cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/10094818

spoiler

Gender variability as declarations in JavaScript: const / let / var

Meme is based on Jordan Peterson “approival / disapproval” format, him being a conservative who disapproves of gender fluidity.

Transcript:

  • Jordan Peterson approval image: const gender;
  • Jordan Peterson angry image: let gender;
  • Jordan Peterson crying image: var gender;
  • @Sarsoar
    link
    295 months ago

    In JavaScript, a const variable is an immutable constant that you cannot reassign. Similar to how many conservatives think of gender, an intrinsic fact of a person that you can only read, but never change.

    The “let” keyword declares a variable in a local scope, the nearest surrounding curly braces. It can be changed in that scope, but does not exist anywhere else. I assume this is meant to concede that gender is a spectrum and your presentation can kind of wiggle, such as between “very manly” and “not as manly” but still a man. Like, a stereotypical lumberjack and a stereotypical twink are both men so there isn’t “one way to be a man” but a conservative might say " but they are still men, you can change how you present but you can’t change sex".

    The “var” keyword lifts the variable definition to the top of the function, or “hoists” it up. A variable declared with var can be accessed and modified anywhere after the block it was declared in. Gender is a spectrum and it can be reassigned anywhere, at anytime, to anything.

    • Doc Avid Mornington
      link
      fedilink
      English
      44 months ago

      I interpret it a bit differently. After all, a variable declared with var isn’t really more capable of being rebound, or bound to more values, than one declared with let. However, it is possible, with var, that setting a variable in one place could change it unexpectedly in another, so Rose Noble coming out as trans could cause Jordan Peterson to also suddenly be a woman.