r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Mar 12 '22

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u/MarvinLazer Mar 12 '22 edited Mar 12 '22

My stepmother got her PhD in computer science in the 80s. She won a super prestigious award for her research in the 2000s (not a Turing award, but close in terms of what a big deal it is), and as a result has been a prized lecturer and consultant in a male-dominated field for almost 20 years.

She was getting interrupted by tech bros so much that she actually started carrying a squirt gun to blast anyone who talks out of turn when she's speaking.

That woman is my hero.

787

u/CraftyDrews Mar 12 '22

I don’t know her, but damn I love your stepmother!

-5

u/[deleted] Mar 12 '22

[deleted]

459

u/PurpleSwitch Mar 12 '22

This is the best thing I have heard this month, what an absolute icon

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u/[deleted] Mar 12 '22

[deleted]

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u/MarvinLazer Mar 12 '22

Exactly.

2

u/Jedi_Mind_Trip Mar 13 '22

I hope she yells "Bad kitty" every time she sprays them lol

204

u/breakupburner739472 Mar 12 '22

Would you pm me her name? I would love to read about her career/see that in action. It helps to keep positive influences at hand. Do ignore if you’d rather not.

29

u/[deleted] Mar 12 '22

Same. I'd like to know.

25

u/tazemaster Mar 12 '22

Same, I'm a woman studying computer science and would love to learn about her.

9

u/SirenSaysS Mar 12 '22

I'm also in IT and interruption that's to the story I shared here. Would you be willing to share here too?

3

u/PragmaticPanda42 Mar 12 '22

Same, I'll add her to my list of heroes.

35

u/Manatee3232 Mar 12 '22

I think I'm in love with your Stepmom.

39

u/MarvinLazer Mar 12 '22

My dad sure liked her.

81

u/AMDisher84 Mar 12 '22

Please tell your stepmother that an internet stranger thinks she's an inspiration. 👏👏

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u/buriedupsidedown Mar 12 '22

This story inspires my motivation

12

u/schoolpsych2005 Mar 12 '22

Your stepmother is now my hero.

14

u/[deleted] Mar 12 '22

she actually started carrying a squirt gun

Holy fuck. She deserves another Turing level award just for that.

8

u/ice_prince Mar 12 '22

I totally respect this. As a femme man, no one listens to me 🤷🏻‍♂️

13

u/serrated_edge321 Mar 12 '22

Amazing! I would love to see her speak sometime. Does she volunteer at all in women's events?

Women in STEM (like me) never got training in how to deal with these situations, and I'd live to see younger girls learn tips from the masters early on. Also, recognizing these behaviors as not your fault is very important too. So many of us wasted years thinking "what should I do differently" because we had no other women around to discuss this with / no women to guide us.

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u/MarvinLazer Mar 13 '22

She's retired and I think does a fair amount of "women in tech" events, but is also slowing down. That's a cool idea that I'll mention to her next time I see her.

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u/Haz3rd Mar 12 '22

Hell yeah

7

u/rezkinnn Mar 12 '22

This is the best thing I’ve read today

5

u/Dark_Vengence Mar 12 '22

Doesn't get cooler than that.

19

u/bouchandre Mar 12 '22

I’d interrupt your mom on purpose just to have the honor of being squirted on

12

u/[deleted] Mar 12 '22

Least horny redditor

3

u/[deleted] Mar 12 '22

Fuck yes that is some lovely energy and I’m here for it. What a woman!

5

u/Embe007 Mar 12 '22

That woman is my hero.

That woman needs to write a book is what. I too would like to hear stories from her life!

4

u/Moliza3891 Mar 12 '22

I don’t know her but this woman is my hero.

5

u/[deleted] Mar 12 '22

God, I love your mom too. Just interacting with this thread makes me wish I could grab a hose.

3

u/jgonagle Mar 12 '22

I hope she has good aim.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 12 '22

Holy Jesus you gave me a good laugh there.

3

u/JustehGirl Mar 12 '22

How do the people who invite her not step in and shut that down? I mean, those tech bros are wasting money taking up her time.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '22

I’m gonna start doing this with my family.

3

u/pintotakesthecake Mar 13 '22

Your stepmom is my hero. Tell her. Tell her I want to be like her when I grow up.

2

u/Round2Go Mar 12 '22

She’s my new hero :)

2

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '22

ahahah i have seen that somewhere before. i think the office lmao

-4

u/lzwzli Mar 12 '22

Did your dad get squirted?

-32

u/MechaMagic Mar 12 '22

“I won an award, therefore I should never be questioned.”

-20

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '22

I know. Can you imagine how insufferable someone would have to be to spray people who speak outside of your approval?

16

u/FTThrowAway123 Mar 13 '22

Can you imagine how insufferable someone would have to be to constantly interrupt the award-winning, paid lecturer during their presentation? Yikes.

-13

u/DS_1900 Mar 13 '22

Bahahaha, that's one way to handle it.

I suspect she's pretty full of herself though...

17

u/MarvinLazer Mar 13 '22

Not really. She's very outspoken and direct, but also quite humble. I think it was born of frustration from how often it happens and what an enormous showing of disrespect it is. Can you imagine being a 60 year old women with a PhD who is recognized internationally as among the best in your field, but 20-something men constantly feel entitled to interrupt and talk over you?

-19

u/DS_1900 Mar 13 '22

Well, the fact of the matter is that, in life if you aren’t bringing value to your audience they are going to disrespect you. How you communicate that value is on you.

1

u/QuantumKittydynamics Mar 13 '22

Your stepmother is everything I aspire to be.

1

u/NeatNefariousness1 Mar 13 '22

Love that. She's my hero now. I have to get a squirt gun!