Julie -- Of course people have the right to use social media to call for consequences, and of course everything has to be judged on a case by case basis. And everyone's opinion will be different. In my opinion what happened to Hunt was unnecessary and extreme after such a long and distinguished career of, in the simplest terms, helping in the search for a cure for cancer.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/science...-tim-hunt/amp/
There's absolutely no evidence that he had ever deliberately used his influence to hold women back during that career, and as far as I'm aware no women came forward afterwards to suggest this, which surely they would have done, were this the case. Indeed, his female colleagues defended him. A bad joke from a stuffy old man isn't evidence. It reminded me of the sort of thing Whitworth used to say. I'm not defending the comments, they were pretty crass, I just think the consequences were unnecessary and more to do with a panicked response to a (social) media storm than anything commensurate with the offence. I know he won't have suffered any financial hardship from it, but that's not the point.
He was asked, as part of a 'pre-lunch toast' where the tone was fairly jocular, what he thought about women in the sciences. His answer wasn't part of a prepared speech and he clumsily attempted humour based on his personal experience and his reputation as an "old fogey". He didn't say they were a bad idea, he said, clearly lightheartedly, (though it was widely reported as if he were proposing a genuine policy change) that men and women in labs together can cause problems. The full quote, as far as we know, was "It’s strange that such a chauvinist monster like me has been asked to speak to women scientists. Let me tell you about
my trouble with girls in labs. Three things happen: you fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticise them they cry. Perhaps we should make separate labs for boys and girls? Now, but seriously, I’m impressed by the economic development of Korea. And women scientists played, without a doubt, an important role in it. Science needs women. Congratulations, everybody, because I hope—I hope—I really hope that there won’t be anything holding you back, especially not monsters like me. ”
The comments weren't recorded, so all we have are various accounts. The only part that was recorded is the snippet at the end beginning "Congratulations" which is followed by laughter and applause from the mostly female audience, not "stony silence" as was originally reported before the recording came out. The "
my trouble with girls" (notice he also uses "boys") is referring to his own personal experience. His wife is also a prominent scientist, as most at the conference knew, and they met in the lab when she was married to someone else. This is what he meant by describing the remarks as "self deprecating" and by adding to his apology "I did mean the part about having trouble with girls.”
Maybe you had to be there...
This gives a thorough, detailed take. I think it's a fairly conservative website, but then the sympathetic article I linked to originally was from the Guardian.
https://www.google.com/amp/www.realc...491.am p.html
Also: for more cancel fun updates...follow this thread
https://mobile.twitter.com/SoOppress...04647160942598
And this one (I know Aaron hates anyone who find this person funny. Sorry Aaron)
https://mobile.twitter.com/TitaniaMc...23987242487808