To the Editor:
The issue of Ratio-Induced Bitch Syndrome has been addressed in the previous two issues of The Poly and in a recent Statler & Waldorf. Amy Wieliczka ’10 wrote a provocative letter framing men on the campus as perpetrators of the concept of RIBS, as an excuse for a poor dating scene on campus, while Kat Foley ’10 responded with a defense of the RIBS “joke.”
While Wieliczka’s use of “womyn” and “womon” came off as very intense, her message should be well heeded. Women are still a minority on this campus, and many efforts are being made to balance out “the ratio” for a more gender-neutral environment. While the RIBS joke often falls on affable ears, it should not be used as an excuse or reasoning for a lack of romance at RPI. It is no secret that many students, particularly male, are reclusive and will find scapegoats for their social ineptitude. By going through the effort to poster in a well-trafficked area on a day when many prospective students visit, what would be a lighthearted joke between friends became an offensive “campaign” that called out women as the reason the poor, lonely males are single.
It is not okay to blame an entire group for your problems, especially a group that should be embraced for the betterment of our community. I would have liked the S&W to take a more progressive approach to the idea of RIBS, and, as a man on campus, I hope that both women and my fellow men who want to poke fun at RIBS will be careful to stay on the right side of the line between lighthearted humor and misogyny.
Additionally, respect for feminism and the use of “womyn” and “womon” should be granted out of deference to the comfort of others in labeling themselves instead of adopting terms from an inherently patriarchal language, if one is to satisfy the demand for respect and dignity on a personal level based on “merit.” Defending a group of students that is underrepresented at RPI should be a high enough merit to require more respect than what was given in Foley’s claim to style in her spelling of “bytch” while claiming that “womyn” and “womon” are spelled incorrectly.
Timothy Tusing
MATH ’10
