Misogynistic and problematic route names in rock climbing

Tim Stich wrote: Oh, get this. Years ago I once thought that the route at E-Rock called Becky's Crack was in poor taste. I had no idea there was some old fart out there named Fred Becky! 

Since his name was Beckey, not Becky, you might want to re-think that one Stich.

Will S wrote:

Since his name was Beckey, not Becky, you might want to re-think that one Stich.

And they didn't know how to spell his name, either. The crack was in fact climbed by Fred first from what I hear. But maybe you heard a different story about this Becky person that was maligned all of these years? It all gets lost in the great, boring history of a state devoid of much good rock to climb. Contact Mike Tucker and Jack Harvey and ask them what they were thinking if either of them is still alive.

Attentive Follower wrote:

I asked if anyone liked rap music and you went straight to racism....why did you make that leap?

I think you can figure this out yourself.

Jesus, another one of these threads?

What is it like going through life always being offended by shit?

Robert S wrote:
What is it like going through life always being offended by shit?

I imagine it sucks if you are a woman or minority. But I'm just a straight white male in America so I'm fine.

Robert S wrote: Jesus, another one of these threads?

What is it like going through life always being offended by shit?

Ask a Black male in America!

Tim Stich wrote:

We need a fact finding mission to discover the most misogynistic route name in Texas. I, being male of course cannot do this, but I am from Texas, so there's that. Let's start with the Barton Creek Greenbelt, then Reimers', then Enchanted Rock. Oh, we have that Hueco Tanks place, but since I lived in Austin and that fucking joint was like 11 hours of driving away I never once set foot there. I mean, why bother? OK, what else is there? Some Mineral Wells crap near Dallas I heard. Oh, yeah, some boulders here and there. But we are talking routes, so not going there.

OK, anyone up for the task? It just involves reading route names in the old MP database right here. I swear to you, if you hit over 300 routes you are in the next state.

Oh my god, you misogynistic bastards that bolted in the Greenbelt! Already found one!

Never climbed at Beehive, as it looked like shit, but hey. Dirty Rotten Whore. Gee whiz. Did Norm MacDonald come up with that one? And the other route, Meat and Potatoes. Is that what the guy expects on the dinner table when he comes home at night? Fuck you, make yourself a TV dinner you piece of shit.

Another one from a wall I don't think I climbed at much due to its choss nature.

They should rename that one for sure to "Fat Fuck Old Guys that back in the day made Fun of Fat Chicks Har Dee Har Har."

Oh, get this. Years ago I once thought that the route at E-Rock called Becky's Crack was in poor taste. I had no idea there was some old fart out there named Fred Becky!

Tim, there was a recent outbreak here of PC culture going after route names. It began when someone asked the author of the local guidebook if he would change the name  "Rock Retard" to something less offensive in the next edition (or leave it out).

It turned out that a lot of Austinites who are forever looking to feel aggrieved and who constantly spray words like inclusive and welcoming thought this and changing several other route names was a great idea. And so I am not shitting you that "Fat Chicks Tryin' To Be Sexy" is now "Tryin' To Be Sexy"  after they contacted the FAist and asked.

What was funny is that all the college kids and millennials who thought "Rock Retard" was so horrible had not a clue about "Jerry's Kids," lol.

Robert S wrote: It turned out that a lot of Austinites who are forever looking to feel aggrieved and who constantly spray words like inclusive and welcoming thought this and changing several other route names was a great idea. And so I am not shitting you that "Fat Chicks Tryin' To Be Sexy" is now "Tryin' To Be Sexy"  after they contacted the FAist and asked.

It turned out that a lot of MProj-ers who are forever looking to feel aggrieved and who constantly spray phrases like "free speech" and "political correctness" thought that the mere possibility of changing some route names was a threat to the essence of climbing as we know it. And so I am not shitting you that there are now 6(+) pages of circlejerking about it on MountainProject

FTFY.

Paul Park wrote: I just read this very insightful article from the CBC on problematic route names in rock climbing. What are your thoughts on the pervasiveness of crude and inappropriate rock climbing route names? I had a long talk with my partner and we agreed that trying to promote a systematic renaming of sexist and misogynistic routes is the way to go. That's the only way our sport can truely become inclusive and equitable.  

I hate seeing posts like this.  Only the winners get to rewrite history.

Paul Park wrote: I just read this very insightful article from the CBC on problematic route names in rock climbing. What are your thoughts on the pervasiveness of crude and inappropriate rock climbing route names? I had a long talk with my partner and we agreed that trying to promote a systematic renaming of sexist and misogynistic routes is the way to go. That's the only way our sport can truely become inclusive and equitable.  

Paul sincerely you should read “Coddling of the American mind” by Jonathan Haidt. 

Leave 'em be as historical documentation of all that you lament about the past and shame those engaged in "poor taste" route naming  today if it suits you.

If you get any traction good for you. But washing the efforts of fallible men from the past means you are doomed to repeat them.

Btw the all time best offensive route name goes to my friends Norman and Brian with "Way Homo Sperm Burpers from Fresno" which was intended to shame those who used the slur towards them (in part) in a co-opting and to mock grandiose Yosemite traditions for route names.

Fundamentally climbing is absurd. Let's be sure it remains so.

Etha Williams wrote:

It turned out that a lot of MProj-ers who are forever looking to feel aggrieved and who constantly spray phrases like "free speech" and "political correctness" thought that the mere possibility of changing some route names was a threat to the essence of climbing as we know it. And so I am not shitting you that there are now 6(+) pages of circlejerking about it on MountainProject

FTFY.

Did being so clever and original there make you feel good? Did it validate you?

Roy Suggett wrote:

Without a picture and with a pseudonym I can only speculate you are a white male.  Not a bad bet, but forgive me if I am wrong.  WE white males very seldom experience discrimination.  We either need to do that or have a great many friends who have schooled us on what it is like to be marginalized and discriminated against generation after generation to get a glimpse what it is like.  It IS time WE broaden or perspective so as not to continue this "harming" of the marginalized.  Little things I would not have guessed, like not letting your Latina daughter go to college because the place is called "Dixie State" affects the world in exponential ways.   

Funny how the SJWs who are so quick to fight racism are equally racist.  No wonder you have so much self-loathing.  If I was that much of a hypocrite, I would too. 

This Troll is suffering from some sort of an insecurity complex,
 is compensating for something it is not possible to tell what.
(Guilty conscience, from "ITs" own treatment of a sub-group, maybe?)

 if  you do a 10-second check, you would see that  "it"  (Paul) needs to be ignored

The 1st "spew-Nozzle" post of  The 5, all on this one issue , dating back to, 2017  & going on till this thread

 (Edit could it be that the "Paul Park" is the sad and lonely "Shelma Jun" looking to direct views to her spewings?)

Paul Park · Oct 10, 2017 · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2017 · wrote:

I was listening to the recent Enormocast with Shelma Jun  where she and the host discuss some of the issues and experiences women can face in the climbing community,

 it's pretty insightful and worth a listen but one comment made me think about my own experience.

Essentially it's the idea of 'Toxic Masculinity', in that males can be forced to "Suck it up"/"Man up"
and are inhibited from expressing emotion in general and this is an example of a negative social constructs males have.

Does anyone have any negative personal experiences with this in their climbing? I accept that it happens,
 my experiences with (male) partners where we can push one another by talking a bit of shit has been really positive though.
 It's a way to bond in that you can playfully insult one another and discuss the weaknesses you each have.

I always viewed such masculinity and stoicism as an ideal better man you aspire to be.
In climbing that's being stronger and more importantly perseverent for when the going gets tough.
 It's to suffer and pull through together. I love this part of being a man.

I think importantly the exceptions to this would be 'not showing emotions'.
Joe Simpson admitted to weeping when he fell into a crevasse thinking he's going to die

 but I've never encountered anyone thinking he's less of a man for it.
Same with when friends have passed in the mountains

or even after me and my partners went through hell together.
 Moments of extreme emotion have always come with the territory.

Does anyone have any differing experiences with their masculinity?

I'm especially curious if there are guys who think it's been a hinderance to their climbing

There is a long and humorous  history of women and boys trying to "take the ptss out of" the prudish, older society by using vulgarity for its shock value,
 It may seem out of place, but It is a shared stage with women often leading the way.  How is it that a few racy names  are not acceptable in this new normal where an accused  misogynistic incestuous serial sexual & child abuser rapist criminal can be  the unremoved from office, president ?

Maybe "Paul Park" could aim his angst where it would do something positive ?

caesar.salad wrote:

I imagine it sucks if you are a woman or minority. But I'm just a straight white male in America so I'm fine.

The only example you can give is from your imagination?

Ty Gilroy wrote:

CBC is funded by the liberal party, look it up. And sorry i offended you, I will use the term whiney morons instead

No, it's not. It's funded by the federal government. If anything their politics skew NDP/Green these days. Show me exactly where you get this idea that the Liberals are funding the CBC.

Roy Suggett wrote:

Ask a Black male in America!

-1

Ted Raven wrote:

No, it's not. It's funded by the federal government. If anything their politics skew NDP/Green these days. Show me exactly where you get this idea that the Liberals are funding the CBC.

Liberals have a majority. They are the federal government. In 2015, the Liberal Party was returned to power. As part of its election platform, it promised to restore the $115 million of funding to the CBC that was cut by the Harper Government, over three years, and add $35 million, for a total extra funding of $150 million. Then in 2016, CBC asked for an additional $400 million. Wikipedia! Honestly though Ted you sound like you are more interested in politics than me. Im sure you have me beaten in whatever debate we are loosely having here but its not news that the CBC has been accused of bias on numerous occasions. 

At a local crag, a developer named a route Anorexia (It's a Little Thin) in the late '90s. I recently bolted a route just right of it ... there's no way it can't be called Bulimia, right? 

Would Ask a Black male in America be a problematic route name?