SafeSearch sexism
2008-11-26 15:05:28.892062+00 by
Dan Lyke
7 comments
Tony Comstock reports that Google SafeSearch returns 33,000,000 results for "penis", none for "clitoris". Actually, as of right now it appears to be 36,500,000. With SafeSearch off, that's 74,600,000 for "penis" and 14,600,000 for "clitoris". Via ErosBlog.
Speaking of which, has anyone else found themselves automatically quoting all Google search terms because that seems to override the "find all variations of this word" and "rank pages with only one of your search terms higher than one with all 4" bogosity that's crept into the Google results?
[ related topics:
Sexual Culture Net Culture
]
comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):
#Comment Re: made: 2008-11-26 15:37:20.752709+00 by:
JT
21,600,000 for vagina with safe search on. I don't think penis and clitoris are a valid comparison for search terms since one will be much more likely to be used in educational and informational ways than the other.
#Comment Re: made: 2008-11-26 18:38:31.6612+00 by:
Dan Lyke
Okay, then, compare to "glans".
#Comment Re: made: 2008-11-26 18:43:30.046126+00 by:
Dan Lyke
Or... well... wait, is your assertion that "Clitoris" won't ever be used in an educational way?
#Comment Re: made: 2008-11-26 19:14:53.556695+00 by:
JT
No, not at all... but I haven't seen "clitoris" in an educational context in a long time. I don't have any recollection in recent memory where it wasn't used in a more um... dirty (for lack of a better word) way.
#Comment Re: made: 2008-11-26 23:18:33.383932+00 by:
ebradway
For JT, a non "dirty" reference to clitoris via WikiPedia:
The clitoris is a sexual organ that is present only in female mammals. In humans, the visible button-like portion is located near the anterior junction of the labia minora, above the opening of the urethra and vagina. Unlike the penis, which is homologous to the clitoris, the clitoris does not contain the distal portion of the urethra, and functions solely to induce sexual pleasure. The only known exception to this is in the Spotted Hyena. In this species, the urogenital system is unique in that the female urinates, mates and gives birth via an enlarged, erectile clitoris, known as a pseudo-penis.
Why doesn't Google with SafeSearch on at least return the WikiPedia article? Why not links to genital mutilation?
#Comment Re: made: 2008-11-27 00:15:38.006683+00 by:
ebradway
I just added a section to the WikiPedia article concerning Google's effective denial of the existence of the clitoris.
#Comment Re: made: 2008-11-27 05:25:39.333559+00 by:
JT
Eric,
According to my girlfriend, WikiPedia has the same stance on the existence of the clitoris that her first husband had...