Sex, Sports, and Caster Semenya

[LMNOP1214]

1:33 John pretty much says my name... Although that's not my last name EXACTLY, but most people pronounce it like that anyway... Total fangirl moment...

[okod146]

I know the contest is long over but I wanna do this anyway.

"French the llama, Margo! Don't you scare me like that!"

[guessqtie]

If sex is not biological, then gender reassignment of children would be successful; eg: David Reimer

[MrOzzytheostrich]

i want to be successful enough to support a coke habit...

[freesites1]

Awsome Short Video

[imysworld]

For some stupid reason any Intersex person like me is not aloud to compete in sports, and some cannot get married or adopt children

We are going to fight to change this i do not see why i could not compete in some race just because i am Intersex, i never chose to be born like this, yes i am proud of what i am but i believe its completly unfiar how all intersex people are treated as if they are shit on a stick no one cares how it makes us all feel!

Why do we have to suffer!!!!!

[radioactivecakeX]

@imysworld That's horrible that people treat you like that. You'd think that in the 21st century people would start to open their minds.

[imysworld]

@radioactivecakeX 100% agree! :-)

[88FingersEddward]

I love your job, too, John.

[spidermanandsnape]

I think I hate sports because they are so pointless. Thats great, but no one can take away the image inside my head that I got from hiking up a mountain! I find that much more rewarding than putting a ball in a goal. Thats just me. I learned that nothing is final from bleach. No one ever dies! I mea, they can get their head cut of, or get a fatal wound, and then something brings them back. sigh, even Aizen

[ginnyvideo]

the cocaine habit you always wanted XD

[arvydas0069]

that's a dude.

[eastsheen108]

wow, i totally forgot that i was in the outro for this

[sexykatie911]

vlogbrothers m.sn in profile

[supersexytammra]

im hot

[lalkidar]

Hey John - It may be Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome... but the reports did differ. i read the claim that she has no female sex organs. Personally, I think we should not have the rule so complex for any games....

[moises569]

holaz

ps

q

raro video x pero bueno

jejejjejejjee

[fearmyautobot]

I want to read your book, please send it now.

[JoePSU87]

"i love my job!" Amazing.

[goldenlarry]

Cool.

[Barca10Ronaldinho]

If Caster Semenya is a woman, then this bespectacled shit is man.

[LiberdadeHedonista]

Humans are either male or female. If you have at least one Y chromosome, then you are male (XY, XXY or XYY). Otherwise, you are female (X, XX, XXX or XXXX).

Some males, with certain conditions, can legally participate in female sports competitions, no problem. But many others use the pretext that they have ovaries, uterus and vagina to participate, which is not related to the requirements. Aka cheating.

[cannonbulk]

Then what about those with a perfect XXXY

[LiberdadeHedonista]

XXXY, XXXXY and XXYY are also males, yes.

Some may have medical conditions that allow them to participate in female competitions, but not necessarily.

If they try to deceive sport judges with ecographies, pretending they are females, they are cheating.

However, men whose Y chromosomes do not work are female in practice, so they should be treated as women, by international laws (no compulsory military service, legal marriage with men, even in countries where it is usually not allowed, etc).

[marly100]

@LiberdadeHedonista I hate to break it to you but sexual and gender dyadism is a myth. There is a whole spectrum of sex and gender, just look at God's angels. They're neither male nor female, so God thought, "Why not humans, besides the whole Male or Female thing is getting a little redundent. Then God created the Third Sex." :) Just a theory on God's creation of intersex and transfolk

[DrMatticulous]

You're only partially correct, there is a much more complicated process going on for sex determination.  First you described the genotypic sex determination although incomplete. On the short arm of the Y chromosome there is a "sex determining region". This region is needed for there to be a male. Besides the genotype of a person there is a phenotype to consider, that being the manifestation of the genes a person has.

[DrMatticulous]

Sometimes the genes expressed are defective in some way. This can lead to a different than expected phenotype, like a person with an XY chromosomes that are phenotypically women. Also, translocation of the sex determining region on the Y chromosome to an X chromosome can give a person an XX genotype with a male phenotype.

[regularguy5mb]

"Sour grapes" are like life.

[KTentacles]

sports is like life

[MeIsArtTickYouLet]

I think I'm going to leave an eleven-word comment now

[kkattis]

Id like to own Paper towns by John Green

[hitandrunboy]

I would like a copy of the book Paper Towns.

[sam0rocks0dude]

Oh, thanks John, by the way, I finished an Abundance of Katherines today, IT WAS PRETTY AWESOME. Although I must say I enjoyed Paper Towns just a bit better.

[sam0rocks0dude]

ahharocklookout, you're talking to John, you ARE talking to a celebrity! -I triggered a Suck-Up alert-

[therandomstrangers]

GO SOUTH AFRICA!

[Nitro]

Best... George... Bush... Joke... Ever

[TheEyegarian]

JOHN, SPORTS IS A PLURAL WORD.

[moonykun63]

*Cough* While I want so desperately to focus on the very valid points made throughout the video...all I want to do is adjust your shirt John. The seams dude, the seeeeaaaams.

[sillyyetsuccinct]

Some people who are intersex, enjoy being intersex and don't identify as male or female and don't feel they should have to choose and are tired of everyone's pity. However there is no legal option of having an 'I' on an American passport instead of an F or M. I tried.

[dandarwish]

What? Sports isn't just a lack of ambiguity (total over-generalization). They are celebrated as exciting entertainment, a show of physical prowess, an action to bond human beings, and a hobby which encourages sportsmanship values such as honesty and acceptance of defeat. I know you're a nerd but come on

[obsan22]

Bout time we had this kind of informative advocacy! And, agreed with vlogbrothers and BadgerX153, Semenya's case is not as rare as the greater majority may find it and for this reason it is unacceptable that this sort of hysteria could be facilitated and carelessly handled with such outright scrutiny. Again, why was there only so much question AFTER the race? Would there have been had she not come in first?

[BadgerX153]

This is a topic that is rather touchy for me as a person who is transgendered. I have met several people that were intersexed and it is something that there should have been a ruling for before the competition.

[toddyvedda]

this is a really cool video i completely agree with you about the sports being not like life¬

[nettlie07]

she look like a dude maan. scary

[GoatBoySquanky]

this is funny man!

[pugilist102]

But Smenya looked more like a guy than China from WWE did.

[MrStra10]

I need you to send me a book in Chile!

[Radioplaya]

Why can't humanity accept its own differences without question?

-Radio

[need4speed4245]

Cool background on Semenya, I didn't know any of that. BTW, she's definately a "middle" distance runner, if that's at all significant at this point.

[ButtChinLive]

Paper Towns in paperback, try saying that five times fast.

[nerdboy3911]

you know were straight cuz were doing your mom FOOL

[NicoleKimberley01]

Hey there. What does ambiguity mean?? I was confused the entire time. ahaha, anyways, GREAT VIDEO!

[IBelongInThe80s]

Ambiguity means vagueness. :)

[PinwheelEye]

What does ambiguity mean? By the way, thats ten words.

[ChristopherMarlowe]

Yes, I think it is unfair to punish Semenya for something she didn't choose. Even if 1% of the population has these issues, they don't appear to be a huge issue in the sporting world since this is the first time this has ever happened. (There was the case of the sex-changed tennis player years ago, but that was a matter of choice, and therefore completely different.) If someone is born with cross-gender issues we should all accept them as they are, and not punish them.

[Heelboy50]

that is true we should accept them. but that doesnt mean we should allow them to compete with an unfair advantage. it is a PRIVILEGE to compete on the highest level in sports, not a right. therefore its not "punishing" Semenya to argue that she should not compete against women. If anything, its punishing the women who WERENT born with that advantage to allow her to compete against them.

[ChristopherMarlowe]

Your point is well taken. There are basically two choices: people born with both sex organs can either compete against men (with a slight disadvantage) or women (with a slight advantage). The whole point of classifying by sex seems to bring out more competition, since men are generally stronger, faster, etc... So there is already a policy of allowing the weaker sex to compete in a special category. Sexually ambiguous people, a very small percentage, are also weaker and did not choose to be so

[comico120]

That is a point, but the officials of this event were unprepared. That's the point here. It is not a cut and dry issue, there are a lot more questions to be answered, like just how much of an advantage does Semenya have? Would it be unfair to race her in a male event? How are you treating Semenya throughout this process and what feelings might you be ignoring? Really, can you even grasp Semenya's perspective?

[pooperscooper1992]

dude that was great

very insightful and very true

[Coutureprincess0303]

Correction: Her testostorne levels were three times higher than the average famele, but not high enough to be considered equal with a male.

[kingredferd]

paper towns is my favorite book.One more copy please

[jerseygirl9595]

crazy... another word for fun...

serendipity

(i kno - competly non-related)

[No8StevenGerrard]

That black chick in this vid is so hot I cannot stop having a wank every time I look at her. Who is she?

[adamsalyce]

Paper Towns: Its more than just paper

[KDGotToBeMe]

Love isn't just a word it's an experience. Live it.

[PolitelyOwned]

All your Katherines, Margots and Alaskas are belong to us.

[No8StevenGerrard]

That black chick in this vid is so hot I cannot stop having a wank every time I look at her. Who is she?

[Chloep4]

Huh, a ten word comment? That's going to be hard....

[Kyuutoryuu]

Especially since "that's" is considered two words. Shocking, right?

[MrArafat2009]

Oh, OK then I will tuck my balls in to my ass and chop my tail and sow on a clit, tits and raise my voice and limp the hunderd in 11 seconds abd be a star and receive sponsorships from Rosie O'Donal and Tootsie...

[charlottepoet]

there are some good documentaries running on the cable discovery or history channels right now on gender, sex, intersexxed conditions!

[MrArafat2009]

So, if I clip my sack and nuts I could enter the womans 400-800 and go for it, claiming: No Clit, No balls, No cock, no trouble....????!!

[afaintline]

Not at all. John mentioned her testosterone levels were normal for a female so she was allowed to compete, so assuming you're a male, your testosterone levels would be way higher than a female, would would mean you wouldn't be allowed to compete in a woman's race.

[prodigy00073]

Love the outro

[LfCphilly2112]

Deff a dude

[HolidayProject]

Wow, really? 1%?

That's kind of a lot of people.

[godoofakeman]

lol "the advantage of not being a woman" thats a huge advantage

[niksilveira]

YOU CAN'T HAVE A GENDER TESTS. It's sex test. Not a gender test. I apologize for seeming upset, because even CNN did it, so I'm okay with even you getting that wrong.

She IS a woman. Gender is a societal thing, not a biological thing. Sooooo sexually she could be male or female, but she identifies as being a woman.

Love your vlogs! :)

[niksilveira]

and by gender tests, i mean gender test. :)

[vlogbrothers]

You're totally right; I misspoke. Sorry! -John

[PaddyBoy987]

@vlogbrothers GWB put the mission accomplished banner on the aircraft carrier at the request of the crew... The crew's specific mission was accomplished and they were returning home... Please leave politics out of your videos... It creates a schism (great word) in Nerdfighteria that is very uncomfortable. I think having a unified Nerdfighteria will decrease world suck.

DFTBA,

A concerned Republican Nerdfighter.

[PEEJ012]

@PaddyBoy987 your opinions about the aircraft carrier are totally valid, but i disagree about the discussion of politics. what makes nerdfighteria great is our ability to discuss differing opinions without becoming offensive and instead recognizing the validity of the other side and understanding that everyone has a reason for thinking what they think. To me, unified doesn't mean we have to agree on everything. It means coming together and valuing our differences together.

Best wishes!

[caprafan]

@PaddyBoy987 I think that interpretation is disingenuous. If the banner was only for the benefit of the crew, why was it the backdrop for President Bush's speech announcing the end of major combat operations in Iraq? I think the discomfort you're experiencing is what is known as cognitive dissonance, so you are trying to interpret facts in a way that supports your current beliefs, rather than examining your beliefs in light of those facts. It sounds to me like you're too smart for that.

[Aubrazilla]

Whatever happened to the 2009 Fitness Challenge?

[scaratthedisco]

this sentence is ten words long, or maybe it isn't

[MilesCochran]

Did they know previous to her winning that she had an intersex condition? IF the ruling body knew, they needed to make a ruling previous to her competition. If they did not know about her condition prior to her competition then i can understand why the rule was not entirely clear.

[BIGD3194]

chick with nuts=dude

[xoom2]

" Boys have penis , Girls have vagina " -- is the first sentence taught in SEX education .. Any person has EITHER one .. IF NONE of the 2 then internal exam is necessary

[ghamdifirst]

exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[papiervampire]

I don't understand why we have to choose between either.

-- I don't mean "why can't we just all be asexual beings" but I'm wondering why it has to be that if we are not distinctly male or female, we're wrong. Or if someone is transgender, they're wrong too. I just have never understood it. Maybe I'm just too naive.

[peaceloveandband]

If this is more than ten words, the unicorns win.

[araloran]

It's harder to live in the gray and be brave than in the black and white. Props to those who try, especially to those who succeed.

[perogieluver]

The levels of your puff make my nerdfighter soul happy.

[jhorst24]

if there is ambiguity in sports too, then what's left?

[amberagogo]

John, you're the best.

also: sweet shirt. pinstripes on the inside?! epic.

[buzzoff67]

the thing is, if you didn't get you're period by the time your 18, wouldn't you be kind of suspicious as to whether or not you are a hermaphrodite or have androgen insensitivity syndrome? the only thing I can say for sure is that she has been brave, because it must have been hard to be called a man you're whole life...

[SmartLadyBlue]

There are allot of reasons an average woman would not get her period - sometimes it's hormonal. My Grandmother grew up in extreme poverty and did not get hers until 20, which is when she immigrated to Canada and started living a better life.

[VoteAwards]

semenya is the epitome of black people!

[Scribbler29]

They said she had three times the normal level of testosterone, not normal levels

[emmfan09]

she should be allowed to compete with the women! I think that the goal of sports is to distinguish between what men can do and what women can do, but I say that's all bolonga.

[jazzinbars]

Here is ten word comment...Hey hey we"re the monkeys...

[ruthtuesday]

I just finished watching all the vlogbrother's videos, Pure Awesome!

p.s. It took weeks, but I enjoyed every minute.

[JustlikeJolla]

I've already bought, and received the book paper towns.(:

[bethhasablog]

I wish my friends were nerd fighters too. Audible sigh

[Drunkenfairy]

I honestly think that the allegations against her were just stupid. Your damned right about the sour grapes thing, sore loser syndrome anyone?

[calculus345]

this is racist sexist shit.  you think it she was black and woman that something this personal would be played out in the media. they're treating this woman as if she not even human.

[chrisormie]

Anyone can see that Caster Semenya is made of awesome.

[kassieeeex]

i feel bad for her. shes amazing :)

[tinngrinn]

God, I hate sports! Except for swimming. Swimming rocks. =)

[MoonpetalLily]

If the outtro plays in Antarctica, will Nerdfighters hear it?

[linalou91]

When I hear your videos it makes me feel better

[c9rm3n]

Love this topic but

you should not call it sex because people get confused

you talked about her gender not her sex.

[JqlGirl]

Incorrect.

One's sex is his/her unaltered chromosomal and hormonal state of being, i.e. male, female, intersexed.

One's gender is his/her psychological and social identity in society based on perceived sex roles, etc. i.e. man, woman, transgendered.

[wentzly]

Gender is the way someone identifies him or herself; a man, a woman, or something in between.

Sex refers to your biological, well, sex - male or female.

[c9rm3n]

I understand in the past the word sex has been used to define whether a person is male or female. The thing is that the root of sexuality and sexual orientation is sex. Do you see a problem with this? It implies that your sex has to do with who your attracted to. For the most part our society has evolved past this type of thinking. Should it be perpetuated?

I don't think so. Sex should largely remain in the bedroom. Of course it is more fun on the mini golf course.

[c9rm3n]

Gender and gender Identity are different. Gender is what is between the legs. Gender Identity is how a person perceives themselves. Lastly everybody is trans gendered because they transition in to the life they lead. It does not matter if they are a man, a woman or some variation they were once a child that did not care about gender or gender roles and will become an adult who presents an image, that just happens to have a pronoun attached to it.

I think the Marklars had it right.

[defyentropy]

From what I've read in the past (summarized): we can define sex as what's between our legs, gender as what's in our head, and sexuality as who we allow to go between our legs. These are mainly terms that we can use to distinguish from each other in the field of gender studies itself. The incorrect (and common) assumption, is of course that there are only two genders/sexes, when historically and globally speaking that isn't true, cultures exist that have a socially accepted third gender.

[defyentropy]

There is also the "FIve Gender Theory" which, while possibly extreme, does give a nice breakdown and tends to at least confuse those who insist on the binary, if not shut them up.

[Lindsanator20]

After arriving in Paper Town, the Pencil finally felt home.

[Scribbler29]

Still, not fair to have intersex people compete as either sex. Men and women have different muscle make-up it's not fair to ask women to compete against her because her body partially responds to higher testosterone levels.

[RandomEngineer42]

He mentioned in the video that her testosterone levels were within the norm for a woman. As a woman, if I were an athelete, I would compete against her without complaint. All people have different physical capabilities, doesn't mean she's cheating... that'd be like saying it's cheating for ambidextrous people to box, or be involved in any competition where it might give them an advantage to be so naturally dextrous.

[alorena1]

The first time I heard about Caster Semenya and all of the discussion around her gender I was absolutely disgusted. It's pure public humiliation and I feel so sorry for this girl.

Oh, and "Sports are like life." hahaha!

[TheStrangerDied]

Did anyone else notice how awesome John saying 'clear' is??

[Zwilliamo]

Recently stopped reading. Love your books, would help start again.

[dorkyvegan]

Hopefully one good thing that will come out of all of this is more people being aware of intersex and androgynous conditions, and learning that sex and especially gender aren't binary. The situation sucks for Caster Semenya, but I'm hoping that at least some good will come out of this whole affair.

[dkSilo]

There is so much in life that nobody can take away from you.

Just some examples: The way you felt when you first kissed.

The nervous feeling, at your first day of school.

The knowledge that you got past your exams.

I could go on.

But nevertheless you got a point. Nothing in your life will last forever. And so one should embrace every moment.

btw: Thank you for making my life a little more awesome. Something more, nobody will ever be able to take away from me!

[eyesmiling]

Ten word responses,

will only be as tricky:

Ha! Haiku attack!

[sevenamigops]

Doubly Don't Forget Formulas Tactful To Being Brilliantly Awesome Always.

[DreadPirateEmma]

Hmmm... how's this for my ten word comment? "If I were valedictorian, I'd end my speech with DFTBA." (And I'd shoot the vulcan salute, too. My private catholic high school would LOVE it :D)

[ChelsDenae]

Hi John. I've decided that my favorite book title is A Series of Unfortunate Events in Your Pants.

[journeyrocks72]

I don't understand why the media always has to get involved in a person's life. Shes not any much more different than all of us (except for her uhh internal testes...) Nonetheless she's a person with feelings who runs abnormally fast.

[jimmylouangsyyotha]

no actually, since shes a man, she has better natural abilities then women. Its kinda like putter Asafa Powel in a highschool 100m.

[MufletsUnite]

hey john,

I love your videos and want to read one of your books what one would you suggest? Do you have a favorite?

[Blitzen09]

A favorite amongst works of art, similar to that of a painter being asked which painting of his is the best. I would like to know this answer too; it is always interesting to see what an artist thinks of their own work.

[carrlozXemiliano]

your video made my computers speaker go all wildly crazy

[ewithnell]

"they can never take this away from us"?...what about the stanley cup? (o snap!)

[rayefirerobin]

My boyfriend knows nothing of nerdfighteria.... I will teach him...

[cokeelite]

I personally highly agree with what you are saying and totally agree , life is weird like that.

[seeyourvoice]

My teeth feel like cement stuck to pearls, stupid braces.

[aloha45]

margo roth speigleman; in your houses, leavin catfish.

[PeelPirate]

I tried to record the outro but I'm a freak of nature and my fingers just can't do it. After several attemps I gave up. =]

A lot of people seem to be forgetting that Caster is still a person. Whether she is female or male she is still capable of feelings.

You made a very good point that to put up with the media's crap she is heroic. I doubt any of the people invading her privacy right now could handle it.

Sorry I tend to drabble on... =]

[hannahbanana102409]

John, you don't seem tired. Your awesomeness must equal caffeine!

[johnmcg5]

he's probably tired from tearing down the wall

[SnazzyLion]

Margo is in ur Paper Townz, unknowingly leading on teenagurz.

[plushoo]

My favourite vlogbrothers video - it gave me a new perspective.

[wbrown633]

paper towns comment- the only way out of the labyrinth is to forgive

[keithzworld]

I think she should claim invasion of privacy.

[OMGAren]

John, is there anyway to get your book in England? (10 words)

[xPinkyx]

It would suck to go through that. Wanting Paper Towns.

[Torpex5]

This Outro is the best cuz the asian kid can actually do it (and look kinda cool) YAY

[bobo13193]

I actually don't own Paper Towns I need a copy! -Ten true words =)

[CookieLoverrr]

Catherine in anagram is Nice Heart. I love my name.

[19Becka]

I love your videos.

[AccioNerdfighter]

I am inspired by Semenya's strength. Her medal should stay.

(10 words!!!)

[orangebandana]

Your video is missing the finer details, but good try.