I will not accommodate or excuse his misogyny.

The BBQ Pit
1

Let me start with a little background.

MONDAY
At work we get cases. Right now the case I’m administrating is hot while most of the other cases are not. A co-worker is assigned to help with my case on his down time. We’ll call him Pennywise. I’m glad Pennywise is assigned because he knows what he’s doing and won’t fuck shit up.

On Monday he runs a report. I asked him why. This was the whole conversation:

Me: Pennywise, why did you run this report?
Pennywise: Because Farnsworth told me to. (Farnsworth being the name I’ve decided to call my immediate supervisor.)
Me: OK.
Cut to a few hours later. Pennywise is in Farnsworth’s office gesticulating wildly (you can see him through that supervisory I’m-watching-you type window. The phone rings and I am summoned into the office.

Farnsworth: What happened between you and Pennywise?
Me: Excuse me?
Farnsworth: There was a problem earlier today?
Me: There was?
Pennywise: There was no need for you to question me like that!
Me: Question you like what?
Pennywise: When I ran that report. There was no reason for you to question me like that!

Ah! A lightbulb flashes over my head. Pennywise is insane. No need to talk to insane people. I address Farnsworth. “I asked him why he ran the report. He told me because you told him to. That was that.” Pennywise is getting very excited. His voice is rising. “There was no need for her to question me! I know what I’m supposed to do! Blah, blah, blah I’m a loony, blah, blah, don’t question me, blah, blah.”

Still speaking to the only other sane person in the room, I ask my supervisor if that was all he wanted to know. He said yes and I left.
TUESDAY
You see, the reason I didn’t need that report was because I asked my Manhattan boss (how 'bout we call him The Impaler? He hates when you call him that) to run a specialized report with more information than can be gotten with the standard one. The Impaler e-mailed the report to both me and Farnsworth late Monday. Well, around about lunchtime on Tuesday ole Pennywise is blowing a gasket. “Why wasn’t I e-mailed this!” He’s demanding of me. As if I was the one who didn’t send it to him. But I’m not going to argue with him. He’s making me angry and, just between you and me, when I get angry I can be a real bitch. So I tell him that I’m not going to argue with him and that I’m busy.

TODAY
Farnsworth calls me into his office. He asked me if I could please-- pretty please-- ask any questions or make any requests of Pennywise through him. This is a stupid, time-wasting and totally bizarre request. Pennywise on the other side of the partition from me in our cubicle farm. Playing telephone in my office will lead to miscommunications. See above. I ask Farnsworth why in the world would I do that?

Because Pennywise has a problem taking orders from women. It’s his culture. See where he’s from in Africa men don’t take orders from women. Poor Farnsworth. He actually moved away from me when my eyebrows raised. They were probably at the nape of my neck when he finished.

Firstly: I never, ever gave this man any orders. Unless he’s counting Leave me alone, I’m busy as an order.

Secondly: That’s his problem and not mine. And I’m be damned if I’ll make it mine.

Thirdly: I don’t care if he’s from a world where men are Gods and women are furry little rabbits-- like Fiddler said “You in America now.”

Needless to say, I told Farnsworth no.

2

There was a similar situation in a music store where I onced worked, only the misogynistic asshole was an American bred and born Fund’ist Xian. Fortunately, the owner was not willing to have any requests made by female cow orkers to be funneled through male supervisors. He periodically was torn new bodily orfices.

3

Biggirl,

Did you, like, kick Jesus in the balls or something? You really are about due for some civilized treatment. Shit, even when you complained about hateful rasict train ticket agents shit rains down on you here.

Peace.

4

Don’t give an inch! What an ass. I have had the same damn kind of thing happen to me. How the hell does the boss get off telling you not to talk to him? Would he have dared say that if Pennyworth’s problem was that you were black? It shocks me that anyone can consider this ok.

5

There’s not a smiley with a jaw dropped low enough. What a moron.

I hope you’ll keep us updated on this one.

6

You rock, Biggirl.

Yes, DO keep us posted.

7

Wow. That guy sounds like an asshole. And Farnsworth should have a bit of spine and tell him ‘We are all big people here. You are colleagues. If you cannot work with BigGirl like a mature person, perhaps it is you who has the problem.’

8

A collegue of mine had a guy on her team that was kind of like this. He was 50 something and upset because he had to answer to a 30 something woman. When she asked me how to deal with him I told her to ask him if he would rather work for a 17 yo guy at McDonalds because we could arrange that.

9

Pennywise is a fucking clown, and he’s not even funny.

(I’m shocked nobody’s made this connection yet. Shocked. It should have been the first thing to float to the top.)

10

Well, then. Why did Pennywise come to the United States?

Perhaps because of the wonderful stuff we have here–jobs, educational opportunities, healthcare, etc.

I wonder if it ever occurred to him that the very things he came here for arose from the same ideals and values that led to a culture where women can be bosses?

I’m not one of those that thinks that immigrants shouldn’t complain or criticize the U.S. They have just as much right to kvetch as us native-borns. But it does irk me when they come here to take advantage of the good, but refuse to accept the freedom and equality that created the very culture that they came here to take advantage of.
Where is this guy from, anyway? How long has he been here?

And I agree with catsix–Farnsworth dropped the ball on this one. Big time.

11

Oh yeah. In addition to Pennywise being a fucknugget, that Farnsworth just screams ‘ineffective manager’ to me.

12

What catsix said. In droves. He’s a big boy now, regardless of his “culture”. I’m thinking somebody needs to suck it up (maybe literally, maybe not) and adjust to Real Life.

Christ on a Ritz. What a dick.

13

We all float out here in cyberspace…

Anyway, I made the connection, as I’m sure many others did. I just didn’t feel the need to say anything about it. :stuck_out_tongue:

14

Pennywise is also scary with long, sharp teeth. Yeah, I definitely got the connection! :slight_smile: Good catch!

15

No way. I don’t believe it! :wink:

Is Farnsworth always that much of a wimp? WTF?

I’d probably make remarks around Pennywise about how REAL men aren’t threatened by strong, commanding women. Not to his face, just to someone else in the vicinity. But when he’s in earshot.

And that guys who don’t like to answer to a female are usually insecure and have small penises.

But that’s just me.

16

That is just SHOCKING.

:eek:

17

My boss at my first job here had some good advice (although I’m not sure he meant it as such when he said it):

“You not in America now.”

Pennyworth seriously needs to learn: new playing field = new rules.

Farnsworth sounds like he could use a lesson or two, as well.

18

She said in the OP that it is because of his culture. He probably isn’t threatened, he just dosn’t like taking orders from women because he sees them as beneath him. He grew up always looking down on women and still does.

19

I did, I did!!! (waves hand wildly :D)

I assumed that was why BigGirl tagged him with that nickname. I guess I just assumed that everyone else would get it too, so I didn’t comment.

But then, maybe not everyone here is a King fan?

20

Speaking as a manager, I have to say that Pennywise is indeed an asshat, but Farnsworth is a bigger one. His job as a manager is to not tolerate that kind of discriminatory behavior. He’s not just tolerating it, he’s excusing and enabling it.

I’d suggest a visit to your HR department. Both of these men need to be reprimanded for this behavior, and they need to learn that it is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.