends. When considering her culpability, the fact that she has a vagina should answer your questions. There's no machiavellian twist, and to suggest otherwise is unrealistic. To suggest she 'planned it' only serves to justify your personal discomfort at her nature.

I'm more than a little disappointed to hear anyone call her a 'freak' (although it is, of course, your right to have an opinion).

But consider this: the accident of your birth does not qualify you as a higher, more quality form of human. It just means you got lucky. The world will suck until we find a way to practice compassion for everyone. I truly hope this girl finds some support through this, and comes out the other side kicking ass.

Why does it matter if she's genetically male? Being a guy does not make you a fast runner.

Posted by: Jessie at September 12, 2009 4:02 AM

----------------------------------------------

There might be something in the water where YOU live, or maybe you are all hermaphroditic freaks.
Anyway, in the rest of the world, males are superior to females in every way.

We also drive better.

"Considering that every single woman I know can run faster, throw farther, and hit harder than any guy I know: why do they still segregate sports teams by gender?"

Sounds like the women you know were part of the East-German women's teams of Olympic yore...

Back in reality, this is not the case.

I think I'm gonna go get tested for balls.

My mom had to go on Prednisone (a steroid) for ... well, either for the lupus or for the scleroderma, I'm not sure. Anyway, she grew a beard. True Story.

gp, don't go!!!!!
I want to hear that joke.....
I'm begging here...You can do whatever you want to me!

damnit, Gemeinderat! i already forgot it.

sorry, y'all know how short my attention span is!
especially when i'm

((mokin))

I guess the main reason is the fact that she's lived her entire fucking life as a woman.

"Guess" being the key word. In other words, you had no basis whatsoever, you just wanted to splooge vitriol all over people who don't have your preferred worldview. Plenty of "intersexed" (you're welcome, PC Police) people live as females all their lives. That has nothing to do with whether some of them might choose to rely on a potential genetic advantage in athletic events. It's also utterly irrelevant to whether it's fair to other female competitors.

I mean, it's totally possible she's been planning this ruse since birth (that ethically disgusting bitch!), but color me somehow unconvinced.

Yeah, you're just embarrassing yourself now. That makes no sense at all, since the suggestion is that she might have realized the advantage recently and chosen to take advantage of it. As I said up front, IF she knew about it, then that would be ethically wrong. Or it's possible her coaches or her country's sports officials knew something and chose to push the advantage. I don't know, but more importantly, you have no idea either, you're just pushing a political agenda. I'll just color you annoying and shrill.

Wow. What a shitshow this has become. Whatever, I just wanted to say that this?

"Pssst. Psssst. I'm totally up here. Watching. Waiting. Being balls."

Caused me to laugh longer and louder than I have in a very long time.

My uncle Steve is a former pro triathlete and went to the Olympic trials, blah, blah, blah etc. I had a debate w/him and my mother who is a nurse over the whole Caster Semenya hermaphrodite thing. It's not that fact that she's a hermaphrodie that's the issue. If you're a pro athlete and you start training as a teen and then get to the World Championships, Olympics, whatever, and here comes a person in the women's race you're in that has THREE TIMES the testosterone and the physical running gain, hips, thighs, lung capacity of the average professional male, how are you ever going to win a race again? Obviously in the United States when a hermaphrodite child is born they "choose" a sex (that's an issue for another time) but if she grew up in South Africa (especially a poor region) the doctors would have no knowledge of that. So essentially, what you see between your legs is what you get. But where does that fit in in sports? This isn't a person working a desk job. This a human being who was raised as a woman who has above-average male hormones, which in turn makes her stronger and faster. Did anyone watch the race she won? If she keeps competing in women's professional races without hormone replacements or reductions, no "born" woman will ever win again! And it's not a prejudiced thing! My uncle retired years ago but even he admitted that with the steroid use out there if he never took steroids as a pro athlete he wouldn't be able to keep competing. If your whole life is about this sport they have to either put in her men's races until she receives hormone treatment (if she WANTS it), or strip her of her medal. It's cruel that this is an 18 year old's life-changing drama being played out in front of the world, but she cannot keep competing this way if any race is going to be fair.

http://www.websters-online-dictionary.com/definition/freak

Freak
Noun

1. A person or animal that is markedly unusual or deformed.

----------------------------------

Oh I'm sorry, it turns out I was using the correct term all along.

I think some apologies are in order here.

Hm. I'm curious: women naturally have testosterone, and some women have higher levels of it. Y'know, naturally.

So where exactly does one draw a line? How much testosterone constitutes an unfair advantage? Are all women tested to check their testosterone levels prior to entering any sporting event at any level? And what about the steroids that athletes may or may not take? Why is that seemingly acceptable? Isn't the point of the Olympics a celebration of natural physical ability and the thrill of competition?

OH, wait, my bad. I forgot it's about sponsorship deals and money, just like everything else in the goddamn world. Nevermind!

Bunch of riled up monkeys in here.

Posted by: s. pisaster at September 12, 2009 4:41 PM

Awwww *clap* *clap* *clap*

Obviously that would exclude you, right? You're higher in the evolutionary scale than us lowly animals.

Way to bring up the level of discourse, honeybuns.

OH, wait, my bad. I forgot it's about sponsorship deals and money, just like everything else in the goddamn world. Nevermind!

Posted by: Anna von Beaverplatz at September 12, 2009 4:52 PM
---
You're gonna love me at the next Olympics.

Geez, get a room, you two!

gp, you only talk to me that way because you would like to test me for balls yourself.

I wonder what would happen if someone had both sets of testes? Internal and external. It'd be like, being TWICE the man, a SUPERDUDE.

this superdude concept intrigues me. finally a medical fantasy i can get into. i mean, it *was* being in a human centipede but i've recently learned how wrong i was about how sweet That would be.
find me this, this su-per dude. i wish to...

"DO" him.

*earlier today*

Man, I've had a tough week. Think I'm gonna go over to Pajiba and catch up on the wacky hijinks ensued therein.

*begins reading*

*stops reading*

*backs out slowly*

So, here's a few thoughts:

- if Semenya does have androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), her body doesn't react to male hormones in a normal way. So its not clear that her high levels of testosterone would inprove her performance

- AIS is one of the intersex conditions specifically allowed by the IAAF - ie the rules allow her to compete

- The South African federation might be incompetent, but it was the IAAF that publicly announced that they were conducting a gender test. Everybody involved in this has shit splashed on them.