zlacker

Sexism is not a fixed category. Every comment falls on a spectrum between absolutely sexist and absolutely not sexist.

But when we evaluate how sexist a comment was, it's much simpler to label it as "sexist" or "not sexist". This label loses all context, especially when we share it with someone who wasn't there or otherwise doesn't have that context.

So outside of the fact that sexism exists, this problem isn't specific to culture or Twitter. It's a result of how we interpret, compress, and share reality with each other.

>>1penny+(OP)
Comments do not fall on a spectrum between "absolutely sexist" and "absolutely not sexist". Comments exist as fixed points in space, and the observers fall on a spectrum of "absolutely going to call the comment sexist" and "absolutely going to call the comment not sexist". The men who are "clamming up" are judging the audience of their comments and deciding that the potential costs of honesty are just too high compared to the benefits. They know that they will no longer get the benefit of the doubt and that they will be convicted without trial. If the punishment for traffic infringements was death and you were immediately judged, convicted and executed by the police officer on the scene, there will be a large number of people who would simply stop driving.