Chick Bait? Here Is Your Chance To Speak Up! WARNING!

BTW – Not this kind of babes?

Well, this sure has been a comment filled week here at Woody Boater. Not sure if its Post-ish Covid related frustration, or just that Spring is here. Kinda like having to pee a little, until you get close to a bathroom, and then you really have to go. Either way, it sure has been good for traffic here. but exhausting. But, one of the things we do here is go with the flow of conversation. And last night Briant dropped another comment bomb, and well. It’s worth bringing up. Here is that comment.

This one has it all for sure!

An observation and something to think about since many are passing out constructive criticism in these last few days…..(this is not to Matt, but to the group)

Ive noticed that the soft core porn has increased by about 200-300% over the last few months.

If the idea is to have WB a site for old dudes to chat about wood boats and oogle tarts, then full speed ahead.

But if the idea is to gain more enthusiasts to the hobby, a quick way would be to include females….and cancel the sexism….so knock off the porn.

My local car club realized this and made adjustments…..once they got the basic concept that boys AND girls like old cars.

One way to see it

Same subject matter. Where is the line

Okay, to be honest here, this is Matt, not the group speaking, writing.. I read this and moaned. I dont have the energy for one more of these this week. I need a hat story. Maybe some boat photos, anything but a debate. And the real question??? Should it even be a debate? Here are my two arguments that rattle around in my brain when I see a comment with an image.

Darla!

PRO – It’s all a matter of taste. Babes and sex have been a huge part of the speedboat culture. We are not here to try and reinvent it. Yes Chris Craft used wholesome girl next door models. And I believe that is a huge part of Chris Crafts marketing success. Babes or Hunks. With this said, our audience here at WoodyBoater is 85% men. Over 30, and have a mind set that is open and gets humor, sarcasm, and generally is here for about two minutes. Combine that with the openness of our comment section, and what the hell. If you are offended by a cheesy babe bulging out of her Bikini? I am almost positive I can say for all our readers. We are sorry you are offended by the sexist imagery, and just move on. It does add a certain spark to the comment section. Remember, this is the PRO argument. Where is the line drawn?

offensive?

CON – The images of women in tight costumes, wrapped in Sausage, and other sexist situations in today’s world of enlightenment is offensive. We know better, and the truth is its not just women that are bothered by these images. Some women are okay with it, and some men are offended. The line between ironic images and just porn is a matter of personal taste. I personally am not offended for myself, but I am offended for others? Which is always a slippery slope, since I really don’t know how people see the world. But, and this is the big but. (Insert kim Kardashian Image Here) the diversity of taste in the comments here is part of the fun. And so I ask again, where do we draw the line?

I get complaints about this shirt all the time.

So that’s it, I don’t have an answer, I am sure you do. We all know the most guilty of this. And I know for sure, they are deeply respectful family people. have very strong partners. Would never in a bazillion years intentionally offend anyone. And more importantly, know the humor and sarcasm in it. It’s a fine line to be drawn for sure.

Are my cushions okay?

So, now I close my eyes, and wince, and click, PUBLISH! I am gonna leave and go work on my boat, have fun. There is Beer in the fridge, and I just unclogged the toilet.

55 replies
  1. Andy in Middletown
    Andy in Middletown says:

    I was in an architecture school crit once where a student had photo-shopped scantily clad women into his renderings. A critic stopped the crit to inform the student that this offended him and if the student felt his design needed to have scantily clad women in the renderings then he should have scantily clad men too.

  2. Jeff @ Indian Lake
    Jeff @ Indian Lake says:

    As someone who has daughters I am always reminded of a comment someone once told me…”You know, that’s someone’s daughter.” I’ve been remindful of that over the years. I can only imagine how that parent thought when they were told that a picture of their daughter was in some “girly” magazine or heaven forbid a porn movie. So I surely get the message. Just my $.02

  3. Jaxon
    Jaxon says:

    I don’t mind being used for bait. Problem is once I hook them someone fails to reel them in. I’m doing my part and deserve a treat🐶

    • Wayne
      Wayne says:

      Matt – I’m on to you. I bet tomorrow’s story will be about whether or not Clorox bottles belong in any discussion about classic boats. You’re hitting every hot button topic to set a new record for number of clicks in a week!

  4. Mark
    Mark says:

    Definitely a new world we are in now. The Supreme Court is hearing a freedom of speech case now about a teenage girl that didn’t make the cheerleading squad and went on an f bomb rant on social media and got suspended from school. Premise is no personal attack so okay ?

    I say here on the Woodyboater if Troy wants to post his subject matter then that is freedom of speech and no worse than what you would see on a public beach (actually better).

    I think what happened is when Floyd piled on it got kind of overwhelming.

    I say let it go as long as it doesn’t turn into WoodyBoober.

  5. Mike K
    Mike K says:

    I remember a day when someone was upset about smoking primates
    That day didn’t go well for him
    WoodyBoater should never get too serious
    Mike

  6. Tuobanur
    Tuobanur says:

    As some of you may have picked up, I’m not crazy about pegboard but I’m not offended by it. 🤪

  7. John F Rothert
    John F Rothert says:

    I love the babe pics….even the not so gorgeous ones have a better bottom than a Century.

    Hope that takes us into another/better argument….about boats.

    John in Va

  8. Paul H
    Paul H says:

    I am offended by very little, certainly not the images that are posted by Troy and others on WB. However – I have no interest in seeing them on WB and they serve no topical purpose that I can identify. I suppose WB is selling something to someone somewhere, but are they here as a marketing tool or as a component of the wider theme of the site? That’s a question for Matt.

    I don’t see how they relate to what the hobby of old boats is about and that’s why I think they are unsuited for WB – it is assuredly not because of a moral opposition on my part. There are plenty of other places on the net to see images of this sort, and I don’t think the images add anything to WB.

    Is the recent proliferation due to a paucity of actual hobby related content, therefore filling a void that developed because folks just don’t have much to say about the boats or the hobby due to recent conditions? To be fair, I also love animals but would make essentially the same comment about the proliferation of dog photos and subject matter in the last while – dogs are great, but there are lots of great dog fancier website out there. This was/is a boating website, I don’t think its much about fidos and bints…….

    It’s almost a personal point of pride for me that I seldom agree with BrianT on anything, but I have to say that I think his point is a very good one.

  9. steve bunda
    steve bunda says:

    Boats, Cars, Girls, Guys, Dogs, Cats , Buildings, Tools, Kids, and a bazillion other things are all part of life . Diversity is part of our day to day being . This Wokeism and Cancel culture has now come to WoodyBoater ? For cringe out loud , every heard of the first amendment ?

    • Paul H
      Paul H says:

      Hi Steve – it’s not about woke, cancel culture or freedom of expression. It’s about a site called Woody Boater increasingly veering off into what’s at best a tenuously connected, tangential visual or written subject matter.

      How about going to a dog fancier site and posting pictures of classic boats, or a pinup or soft core girl site and posting boat pics? What would the response be?

      There is no relationship between censorship, woke or cancel culture BS and keeping a site or information source topical and related to it’s expressed focus.

      I agree that if someone is offended don’t log on, but in my case – offense is not the issue, it’s simply that I come to WB for discussion on boats and hobby related subjects, and girls and dogs in most cases have nothing to do with that focus.

      • steve bunda
        steve bunda says:

        Let me say it another way. Yes Woodyboater is about wood boats. But it is also about the people that own them, work on them and want a wood boat. Being a blog and an exchange of ideas and information the other things a person posts makes it fun. These other things on the blog make people more than just a poster of boat information, and help to build relationships. Kind of like a pen pal you never meet face to face. Jackson is part of Jim’s life and personality, and I would not want it any other way. Troy and Frank are just having a little fun. Most of the people on the blog I have never meet face to face, but I feel a friendship. Thanks Matt for this blog.

      • Ronald
        Ronald says:

        Paul H, Well said on all accounts, I am totally in agreement with you, While I am certainly not offended by scantily clad women (I love them) but I come to this site for wood boat conversation about our hobby and not about the women or dogs or cats. Personally when I see the dog photos I move on quickly to the next thing. But as others have stated If you do not like the content just do not click on it.

  10. Chug-A-Lug
    Chug-A-Lug says:

    I see there’s no mention of horses(horsepower)so question:YIZZITDATDERIZMORORZIZAZZIZDANDERIZORZIZ

  11. Max Mueller
    Max Mueller says:

    For the critics out there, a homework assignment. Write a daily interesting blog that is interesting to a large group for ten years and then post your criticism.
    By the way, can you identify the carburetor in this image.

    • Frank@Falmouth
      Frank@Falmouth says:

      Im with you Max. Im still waiting for Matt to miss a day and see the outrage!…. If people are expecting a boring site from an Advertising Genius then they got another thing coming. I visit and contribute because I never know where the topics or discussion will go. For purists, I guess they could go to Boat Buzz 🙂 , (that was a joke and not meant to offend anyone) .
      My hat is off to Matt for having the thick skin to moderate and continue to entertain and educate… especially the former..

  12. Mike D
    Mike D says:

    I sold my runabout last year but continue to visit WB because it is a fun site to read. If there is something that offends, disappoints, or irritates me I move onto another site or get up and pour another cup of coffee. No drama here, just move along if something bothers you. It is Matt’s blog and he has the right to post MOST anything he wants. I trust him to maintain a civil site, even though he has fifty irons in his fire.

    I’ve got to go pop some popcorn and visit later.

  13. Doug in Maine
    Doug in Maine says:

    Wow, I tried some Japan drier for the first time last night and it’s a revelation! I wish you all could smell my shop this morning. Epifanes Wood Finish, turpentine, and Japan drier. Nothing could be finer!

  14. m-fine
    m-fine says:

    At least the girls have some clothing on. Nearly all of the dog and cat pictures show these poor animals completely naked! Unlike the human models, they weren’t given a choice to be photographed, and they weren’t even compensated!!!!

    I somewhat agree with Paul H. Nothing offends me, but if you think some of the content is hurting the mission of the site, make a change. If not, don’t. Personally, I like the pictures of dogs and kids and everyone else, even scantily clad people, enjoying boats. Obviously a little leeway for non boat content is needed in the winter months, especially after a year of no shows or gatherings, but I do like the pictures better when they tie to the theme.

  15. floyd r turbo
    floyd r turbo says:

    Forty plus years ago I was assigned to the Art Department of the Ga Dept of Revenue where I worked with the only person in the department. She graduated from the prestigious Florence School of Art in Italy. In the mid seventies she came up with a billboard statewide that was a line drawing of a shapely woman to one side holding a piece of paper and the billboard read “THE CORRECT FORM PROPERLY FILLED OUT GETS ATTENTION”, referring to Ga’s Form 500 Income Tax Form which the woman was holding. Probably couldn’t run that today. If WB was only about scantily clad woman, I’d agree but its not. The pictures in question are random responses on random occasions. And if it “gets attention” without offending I would only post to bring traffic not drive it away. But I can opt out for the sake of offending Brian, et al.

  16. Jeff R
    Jeff R says:

    Thanks for posting Brian T’s comment, Matt – and tons of wisdom in the comments made by Jeff @ Indian Lake and Paul H.

    As one with extremely high regard for the freedom of speech – and with very little patience for the “woke” and “cancel” cultures – this topic does not violate the former, nor qualify for the latter. Quite simply, it’s merely setting a higher standard here for how we treat the fairer gender. After all we’re not cave men, but rather a group of men (and women) who appreciate one of the finest of the finer things in life – vintage boats. And that’s what WB is all about.

    To the points made by others, our primary goal must remain the flourishing of the vintage boat hobby – which WB has done much to create – for both for those already in the hobby, and even more so, for those future Woody Boaters yet to join the fun.

    With the great boats, phenomenal designs, rich legacy, and heroes of the hobby (Chris, Gar, John, et al), we have an endless supply of superb content and photos – enough to keep Matt and WB publishing online for decades. Some hobbies may need to resort to including tasteless material just to sustain ratings (or even survive). Our isn’t one of them.

    To Jeff @ Indian Lake’s well-taken point, all the females pictured – whether tastefully (e.g., the “girl next door” from old Chris-Craft marketing) or gratuitously (we all know it when we see it) – are someone’s daughter. While perhaps a simple rule, it’s an excellent one – and one that will never steer one wrong.

    With that, I wonder how many gratuitous and tasteless photos we’d all post online – whether one is actually the father of daughters or not – if we simply held that standard. So pretend that the girl in the gratuitous photo is YOUR daughter, YOUR granddaughter, YOUR niece, or one of the above of your best friend. The decision then on whether to post or not to post suddenly becomes crystal clear…

    The vintage boat hobby has all it needs to succeed – on its’ own – without needing to take the low(brow) road. Enjoying all the wonderful aspects of what it means to be a Woody Boater is what we’re all here to do. Thanks Matt for helping make that possible day in and day out.

  17. Mark in Ohio (sometimes da U P)
    Mark in Ohio (sometimes da U P) says:

    So a pretty girl in a bikini on a plastic boat would p!$$ everyone off now? It’s like I said the other day. Is this what we have become?

  18. Mahogany mafia
    Mahogany mafia says:

    I thought Briant said he was moving to Canada? whats next a boats lines are to sexy and we shouldn’t post a picture of it too. Keep wearing your masks and stay woke. Nothing like a bunch of old woke white men

  19. Don Vogt
    Don Vogt says:

    Balance, Matt. I know it is extremely difficult to put out a compelling boat story every day, year after year, but boats need to be the main focus. I agree with Paul.

    As for girlie content, for example, I think of the auto parts calendars that formerly adorned every car store. People have moved on and things like this don’t predominate. As an appetizer fine,but not the entree. WB needs to avoid being perceived as catering to “ dirty old men”, as the hobby seeks to recruit a younger generation.

    Lifestyle content is great, like kids, animals, etc. that are related around boating.

  20. Ron in Seattle
    Ron in Seattle says:

    Tough to do this everyday all this time. Help Matt out. You all have great stories, I bet they involve your Mom, wife, SO, daughter, etc. Send it in to him. YOU are part of this.
    Keep the pressure on him for a post covid WB rendezvous at the marina. I like to shake everyone’s hand!

    Going boating tomorrow… Mayday! Mayday!

  21. Dick Dow
    Dick Dow says:

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but (except for today) Matt is not the one posting the contemporary “girlie” pics. Vintage ads and family photos related to life on the water, yes and -of course- doggy shots. But the content being discussed today is not, in my view, a Woody Boater staple or focus – rather, it reflects how a few people choose to respond/comment on the subject of the day. Appropriate? Offensive? That is up to the individual viewing the content who always has the option to turn away and/or object.

    I agree that some of it crosses the rather fine line that society has drawn over the years, but look at the ads and shows on TV – there is a lot of stuff out there on a daily basis that I find more tasteless than anything I’ve seen on WB.

    My $.02 worth… Now back to my coffee and the shop.

  22. C. Browning
    C. Browning says:

    Matt, please don’t change a thing. This is my first click every morning and you do a great job. I plan on taking my boat out tomorrow so if I see a cobra with a pretty babe on the bow I don’t plan on looking away.

  23. Troy in ANE
    Troy in ANE says:

    YOU MIGHT BE A REDNECK IF: You are proud of the fact that your Daughter made it into a Chris-Craft Ad / WoodyBoater Header.

  24. John
    John says:

    I keep poking around the site looking for some supposed Mission Statement – thank god I didn’t find one. Matt, this is your world – do whatever you want. It seems like natural conversation people have about all sorts of things. It starts my morning, every morning.

    Personally, I try not to insult the host of a party. If I don’t think I’ll like the party, I don’t go.

  25. Steve Anderson from Michigan
    Steve Anderson from Michigan says:

    Interesting topic, it all comes down to Matt’s real goal of the site. Is to attract as many followers as possible in the hopes that it will grow the interest in wooden boats? Or to entertain himself and a loyal following of like minded people who are loosely connected by an interest in wooden boats? Either way, I am fine. I completely agree that Matt is not promoting it, which I greatly respect. I am not at all offended by it in the comments and find it entertaining when somehow woven into the theme of the comment. Personally, I wouldn’t change a thing.

  26. Murdock
    Murdock says:

    Thank heavens God still creates beautiful things every day.
    What you decide is beautiful should be your choice. The Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Ten Commandments are pretty straight-forward and easy to understand. Not much gray area there.
    Summers are short, boat rides are precious and your good health is sacred and can’t always be assured.
    I may not agree with your opinion and you may not agree with mine, but that doesn’t make either one of us always wrong. It simply means to practice détente and give a little to get a little. Obey the rules.
    In all my partnerships and business dealings, I’ve made it clear that “friends is friends and business is business”. You can argue about a new policy or product or machinery purchase all day long, but at five o’ clock, punch out, go have a cold beverage and settle it out. Remember Ronald Reagan and Tip ‘O Neil? Polar opposites but they made it work.
    As a screaming old heterosexual, I’m not offended by much and if I am, like the news for example theses days, I simply don’t watch it. I don’t demand you take it off the network just because it doesn’t suit my beliefs. At my age, a beautiful girl to look at is great. Being happily married to a wonderful woman makes me like a dog tied to the porch post. All I can do is run to the end of my chain and bark. Patti knows I’m no threat anymore and that cute waitress does too.
    My grandfather taught me that politics and business share a common ground: “A little to the right, a little to the left, keep it the hell out of the ditches but always keep moving forward”.
    At the end of the day Matt, this is your site, these are your stories and we mere mortals love that passion, because we are passionate too.
    Keep it coming and Rock On.

  27. floyd r turbo
    floyd r turbo says:

    If these pictures were taken and posted against the will or knowledge of the woman pictured I would understand your comment about “think about this woman as your daughter, sister, mother, whatever”. The women pictured were more than likely compensated and/or were posing voluntarily and I assume proud of being photogenic. If not, then why were they permitting the photo? Additionally, I am to assume then that any double entendre is also verbotten. I mean, that could be talk about…well, you know the thing, that we can’t mention anymore.

    • Steve Anderson from Michigan
      Steve Anderson from Michigan says:

      Great point, Floyd. Why would we want to take away a career opportunity for beautiful women? Lol

  28. Jack Thee Boat Hack
    Jack Thee Boat Hack says:

    Matt, it’s your blog so it’s your call. The girlie vibe gets old after awhile (my teen and wife would hate it, and hence will hate my new hobby). (And if Mrs. WB starts dropping Chippendale photos, I’m out.) But the casual sexism is confined (primarily) to the comments–which rarely offer much substance to a (new) boater. I’m glad you’re all friends, but text or email or call your friend directly–do you really need to reach out in the comments? This isn’t a problem strictly limited to WB–that’s why I’m off FB, but I did briefly enjoy a number of topical FB groups where the comments were moderated to stay on point so as to keep the focus on ______ whatever (tools, wood-fired pizza ovens, boats).

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