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Rebecca Watson

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Rebecca Watson
Cropped image of Watson on a convention panel
Watson in 2014
Born
Rebecca Watson

(1980-10-18)October 18, 1980(age 43)[1]
United States
Alma materBoston University
Years active2005–present
Known forScience communication,atheism,feminism
Websiteskepchick.org
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2006–present
Subscribers143 thousand[2]
Total views23.7 million[2]
Last updated:16 February 2024

Rebecca Watson(born October 18, 1980[1]) is an Americanatheistblogger[3][4][5]andYouTuber.She is the founder of the blogSkepchickand former co-host ofThe Skeptics' Guide to the Universepodcast. She also previously co-hosted theLittle Atomspodcast.[6][7]

Early life and education

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Born in 1980,[8][1]Rebecca Watson grew up in New Jersey.[9][6] She graduated fromBoston Universityin 2002, where she majored incommunications.[9][6] Watson says she had little interest in science until she began working as amagicianwhile at university and meeting other skeptics including magicianJames Randi.[10]

Career

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Watson blogs aboutatheismandfeministpolitics, and has been particularly active in critiquing the modern atheist movement (sometimes called "New Atheism") from within, especially regarding the lack of attention given to the role of women in the movement. Primarily active online, she was described byBuzzFeedas "the first major atheist whose rise has occurred on theweb".[11]

Skepchick

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Inspired after attending the James Randi'sThe Amaz!ng Meeting,[12]Watson founded the blogSkepchickin 2005,[11][13]describing it as "an organization dedicated to promoting skepticism and critical thinking among women around the world".[14]The same year, Watson releasedThe Skepchick Calendar,apin-upcalendar featuring pictures ofskepticalwomen for every month. Proceeds provided the attendance fee for several female applicants to attend The Amaz!ng Meeting.[15]

Originally the site consisted of a forum and a monthly online magazine,Skepchick Magazine,which was launched in January 2006.[16]In February 2006, Watson created a blog titledMemoirs of a Skepchick,as an addition to the magazine.[17][failed verification]Eventually the blog, now simply titledSkepchick,became the main site, as Skepchick Magazine was discontinued in July 2006.Skepchickhas a focus on science and skepticism in general rather than atheism in particular. As of 2017,the site, whose stated goal is "to discuss women's issues from a skeptical standpoint", hosts over 20 bloggers from around the world.[11]

In 2010,Skepchickpartnered with the Women Thinking Free Foundation to host a vaccination drive with the help of the "Hug Me!" campaign at theDragon*Conconvention inAtlanta, Georgia.[18][self-published source]Public health staff allowed members of the public to receive aTDAPvaccination free of charge, as well as educational literature promoting immunization.[19]In 2011,Skepchick,theJames Randi Educational Foundation(JREF), and the Women Thinking Free Foundation partnered to offer a similar vaccination clinic at The Amaz!ng Meeting 9 inLas Vegas, Nevada.[19] The site was the 2012 winner of TheOckham Awardsfor Best Skeptic Blog.[20]

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe

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Watson co-hosted theSkeptics' Guide to the Universepodcast for nine years.[21]Her first appearance was on episode 33 (March 9, 2006), where she was interviewed about her work onSkepchick.She returned on episode 36 (March 29, 2006) as a regular member of the panel.[22][failed verification]On December 27, 2014, she announced that she had recorded her final show prior to leaving the organization.[23]

Public Radio Talent Quest

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In May 2007, Watson entered the Public Radio Talent Quest, a contest aimed to find new public radio hosts.[24]The contest reported receiving more than 1,400 entries.[25]Watson's entries won the popular vote in every round,[26]and she was declared one of three winners who each would receive $10,000 to produce a public radio pilot.[27]

Watson's pilot,Curiosity, Aroused,[28]was an hour-long program focused on science and skepticism.[27]It featured interviews withRichard Saundersof Australian Skeptics and Mystery Investigators, andRichard Wiseman,author of the bookQuirkologyand Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at theUniversity of Hertfordshire.She also investigated claims of poisonous amounts of lead in lipstick, went on a ghost tour inBostonand visited a Psychic Fair.

Her show was the only one among the three winners not to receive funding by theCorporation for Public Broadcastingfor being turned into a one-year show.[29][30]

"Elevatorgate"

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Watson speaking atNECSS2011

The controversy that came to be known as "Elevatorgate" originated with a video Watson made following the June 2011World Atheist Conventionin Dublin, Ireland, where she appeared on a panel aboutsexismwithin the atheist community.[3]: 90–91 [31]In the video, Watson described speaking at the convention about her experience of beingsexualizedas a woman within the movement,[11]: 100–101 [32]and said that a man from a group of conference attendees had later followed her from the hotel bar into an elevator and sexually propositioned her as she was returning to her room early in the morning.[33]She advised her viewers, "Just a word to the wise here, guys, don't do that",[3]: 91 and went on to say:

I was a single woman, in a foreign country, at4 a.m.,in a hotel elevator with you—just you—and don't invite me back to your hotel room, right after I have finished talking about how it creeps me out and makes me uncomfortable when men sexualize me in that manner.[11]: 101 [34]

Reactions to the video varied, with some supporting Watson's desire for privacy and others criticizing Watson for overreacting.[3]: 90–91 Writer and biologistPZ Myerssupported Watson with a post about the incident on his blogPharyngula.[3]: 90–91 A negative response by the online atheist community to Watson's account of the elevator incident, which was a brief part of a longer video about other topics,[33]soon spread across several websites, includingReddit,and became highly polarized and heated.[35][36][further explanation needed]The debate steadily grew to include the overall status of women within the secular movement, with most of the movements's prominent figures offering their opinion on whether the elevator incident wassexual harassment.The discussion spurred a continued backlash, with commenters online labeling women who spoke up on the subject as "feminazis"and other misogynistic slurs.[33]Watson experienced death threats,[11]: 101 with commenters on her blog saying in graphic terms how she should be raped and murdered[33]and one man publishing awebsitethreatening to kill her.[4]

The controversy attracted mainstream media attention when biologistRichard Dawkinsjoined the debate.[33]Although Watson had not compared the incident to sexism withinIslam,[37]Dawkins used the occasion to satirize the supposed indifference of Western feminists to the plight of oppressed Muslim women.[3]: 91–92 [38]In the comments section of Myers's blog, he wrote:

Dear Muslima

Stop whining, will you. Yes, yes, I know you had your genitals mutilated with a razor blade, and... yawn....don't tell me yet again, I know you aren't allowed to drive a car, and you can't leave the house without a male relative, and your husband is allowed to beat you, and you'll be stoned to death if you commit adultery. But stop whining, will you. Think of the suffering your poor American sisters have to put up with.

Only this week I heard of one, she calls herself Skep 'chick', and do you know what happened to her? A man in a hotel elevator invited her back to his room for coffee. I am not exaggerating. He really did. He invited her back to his room for coffee. Of course she said no, and of course he didn't lay a finger on her, but even so...

And you, Muslima, think you have misogyny to complain about! For goodness sake grow up, or at least grow a thicker skin.

Richard[33]

Dawkins' comments led to accusations ofmisogynyandIslamophobia.[31]He explained that, in his view, Watson had not suffered any injury, comparing Watson's experience with the annoyance one might feel while riding an elevator with someone chewing gum.[33]: 199–200 

Several commentators argued that the incident showed Dawkins' insensitivity to gender-related issues such as sexual violence.[33]: 200 [39]Religious scholarStephen LeDrewwrites that "For the first time since the New Atheism had risen to prominence, [Dawkins] found himself under attack by many of those who had viewed him as a respected leader".[33]: 200 David Allen Greencriticized Dawkins for dismissing lesser wrongs because bigger wrongs exist.[40]Steven Tomlins andLori G. Beamanargue that the incident highlights a schism within atheism over the role of feminism, some saying it should take a prominent place in the movement and others calling it divisive.[41]

Watson said of Dawkins, "to have my concerns—and more so the concerns of other women who have survived rape and sexual assault—dismissed thanks to a rich white man comparing them to the plight of women who have been mutilated, is insulting to all of us".[33]: 200 She stated that she would no longer buy or endorse his books and lectures,[42]writing:

[Dawkins] therefore will no longer be rewarded with my money, my praise, or my attention. I will no longer recommend his books to others, buy them as presents, or buy them for my own library. I will not attend his lectures or recommend that others do the same.... But those of us who are humanists and feminists will find new, better voices to promote and inspire, and Dawkins will be left alone to fight the terrible injustice of standing in elevators with gum-chewers.[42]

The result of this exchange led to an extendedinternet flame war[11]: 101 that several reports dubbed "Elevatorgate"[43][44]and which has been the subject ofInternet memes.[31]In the wake of this and an incident at aCenter for Inquiry-sponsored event, where female atheists reported gender bias and inappropriate behavior, organizations including theRichard Dawkins Foundationhave reviewed their policies regarding sexual harassment and non-discrimination.[35]Dawkins later apologized,[31][39]stating, "There should be no rivalry in victimhood, and I'm sorry I once said something similar to American women complaining of harassment, inviting them to contemplate the suffering of Muslim women by comparison".[45]Watson tweeted in response, "Richard Dawkins just did the blog-equivalent of coughing into his hand while mumbling 'sorry' to me. Eh, I'll take it."[46]

Personal life

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Watson married Sid Rodrigues in a surprise ceremony during The Amaz!ng Meeting in July 2009.[47]In April 2011, she announced that she and Rodrigues were separated and seeking a divorce.[48]She later remarried.[49]

Honors

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Anouter main-beltasteroiddiscovered byDavid H. Healyon March 22, 2001 was named153289 Rebeccawatsonin her honor.[8][50]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abcWatson, Rebecca [@rebeccawatson] (October 19, 2018)."yesterday I turned 38 and I'm not into the idea of plastic surgery so feeling pretty blessed to live in the same time period as the iphone X camera"(Tweet).RetrievedJune 23,2021– viaTwitter.
  2. ^ab"About Rebecca Watson".YouTube.
  3. ^abcdefScheidt, Hannah K. (2021).Practicing Atheism: Culture, Media, and Ritual in the Contemporary Atheist Network.Oxford University Press. pp. 73, 90.ISBN978-0-19-753696-4.
  4. ^abHess, Amanda (2015). "Women Aren't Welcome Here". In Holt, Sid (ed.).The Best American Magazine Writing 2015.New York: Columbia University Press. p. 57.doi:10.7312/asme16959.ISBN978-0-231-54071-1.JSTOR10.7312/asme16959.6.
  5. ^Brewster, Melanie Elyse; Motulsky, Wei; Chan, Andy (2021). "Intersectional Atheisms: Race, Gender, and Sexuality". In Bullivant, Stephen; Ruse, Michael (eds.).The Cambridge History of Atheism.Cambridge University Press. p. 1070.doi:10.1017/9781108562324.058.ISBN978-1-0090-4021-1.
  6. ^abcSimpson, Neal (September 27, 2007)."Blogger looks to take her war on pseudoscience to the airwaves".Wicked Local.Brookline TAB.Framingham, Mass. Archived fromthe originalon February 9, 2013.
  7. ^Mouallem, Omar(August 2008)."Making a Living of Bullshit Detecting".Vue Weekly.No. 671. Edmonton, Alberta. Archived fromthe originalon September 12, 2008.
  8. ^abSchmadel, Lutz D. (2012).Dictionary of Minor Planet Names.Springer Science & Business Media. p. 1271.ISBN978-3-642-29718-2.
  9. ^abPotash, Larry (March 31, 2006)."Be skeptical or be an April fool".Chicago Tribune.RetrievedAugust 24,2013.
  10. ^Watson, Rebecca (September 29, 2011)."Mom, don't read this".Skepchick.RetrievedAugust 24,2013.
  11. ^abcdefgMeagher, Richard J. (2018).Atheists in American Politics: Social Movement Organizing from the Nineteenth to the Twenty-First Centuries.Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books. pp. 96–97.ISBN978-1-4985-5858-7.
  12. ^Cohen, Georgiana (March 19, 2009)."Not-so-sure guys".The Boston Phoenix.RetrievedAugust 24,2013.
  13. ^Huff, Peter A. (2021).Atheism and Agnosticism: Exploring the Issues.Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. p. xxxi.ISBN978-1-4408-7083-5.
  14. ^"Index".Skepchick.Archived fromthe originalon November 24, 2005.
  15. ^Plait, Phil(September 19, 2005)."Skepchicks".Bad Astronomy.Discover.Archived fromthe originalon October 19, 2012.
  16. ^"Home page".Skepchick.Archived fromthe originalon December 23, 2005.
  17. ^Watson, Rebecca (February 12, 2006)."It's snowing, so I started a blog".Skepchick.
  18. ^Saunders, Richard;Dunlop, Rachael;Atkinson, Bill (September 10, 2010)."The Skeptic Zone #99 - 10.Sep.2010".The Skeptic Zone(Podcast). No. 99. Event occurs at 0:30:20.RetrievedAugust 20,2013.
  19. ^ab"News archives".Hug Me! I'm Vaccinated!.Women Thinking Free Foundation. July 2011. Archived fromthe originalon September 19, 2013.
  20. ^"The Ockhams 2012".The Skeptic.June 27, 2017.Archivedfrom the original on December 16, 2019.
  21. ^Novella, Steven (2018). "Acknowledgements".The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake.New York: Grand Central Publishing.ISBN978-1-5387-6051-2.
  22. ^"Archive of Shows".The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe.Archived fromthe originalon October 18, 2008.
  23. ^Watson, Rebecca (December 27, 2014)."Why I've Left SGU".Skepchick.RetrievedDecember 31,2014.
  24. ^Watson, Rebecca (May 15, 2007)."A very special audio blog posting. Vote for me!".Skepchick.
  25. ^"PRX Projects".Public Radio Exchange.RetrievedAugust 22,2020.
  26. ^"PRX Announces Winners of Public Radio Talent Quest".Public Radio Exchange. October 27, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon March 30, 2012.
  27. ^abSimon, Clea (January 11, 2008)."Showing a talent for radio".The Boston Globe.RetrievedOctober 30,2008.
  28. ^Watson, Rebecca (December 16, 2007)."Curiosity, Aroused: The Pilot".RetrievedNovember 6,2008– viaWordPress.
  29. ^"Big News from PRX and CPB"(Press release). Public Radio Exchange. June 26, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon April 18, 2012.
  30. ^Simon, Clea (July 2008)."At WCRB, it's a grand old tradition".The Boston Globe.RetrievedOctober 30,2008.
  31. ^abcdHuff, Peter A. (2021). "Dawkins, Richard".Atheism and Agnosticism: Exploring the Issues.Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. p. 66.ISBN978-1-4408-7083-5.
  32. ^Watson, Rebecca (October 24, 2012)."It Stands to Reason, Skeptics Can Be Sexist Too".Slate.RetrievedAugust 22,2020.
  33. ^abcdefghijLeDrew, Stephen (2016).The Evolution of Atheism: The Politics of a Modern Movement.Oxford University Press. pp. 198–199.ISBN978-0-19-022517-9.
  34. ^Watson, Rebecca (June 29, 2011)."About Mythbusters, Robot Eyes, Feminism, and Jokes".Event occurs at 5:19 – via YouTube.
  35. ^abMiller, Ashley F. (June 2013). "The non-religious patriarchy: why losing religion HAS NOT meant losing white male dominance".CrossCurrents.63(2): 211–226.doi:10.1111/cros.12025.S2CID170686171.
  36. ^Winston, Kimberly (September 15, 2011)."Atheists address sexism issues".USA Today.Religion News Service. Archived fromthe originalon October 31, 2013.RetrievedAugust 6,2013.
  37. ^Klug, Petra (2022). "America Versus the Atheist".Anti-Atheist Nation: Religion and Secularism in the United States.New York: Routledge. Endnote 47.ISBN978-1-000-80442-3.
  38. ^Hussein, Shakira (2019).From Victims to Suspects: Muslim Women Since 9/11.Yale University Press. p. 127.ISBN978-0-300-23042-0.
  39. ^abMcAnulla, Stuart; Kettell, Steven; Schulzke, Marcus (2018).The Politics of New Atheism.Routledge.ISBN978-1-317-19833-8.[page needed]
  40. ^Green, David Allen (July 6, 2011)."Sharing a lift with Richard Dawkins".New Statesman.RetrievedMarch 14,2023.
  41. ^Beaman, Lori G.; Tomlins, Steven, eds. (2015).Atheist Identities – Spaces and Social Contexts.Springer. p. 6.ISBN978-3-319-09602-5.
  42. ^abWatson, Rebecca (July 5, 2011)."The Privilege Delusion".Skepchick.
  43. ^Rousseau, Jacques (July 14, 2011)."Elevatorgate and the power of words".Synapses.
  44. ^Band, Emily (July 24, 2011)."Richard Dawkins, check the evidence on the 'chilly climate' for women".The Guardian.RetrievedAugust 23,2018.
  45. ^Dawkins, Richard (August 6, 2014)."Who is 'belittling' what?".Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science; Center for Inquiry.Archivedfrom the original on August 10, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 19,2015.
  46. ^Watson, Rebecca [@rebeccawatson] (August 6, 2014)."Richard Dawkins just did the blog-equivalent of coughing into his hand while mumbling 'sorry' to me. Eh I'll take it. http://ow.ly/A2aVW"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
  47. ^Bug_girl (July 11, 2009)."Congrats Becca and Sid".Skepchick.
  48. ^Watson, Rebecca (April 8, 2011)."A Note About My Personal Life".Skepchick.
  49. ^Watson, Rebecca (May 26, 2023)."Why Losers Like Steven Crowder Hate No-Fault Divorce".Skepchick.RetrievedMay 28,2023.
  50. ^"News and Comment | Asteroids Named for Skeptics, Authors, Science Educators"(PDF).Skeptical Inquirer.Vol. 32, no. 6. November 2008. p. 9.ISSN0194-6730.
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