Matt Taylor Reduced To Tears Over "shirtstorm"

[Kromovaracun]

Dr. Matt Taylor, the scientist and spokesman for the recent Rosetta mission, has been attacked for wearing a tacky shirt on the grounds that it is sexist and offensive. The attacks on him were launched by Chris Plante over at that most esteemed of publications, The Verge.

http://metro.co.uk/2014/11/15/in-defense-of-rosetta-mission-scientist-dr-matt-taylor-and-his-controversial-shirt-4949004/

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/nov/14/rosetta-comet-dr-matt-taylor-apology-sexist-shirt

It later transpired that the shirt had been designed and made for him by a female friend as a birthday gift. Said friend works as a fetish model.

Should he have apologised?

[jim360]

*Hastily checks wardrobe to see if it's crazy enough*

I think that, given that he was always likely to appear on the media, he probably ought to have chosen something a bit less distinct, but ultimately it was other people's choice to make his shirt the centre of attention, rather than his work.

[Mamyalynne]

Crazy enough for me Jim.;-)

[jno]

yes, I do rather, mamya. Sort of a "The Philae mission has been omg what is that guy wearing ?? successful and..." moment.

It'd be fine on the beach or when visiting Mme Whiplash.

[Mamyalynne]

Don't you disrobe for Madame ?

[Mamyalynne]

Not that I'm prying you understand.

[douglas9401]

He'll never win, if he apologises the usual suspects will harp on with their manufactured, bandwagon jumping drivel until he's hounded from his post, ending up sleeping under a bridge.
He'll then be vilified as a benefit scrounger who's wasted his life and all the money spent on his education resulting in a killing spree in a shopping centre selling only novelty casual wear.
In the meantime, aliens, eager to make first contact will fly past, pick up transmissions of said debacle and make a note to return in a few thousand Earth years when people who contribute nothing but hot co2 to the planet get over themselves or become extinct.

Probably.

[Ellipsis]

> The idea of celebrating a big day by wearing a shirt made by a fetish model is curious

It would seem to be his scene.

So he's a bit different to the average man in the street, let alone the average rocket scientist ... does that make him a misogynist? Was he disparaging women by wearing the shirt? Should he have worn his "This is what a feminist looks like" T-Shirt?

[sp1814]

Krom

It was the wrong shirt to wear that day.

Many year ago, I used to own a Vivienne Westwood t-shirt that featured two naked cowboys in profile.

Just like I would not wear that to, say, a funeral, so Dr Matt should have not worn this particular shirt on this historic date.

I am not certain that the t-shirt is sexist, per se. Just very inappropriate.

Best response to kill this story is to acknowledge how inappropriate the shirt was, whilst wearing a shirt with a load of semi naked blokes on it.

The one thing he should not be doing right now, is wearing a hair shirt.

[andy-hughes]

sp1814 - "Many year ago, I used to own a Vivienne Westwood t-shirt that featured two naked cowboys in profile."

I remember that shirt - it was not just the cowboys that were in profile if memory serves!

I think he simply misjudged the situation - easy enough to do - but it's really not a hanging offence is it?

I have said that if he feels it appropriate to apologise for uninentional offence, then fine - as always with these things, it will all die down in a day or so.

[Peter Pedant]

and now the poor fella is wearing black

what a fashion-crime

[Peter Pedant]

// Just like I would not wear that to, say, a funeral, so Dr Matt should have not worn this particular shirt on this historic date. //

I was asked to attend a funeral in white
and was the only one to turn up in white - it kinda stood out in the field of mourning black

[ABerrant]

Watching the breakfast news, I must have ignored the detail of what I immediately dismissed as a gaudy shirt. However, it was beyond my abiliities to ignore his thigh-flashing...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30022469

[-Talbot-]

sqad
I think he simply misjudged the situation - easy enough to do - but it's really not a hanging offence is it?


You mean he misjudged how many idiots would be tuning in?
Idiots who have nafff all to do but be offended by a shirt.

[jno]

agree with you, sp1814. There are times when Hawaiian shirts fit in and times when they're just distracting. I'm not too fussed about what was actually on the shirt, but he chose to wear it in front of a big audience so he'll just have to put up with the fact that some people disapprove. It's up to him whether he apologises or not; I think in his place I'd have done as you suggest.

[Kromovaracun]

The thing is, we don't know why he was wearing it. He could have just been doing it to honour the love and support of the friend who made it for him. Is that really inappropriate? What a drab and colourless world some of you seem to want to live in. It was his (and his team's) party - he could wear what he wanted.

[gness]

Funny old world isn't it.....some poor soul gets hounded for wearing a casual shirt that isn't to everyone's taste and is expected to apologise......by some whose attitudes and pontificating posts are a darn sight more offensive, hurtful and "mistaken" than the wearing of this shirt.....

The scientist has nothing to apologise for....x

[ludwig]

// Should he have apologised? //

No. He should be telling everyone who claims to have been offended by the shirt to get a life.

[askyourgran]

What a pity, there is always someone who has to be nasty about something or someone. I admire a man who dresses as he wants to - just the sort of scientist i imagine to look. Chris Plante should be the one to apologise, I don't find the shirt offensive..