Couch Time

I am stone cold fucking flabbergasted that Digby is a woman, and this tells me quite a lot more about myself than I wanted to know. I had heard the theory and rejected it because -- and this thought entered my conscience mind -- I didn't think the writing sounded feminine. The gender politics of that didn't escape me, but I nonetheless thought that the idea of a gendered written voice was no different than the idea of gendered hand-writing (in which, perhaps haven failed to learn my lesson, I still believe). And I didn't think that different necessarily meant inferior, although I had no doubt women were perceived as less credible and authoritative.
Well, the widespread belief in Digby's masculinity does confirm that respect and perceived competence are correllated with masculinity (because, let's face it, Digby is quite simply, the shit). But it either tends to disconfirm the idea of a distinct gendered voice, or it tends to show that our ability to identify it, even when gender politics are foregrounded, is frustrated to the point of impotence by the ingrained sexist associations of masculinity and authority.
You heard me. Sexism = Impotence.
Anecdote, plural, data, plural of, not the, etc...