Shit, Nora, I just posted my rebuttal to the person who said, "Most women like this. I know this because I can call ten women I know, including my sister, and they will all say their favorite thing is this." And then defended his statistical analysis several times, so I decided to enter the debate:
Do you think it's reasonable to equate ten women you know, with "most women?"
Shit, if this is how they get the 4 out of 5 dentists on chewing gum commercials, I'm going to have to write some letters explaining that the plural of anecdote is not data.
But after reading your post, I decided to do my own anecdata type study. I polled 31 of my female friends. Unfortunately, I don't have a sister, so I hope that doesn't make my results less relevant, here.
Here's what I learned: Seven of my female friends don't like the Beastie Boys, and therefore, had no favorite song by them. Five said Intergalactic was their favorite, six said Sabotage. Two said Shadrach, and several couldn't pick just one song, including one who said, "all of Check Your Head." I explained to her that she was fucking up my data points, but she's a lawyer, and out-argued me.
No Sleep til Brooklyn was a have of my two New Yorker friends, and only one of the 31 polled said Girls was her fave song. Maybe it was your sister! Is she an editor in Cincinnati? Anyway. The other interesting thing I learned by pulling together a bullshit anecdotal poll that actually tells me nothing other than what my friends like and not what EVERY WOMAN ON THE PLANET thinks, is that I have five female friends named Amy, and 40% of the Amys I know list Sabotage as one of their favorite songs.
So, if we use your method of statistical analysis, we can no doubt assume that 40 percent of all women named Amy will list Sabotage as their favorite song.
I suggest everyone call the Amys they know and test this out. I'm going to get started on a pie chart.
This likely will get me a visit from a vigilante pants kicker.
So d-bag poster was positing that all women who like Beastie Boys like Girls as their favorite Beastie song? Whatevs, yo. Excellent response, as always.
No one has an Alien Beach Party costume suggestion for me? Sadness.
Yeah, it wasn't really his assertion that bugged. It was the lack of any understanding of anecdotal evidence not being sufficient proof to make any sort of assertion on what an enormous group of people will think.
I sometimes wish I could plug into bob bob's brain. I should have taken more philosophy classes. My ability to formulate a reasonable argument is often so lacking, and I think when I spot it in others, I'm actually going apeshit on myself in a lot of ways.
we can no doubt assume that 40 percent of all women named Amy will list Sabotage as their favorite song.
But I feel like that should go without saying?
I think I'm just going to hang on to the logical fallacy poster and scan it every time someone irritates me. if I can make it to one of the entries in one step, I name the fallacy to them and use a different example--two rounds and out, if not, I try my damnedest to extricate right away.
I tried to explain the genetic fallacy I thought I was caught up in to my sister and she said that she didn't think she was smart enough to get it--which just makes me feel that either I got it wrong, or I can't describe it.
But the guy I'm arguing with never needs to know...
To make the Tour de France more interesting today, someone decided to scatter nails across the road.
This was discovered after 30 riders got punctures.
So, is Tony Stark just RDJ in cosplay?
[link]
CONFIRMED.
Maybe it was your sister! Is she an editor in Cincinnati?
My brother would never argue about Beastie Boys songs on the internet.
Rolling Stones, on the other hand...
(Let me know if he says he is my brother, though, and I'll kick his ass for you.)
So, is Tony Stark just RDJ in cosplay?
I really thought I couldn't love RDJ more, and then he goes and does this. Plus the showing up unexpectedly at the Iron Man costume contest.
And yet Tony Stark is *not* the Avenger I had a filthy dream about. (::cough::SteveRogers::cough::)
