I am all for deconstructing gender roles and masculinity and such, and to ask the question "why?", but in situations like these, is it even worth it to try to deconstruct? Would a simple, "what a misogynistic asshole" suffice? I'd say so. Sometimes, there is simply no room for dialogue.

Marc

I'm a bit confused. Where's the disembodiment? And where's the front wheel?!

Ithika - it's hard to see, but the strut for it sticks straight out of the front of her neck.

Why oh why did I go read the comments over at Gizmondo...?

It really is wild that this is legal honestly. It seems at times that there was never a feminist movement at all, i feel guilty for letting everything go to waste. Why are we allowing this?

It really is wild that this is legal honestly. It seems at times that there was never a feminist movement at all, i feel guilty for letting everything go to waste. Why are we allowing this?

It really is wild that this is legal honestly. It seems at times that there was never a feminist movement at all, i feel guilty for letting everything go to waste. Why are we allowing this?

if it had been a noose....it would have been war

if it had been a noose....it would have been war

Someone from Gizmodo left this link:

http://www.seespotruninc.com/images/bikerchicks.jpg

It shows a (headless) motorcycle version, with a woman sitting on it.

Both are sickening. :(

GoAskAlice,

"It really is wild that this is legal honestly."

Well, actually, freedom of expression includes the right to say things or make art some people don't like.

Not saying that the bike thing isn't disgusting, but if we start demanding that everything offensive be illegal, then you have a real slippery slope in terms of civil liberties.

Normally I'm nice to bicyclists. If I saw that one, I'd hit him with my car. Repeatedly.

What

The

Hell

????

Misogyny with a capital M!

"Men" like the folks who make this product (and those who would even THINK about buying it - let alone riding it on a public street) make me embarassed to be male!

My only reaction is ew. Too weird for me.

I don't get it. Why didn't they make the handlebars in the form of hair being pulled? If you're going to do this, you should go all the way.

The bar in the neck is the creepiest part.

"It really is wild that this is legal honestly."

No, it's not. The First Amendment protects pathetic offensive crap too.

It's interesting how many commenters there realize some women will find it sexist but they don't understand why or how many realize it's distasteful but seem to like it for that reason. Or they think it's fine because we wouldn't mind it if it were a man. And someone asked how long till it's on feministing.

At least she has a head? Still, that's just icky.

I duno, I thought it was kind of funny...

I guess there are guys out there so insecure with themselves that they have to constantly assert their power (i.e. always having disembodied female limbs and body parts around to simulate fucking so no one accidentally thinks you're gay or that your penis isn't awesome)to prove what straight, manly men they are. I mean, can you imagine if he was riding on a regular bike, and he rode by teh gays?! They would TOTALLY make him gay because he wasn't clearly marked "straight." He's just covering all the tracks.

Wow!The dude that I saw riding that bicycle would have some serious physical harm to bear along with that abhorrent bibcycle.

I should also guess "Dr." Laura has one?

It's not a contest, GoAskAlice. I'm so tired of people arguing which is a more important issue: sexism or racism? They're both vital to our society. No need to fight about it.

But we would be offended if it was a man wouldn't we lyndorr? I know I would. It's gross either way. It might not make it up onto Feministing since this is a site about women's issues but can anyone seriously argue that this would be OK if it were a man? I always find that whole argument strange ...

Sorry lyndorr - that wasn't very clear - I know you are quoting commenters from Gizmondo not that you are saying you would not be offended if it were a man.

Yep, it's justification for sexism. They convince themselves that we would just laugh if it were a man and therefore it's okay to laugh about that bike. Yet have they asked us? Well, I can't think of any time I've seen men depicted like that so we really don't have much chance to show we'd react differently.

Also I find it disturbing that the bike bar goes through her throat and her vocal chords, almost as though that they are silencing women. Am I reading too much into this?

I can just imagine the jokes this bike brings up...village bicycle is the first I can think of. Not funny, and I don't think I'd be any more amused if it were a male form.

The other thing I don't get is why this would be protected as a form of expression while women can't walk around partially or completely nude in public without causing a ruckus and breaking some laws. This is an artificial piece of sexist junk, and it's got more freedom than our nature-given forms. Barf!

Voila, that's an excellent point. If it's legal to have plastic boobs in public, then why isn't it legal to have real boobs in public? I'd like to see some breastfeeding women get together in that city and feed their babies in public, then when they get in trouble, demand that the plastic boobs get taken away as well. Hehe

But noooooooooo, boobs are for sex, not babies! Right?

I don't think GoAskAlice meant that it is some kind of competition, just that racism is still so much more obvious to dominant culture than sexism because sexism has been around for thousands of years--we have all been desensitized and that is a huge part of the feminist project in my mind. In terms of race relations, it is much more rare to have to CONVINCE someone that racism is morally wrong or that it exists at all, but those conversations happen all the time with sexism.
It is certainly not a competition, but the volatility and desensitization of both issues are quite different in today's cultural climate.
Also, in response to if the body were male, I think many more people would be offended by that than by it being female, because it could be associated with "flaunting" gay sex, or illuminating something about masculine sexuality by implying that men can take it from behind (and heaven forbid, enjoy it!), regardless of the gender of their sexual partner.
Regardless, it is extremely telling to entertain various social responses depending on whichever group this would be addressing/offending.
BTW, been a long time reader and glad to have finally decided to comment! I love feministing!

I don't think GoAskAlice meant that it is some kind of competition, just that racism is still so much more obvious to dominant culture than sexism because sexism has been around for thousands of years--we have all been desensitized and that is a huge part of the feminist project in my mind. In terms of race relations, it is much more rare to have to CONVINCE someone that racism is morally wrong or that it exists at all, but those conversations happen all the time with sexism.
It is certainly not a competition, but the volatility and desensitization of both issues are quite different in today's cultural climate.
Also, in response to if the body were male, I think many more people would be offended by that than by it being female, because it could be associated with "flaunting" gay sex, or illuminating something about masculine sexuality by implying that men can take it from behind (and heaven forbid, enjoy it!), regardless of the gender of their sexual partner.
Regardless, it is extremely telling to entertain various social responses depending on whichever group this would be addressing/offending.
BTW, been a long time reader and glad to have finally decided to comment! I love feministing!

I don't think GoAskAlice meant that it is some kind of competition, just that racism is still so much more obvious to dominant culture than sexism because sexism has been around for thousands of years--we have all been desensitized and that is a huge part of the feminist project in my mind; not only addressing outside oppression but the internalized oppression that we are often unaware of. In terms of race relations, it is much more rare to have to CONVINCE someone that racism is morally wrong or that it exists at all, but those conversations happen all the time with sexism.
It is certainly not a competition, but the volatility and desensitization of both issues are quite different in today's cultural climate.
Also, in response to if the body were male, I think many more people would be offended by that than by it being female, because it could be associated with "flaunting" gay sex, or illuminating something about masculine sexuality by implying that men can take it from behind (and heaven forbid, enjoy it!), regardless of the gender of their sexual partner.
Regardless, it is extremely telling to entertain various social responses depending on whichever group this would be addressing/offending.
BTW, been a long time reader and glad to have finally decided to comment! I love feministing!

I don't think GoAskAlice meant that it is some kind of competition, just that racism is still so much more obvious to dominant culture than sexism because sexism has been around for thousands of years--we have all been desensitized and that is a huge part of the feminist project in my mind; not only addressing outside oppression but the internalized oppression that we are often unaware of. In terms of race relations, it is much more rare to have to CONVINCE someone that racism is morally wrong or that it exists at all, but those conversations happen all the time with sexism.
It is certainly not a competition, but the volatility and desensitization of both issues are quite different in today's cultural climate.
Also, in response to if the body were male, I think many more people would be offended by that than by it being female, because it could be associated with "flaunting" gay sex, or illuminating something about masculine sexuality by implying that men can take it from behind (and heaven forbid, enjoy it!), regardless of the gender of their sexual partner.
Regardless, it is extremely telling to entertain various social responses depending on whichever group this would be addressing/offending.
BTW, been a long time reader and glad to have finally decided to comment! I love feministing!

I think GoAskAlice has a point. Sexism is still seen as a joke where racism is abhorrent. They are both disgusting.

Par example, when someone yells "Iron my shirt" at Hillary Clinton it's a 'joke' and we should lighten up about it, but if someone had gone to an Obama rally and yelled "shine my shoes" or "work my field" or something equally racist, we'd hear all about it and how shameful it is that people in this country still think that way, etc.

They're not mutually exclusive, but both are equally horrible.

yeah, if i saw someone riding this at critical mass, or any other feel-good-y bike mass thing which it looks like he's doing, i would have a hard time stopping myself from beating his face in. and i'm not usually a violent person...

Sorry for the multiple posts--It kept saying ERROR!

That definitely does look like a critical mass bike ride like ape pointed out. In my experience with that 'scene' there is a general understanding of oppression so if that's what it is, I would find the presence of that bike worrisome.