EU Badbuzz : “Science it’s a girl thing!”

Brussels, 21 June 2012, European Commission press release announces the launch of the so-called “Science : it’s a girl thing” campaign, aiming to attract young women to scientific careers. Watch the highly controversial trailer-video.

Although intentions of the EU are good, boost and balance presence of women in labs (Have a look on EU Commission graph, fore instance women are underepresented in PhDs), the trailer campaign was considered an offense, insulting women and scientists at once. The schocking video was very fast and widely badbuzzing all around social media.

The European Commission wanted this video to go viral, I think the goal was achieved, maybe not in the right way though. Many people responded to this video, widely claimed a sexist, stereotyped, stupid, insulting video.

Here are some tweets picked up and storified by by Maryn McKenna for instance which witness how bad the feedbacks are. Just like here too in CBC News Community storify as well about the same topic. Here for French readers is a very good storify by Marine Soichot who seems to be very pissed.

In addition, read yourself media coverage of the outrage by Wired UK, the Telegraph, Nature, The Washington Post, New Stateman, The Huffington Post UK…

At least, so that this all viral thing was not for all nothing, please go and check out the youtube channel campaign. The controversial video was of course erased. Here are however some videos which show some real women in real science. Let’s hope the sexist video was only a desperate attempt to attract attention on real topic. I really hope so. And still!

Let’s finish this post with the reaction in video of the Astronomer Dr Meghan Gray, giving her view on the all “Science it’s a girl thing” gate. An d yet, make no mistakes, she is a girl AND a scientist!