MNHQ here: How would you feel about a Jordan Peterson webchat?

Yes. Highly unlikely he will change my mind on anything but we don’t do ourselves any favours just ignoring people whose views we find unpalatable.

Yes, please.

Even if the web chat were restricted to established MNetters, it would bring MN to the attention of JP fans, many of whom seem to have issues with women. This could then cause problems for the rest of the forum.

I don’t think his advice on parenting would be that welcome.

I'd really enjoy reading this. MNetters are surely robust enough to hand him his arse if he's openly sexist/homophobic, no?

Yes! I would love to see this!

Yes, me too. It is always interesting to talk with people who have different views from your own, rather than always rehashing views you agree with..

I think it would be absolutely fascinating.

No thanks.

The man who thinks the current hierarchy is based on competence?
No thanks. Spent years listening to that crap already.

I think what he has to say is quite interesting and I always find nuggets to mull over in what he says. I’m happy not to agree with everything though (see gender above) but I don’t see what the problem is with that.

If people don’t like his ideas then ask him difficult questions. Maybe if Andrew Wakefield had been asked difficult questions by suspicious people in an open format (as opposed to falsifying data in a medical study) then things would have, indeed, been different.

seriously? he's a right wing racist sexist homophobe who some people on here love because of his transphobia - pretty disgusting really

I think it's a great idea. I don't agree with everything he says by any means, but I admire his views on free speech and I think a webchat could be really interesting. He doesn't seem the type to avoid difficult or challenging questions.

It's not about no-platforming. A web chat with JP would be pointless, he has nothing useful to offer, he's not a politician so we wouldn't be getting the chance to give our opinions to someone in power; it would just be free publicity for his dubious book.

Andrew Wakefield is a good example - a web chat with him would have been completely pointless too.

I can’t stand the current “no-platforming” trend

Refusing to give nutters and bastards credibility and publicity by engaging with them is as old as time. The only thing that's new is their ability to use the rhetoric of freedom and free speech to complain about it and legitimise themselves.

We wouldn't have the current breakouts of many vaccine-preventable diseases if media outlets had given Andrew Wakefield the credibility and attention he deserved, i.e. none.

Yes I think it would be good to have him here. I can’t stand the current “no-platforming” trend. I think it’s good to hear challenging views. I’m sure mumsnetters would give him an appropriately hard time

Obviously from his/Penguin's point of view it's a chance to promote the book.

And book promotion is all it would be. He's not going to change his mind, we aren't going to change ours, it would just be free publicity for him and his out-dated (click bait) views.

Nah, I'm grand, thanks

I wouldn't give him the airtime

Going against the grain here - I quite like Jordan Peterson. I may not agree on everything he says (although I'm very grateful to him for refusing to kowtow to the transactivists and for his ability to engage critical thinking) but certainly respect his right to say it. So I think a webchat would be great.

I don't think he deserves the platform. A hearty no.

Erm, i thought we were trying to shake off the gender stereotypes here?

If you want a thread full of #whataboutthemenz go ahead. I can't see what use he would be. Is there money involved by any chance MNHQ?

I'm not sure why but Jordan Peterson puts me in mind of Rasputin

That's a great idea if you want to attract the right-wing sexist crowd.As it is, I don't think he has anything useful to say to the demographic MN does attract.

And extract from his book (about how gender is a real thing and boys are born naughty):

'Boys are suffering, in the modern world. They are more disobedient — negatively — or more independent — positively — than girls, and they suffer for this, throughout their pre-university educational career. They are less agreeable (agreeableness being a personality trait associated with compassion, empathy and avoidance of conflict) and less susceptible to anxiety and depression, at least after both sexes hit puberty. Boys’ interests tilt towards things; girls’ interests tilt towards people. Strikingly, these differences, strongly influenced by biological factors, are most pronounced in the Scandinavian societies where gender-equality has been pushed hardest: this is the opposite of what would be expected by those who insist, ever more loudly, that gender is a social construct. It isn’t. This isn’t a debate. The data are in.'