BaristaNet Reporter Admits That It’s Inappropriate To Ogle 18 Year Olds On His Blog, Will Only Ogle 20 Year Olds From Now On

On Friday, this blog reported that BaristaNet’s freelance writer Steve Maginnis has some creepy and misogynistic tendencies, including keeping a blog devoting to ogling women, and repeatedly disrespectfully referring to women as “bitches” on another blog he maintains. BaristaNet’s lack of interest in the matter (i.e. blocking this blog’s twitter account), was not exactly inspiring transparency or accountability from local media.  

But it turns out that at least Maginnis himself was interested in the revelations. He’s now made a few changes to his “Pictures of Beautiful Women” blog, writing that “even though eighteen years of age is the age at which legal adulthood is conferred, I've  concluded that that's too young” and “Twenty years of age seems to be a more appropriate threshold.” Right, Steve. Take note, everyone with a college-aged daughter. BaristaNet’s creepster reporter graduated from college in 1988.

So while his action might seem (to him at least) like a step in the right direction, it’s not much of one, and it is still deeply troublesome that BaristaNet has enabled and continues to enable this misogynist creeper to write for them.

The problems with Maginnis run deeper that just his ogle-blog, particularly his clear contempt for women in positions of authority that aren’t just modeling for him. Calling Hillary Clinton, Jonie Ernst, Sarah Palin, and others “bitches” is demeaning and disrespectful, period. 

In Maginnis’s 1950’s view of the world, there seem to be only two kinds of women: young women whose pictures he salivates over, and women in power who he thinks are “bitches”.

It’s disturbing that BaristaNet is just blocking this blog for raising the issue, instead of dealing with the real problem.