# Sexism inherent to Google search engine

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-inherent-to-google-search-engine/452233>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 8, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-inherent-to-google-search-engine/452233 "2008-06-08T16:03:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-inherent-to-google-search-engine/452233/1 "2008-06-08T16:03:11Z")

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I find google to be a wonderful spell checker for certain things. Like People’s names.

So yesterday I had cause to check the spelling of [Amanda Tapping’s](http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=amanda+tapping&btnG=Google+Search&meta=) name. Three very nice images are right at the top of list along with a suggestion that I check out “Image results for Amanda Tapping”. And some fine results they were.

And then today I used Google to check my spelling of [Al Pacino](http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=al+pacino&btnG=Search&meta=) and see, no images!

Seems a bit sexist to me. Is Google’s main userbase a bunch of teenage boys looking for cheesecake pictures?

Now I may not be the best judge of which men are sexy and which are not, but I’m not daft. I’m sure many female Google users would be as happy to see Al Pacino as I was to see Sexy Amanda pop up on screen.

See the discrimination inherent in the system?

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-inherent-to-google-search-engine/452233/2 "2008-06-08T16:15:21Z")

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If you’re not purely joking, no doubt it only offers image results if a certain percentage of searches in the past for the text were images searches initiated by the user.

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**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-inherent-to-google-search-engine/452233/3 "2008-06-08T16:18:00Z")

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Nope, nope, just did a search for[James Franco](http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=james+franco&btnG=Google+Search&meta=). Now if you want to go after [Thesaurus.com](http://Thesaurus.com)…

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**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-inherent-to-google-search-engine/452233/4 "2008-06-08T17:18:21Z")

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I just wanted to say that after taking the link in the OP I am feel very [patriotic.](http://soyleyenda.files.wordpress.com/2006/11/amanda-tapping.jpg)

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**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-inherent-to-google-search-engine/452233/5 "2008-06-08T18:42:38Z")

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It is definitely harder to find male actors who have the images come up. But Shia Labeouf is one.

ETA: Kevin McKidd is another. And James Purefoy! (That’s what comes of doing sexy naked scenes in Rome, eh?)