To properly answer the question "is brogrammer a sexist term", I think it's important to distinguish -- for a moment -- what a sexist term might be.
1. Is a term sexist when the speaker intends to be sexist?
2. Or is the term sexist when others interpret to be?
3. Or is a term sexist in some other more subtle way?
Some answers:
1. No idea
2. This varies. I know people here are saying brogrammer is an internet meme, but I've met plenty of start-up people that seem to enjoy various components of the meme -- polo shirts, bad sunglasses, incoherent misogyny.
3. This one is hard, and there are several conflicting possibilities.
a) Usage of the word "brogrammer" (whether in jest, or not) could be good (for gender relations), if it is successfully used ironically, or if it somehow signifies the irrelevance of gender.
I don't think either of these are true. Popping your collar is not irony. It might be a good halloween gimmick, but it's not irony.
And as for brogramming signifying a post-gender binary world, uh, no, come on?
b) The alternative is what I believe to be true, posts like this, regardless of intent reveal a serious cultural insensitivity. Whoever wrote it doesn't care if they offend you. They don't care if it sounds sexist, and they probably don't care if they _are_ sexist.
This is very antisocial behavior, and it deserves disapprobation just for that.
1. Is a term sexist when the speaker intends to be sexist?
2. Or is the term sexist when others interpret to be?
3. Or is a term sexist in some other more subtle way?
Some answers:
1. No idea
2. This varies. I know people here are saying brogrammer is an internet meme, but I've met plenty of start-up people that seem to enjoy various components of the meme -- polo shirts, bad sunglasses, incoherent misogyny.
3. This one is hard, and there are several conflicting possibilities.
a) Usage of the word "brogrammer" (whether in jest, or not) could be good (for gender relations), if it is successfully used ironically, or if it somehow signifies the irrelevance of gender.
I don't think either of these are true. Popping your collar is not irony. It might be a good halloween gimmick, but it's not irony.
And as for brogramming signifying a post-gender binary world, uh, no, come on?
b) The alternative is what I believe to be true, posts like this, regardless of intent reveal a serious cultural insensitivity. Whoever wrote it doesn't care if they offend you. They don't care if it sounds sexist, and they probably don't care if they _are_ sexist.
This is very antisocial behavior, and it deserves disapprobation just for that.