Re:They don't make readers like they used to
by rasengan on Saturday September 14, 2024 @11:01AM
(#41540233)
What does the author mean by "pale, male and stale"?
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Re:They don't make readers like they used to
by archgoon on Saturday September 14, 2024 @11:15AM
(#41540320)
White, male and old.
Example usage (found randomly by google, likely can find others):
https://www.veterinarywoman.co.uk/2015/02/the-stale-pale-mal...
Interestingly, google's search results indicate the phrase may be (currently) a UK thing (based on the domains of the results).
Re:They don't make readers like they used to
by thrtythreeforty on Saturday September 14, 2024 @11:17AM
(#41540335)
White, male, and older (or perhaps "out of touch"), with the rhyming indicating that he's trying not to be too serious about it.
Re:They don't make readers like they used to
by samatman on Saturday September 14, 2024 @11:34AM
(#41540471)
It's a sort of casual bigotry. Currently fashionable in circles which should know better.
Re:They don't make readers like they used to
by krapp on Saturday September 14, 2024 @11:37AM
(#41540497)
It's snarky self-deprecation, and a concession about the changing demographics of the sf/f community over time, and particularly online. I seriously doubt Charles Stross is actually bigoted against white people.
But of course this being Hacker News, we don't grok humor.