Is this tweet sexist?

[Tallpaulwho]

Tweet by an MSP from today, being called sexist, but personally I don't see it that way, it would be the same if referring to a man IMO. Can someone help me as to why this is sexist?

twitter.com/NeilFindlay_MSP/status/1344258009086783488

One of the lesser sexist tweets I’ve seen - but he is clearly implying that she doesn’t know the classics and is just pretending she does.

There is a type of human on twitter man to whom I think he wouldn’t have responded to like that...

Yeah, weird tweet from Findley. It does beg the question, if he doesn't think she wrote it, why? And who does he think did write it for her?

OP - what do you think is the answer to these questions? Can you think of a valid reason for suggesting a woman doesn't write her own, knowledgeable tweets, that doesn't imply 'because she's too stupid/uneducated'?

@xxyzz

Yeah, weird tweet from Findley. It does beg the question, if he doesn't think she wrote it, why? And who does he think did write it for her?

OP - what do you think is the answer to these questions? Can you think of a valid reason for suggesting a woman doesn't write her own, knowledgeable tweets, that doesn't imply 'because she's too stupid/uneducated'?

I think its exactly the same in tone whether the person in question is male or female, albeit in poor taste. I just a bit taken a back at the vitriolic responses to it and cries of sexism.

Well he is saying it about a woman and he's a man, doubting that a
woman has sufficient knowledge to write the tweet. Why does he doubt her level of knowledge?

It seems more like intellectual snobbery to me, possibly related to his opinion of her educational background.

He can’t refute what she’s saying, so he undermines her by claiming that she can’t possibly be clever enough to have written it. Men don’t speak to one another like that,

I think it's rude and silly, and I don't approve of parliamentarians making personal attacks like that - criticise what she said if you don't agree, but go for the views, not the person. Don't see how it's misogynist myself.

I really, really wish MPs would stop with this kind of stupid tweeting. It's pathetic, playground stuff that demeans us all. I'm less offended by the potential sexism and more offended that someone would waste their time tweeting this in the middle of a health and economic crisis.

Sexist.

He's saying she's not smart enough to have written it.

I think its difficult to tell without knowing more about the people involved - does he have reason to tweet this that is specific to Christina McKelvie?

I guess it’s not sexist if he genuinely would have come out with the same patronising bullshit if a man had said this. But I think that’s unlikely. Women are far, far more likely to be patronised and talked down to in this way.

People in the thread are referring to sexism and classism. I assume Christina is from a more working class background than Neil is, from the comments.

But re the sexism query, I assume that many of those responding to call him out for sexism did so because they recognised the mansplaining, the assumption that a women couldn't possible have these ideas herself.

Put it this way, OP, if you had to guess the sex of both the person writing the tweet and the person referred to, if you didn't know, what would you guess was the sex of both? Could you imagine a woman writing that to another woman? Or to a man? What about a man writing that to another man?

I think we all know that that tweet could and would only have been written by a man to a woman. Well, all of us who are women, anyway, who will recognise the patronising tone.

Are you female, OP?

Possibly sexist but more likely classist in relation to a working class woman from Easterhouse which is an area well known for being historically extremely deprived.
She did go to to St Andrews University however so a bit silly to doubt her education levels.

It all hinges on whether he would say something like that to a man. If there are tweets where he has spoken like that to a man then not sexist.

However my guess would be that he wouldn't and hasn't spoken like that to a man. So sexist.

I honestly think I have developed a bit of thick skin and am I not questioning things enough, which is why I asked. I personally don't find it sexist, classist yes possibly, crass, yup, but not sexist. I see so many far worse things that are never challenged (not saying that this shouldn't be btw).

And yes I am a woman, and a feminist.

He wouldn't speak like that to a man, because to publicly attack another man's intelligence like that, a man he might meet at work, would carry an element of risk, due to the obvious insult.

Whereas of course Neil Findley would feel on safe grounds saying that to a woman, because he knows she is unlikely to try to extract physical revenge.

Of course it's sexist. The men who tell me to smile or comment on my appearance would not dream of saying that to my dh, if he looked a bit glum or was dressed unremarkably.

He doesn’t see her as an equal and is trying to publicly humiliate her but without endangering himself by actually engaging with the substance of what she’s said. It’s the sort of thing that men do to women all the time but very rarely do to other men.

I don't know, he might just believe from his own personal experience of her that she is very thick. I have had the misfortune to come into quite a bit of contact with politicians, and a lot of them are pure bone between the ears, as likely to have opinions about Alexander the Great as they are to cook and eat their own fingers with ketchup. Which is deeply depressing.
Maybe she's like that? (Is he himself?)

I just assumed he knows her in real life and thinks she is an idiot.

It's impossible to tell his motivation or intention. So I'd say no, the tweet by and in itself isn't sexist.