From: Lilly Tao
Message-Id: <199810112152.OAA14158@netcom14.netcom.com>
Subject: Oct 11 Danziger cartoon
To: business@sjmercury.com
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 14:52:02 -0700 (PDT)
Cc: ltao (L. Tao)

SJ Mercury News Business Editor:

Is what I see in the October 11 Danziger "Nerd Bird" cartoon really true? Are these high tech worker laden planes filled only with male passengers and female flight attendents? Is this talented artist under the impression that only males fly between the high tech centers of our nation, or is he using the common comedic technique of exaggeration to make the point that this artificial environment in the skies is, well, artificial?

Without knowing his motives, I am trying not to pass too harsh a judgement when I know that it is true that there are more men than women in the high tech industry and there are not a lot of male flight attendants. But I hate to see such a cut and dry portrayal when I know that there are female passengers also working away at their laptops on these flights. And I know I've seen male flight attendants, although that may be a less common occurence. We shouldn't let our need for humor keep us in the dark ages by enforcing gender role stereotypes. Many of the nerd stereotypes used in the cartoon are humorous, but one of them should not be that only men fly the nerdly skies.

Lilly Tao
Software Engineer
Sunnyvale, CA
ltao@netcom.com