Comments on: The Gender Genie

By: Higgins

Higgins — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 23:57:10 +0000

Check out the ‘read more’ link above for the author’s comments on the Genie Gender (I believe the author is a woman). She makes interesting points about the Genie and how our society may have generalized on a certain style of writing — which the Genie identifies as “male” — regardless of the actual gender of the writer. I think it’s an interesting comment on writing style that:

a) There is a measurable maleness or femaleness to the language used. (Or at least an assignment of two styles to two genders.)

AND

b) Women often write using the measurably “male” style (and perhaps vice versa).

One could read this as a statement on patriarchy, or as a hopeful statement that the gender of the writer is not relevant to the final product — that the writer has that choice when writing. I think that’s pretty cool.

By: natlynn

natlynn — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 23:30:47 +0000

I had equally disappointing results. I actually tried several pieces, all my own, three each of fiction and non-fiction. The non-fiction came up male each time, and the fiction popped up female. Am I only a chick when I write fiction? Is my masculinity released through factual musings? Bizarre.

By: Scott

Scott — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:12:30 +0000

I tried several articles from news sites, and blogs, all rated male, about 80% were actually female. One even contained the phrase “as a woman myself”, and it was rated male. I think the gender genie is broke, or it guesses male way more often than it should.

By: mitbitna

mitbitna — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:00:33 +0000

Hmmm… I tried two pieces of writing. The nonfiction piece (a report) clearly judged me as male; the fiction piece (a letter) clearly judged me as female.

I’m a female.

By: Bassman

Bassman — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:36:06 +0000

So, women are selfish?