On Wednesday, the European Space Agency successfully landed a small spacecraft launched over 10 years ago on the surface of a comet for the first time in human history. For one of the scientists responsible for that achievement, it should have been the most significant day of his career.
Instead, he was publicly tarred and feathered for his choice of shirt.
Before the historic landing, Dr. Matt Taylor, a British physicist, was interviewed while wearing a bizarre bowling shirt covered with scantily clad illustrations of women. “This is going to be a very long day but a very exciting day,” said Taylor. “I think everyone should enjoy it because we’re making history.”
And Americans thought Europeans were always well-dressed.
Outrage over the sexually demeaning graphic of the shirt ensued, all of it only partially justified.
No no women are toooootally welcome in our community, just ask the dude in this shirt. https://t.co/r88QRzsqAm pic.twitter.com/XmhHKrNaq5
— Rose Eveleth (@roseveleth) November 12, 2014
Yes, Taylor’s shirt was unprofessional and crude. But critics turned a historic and elevating moment into an opportunity for petty mudslinging over something as small as someone’s clothing. (If he wore space-themed ties and star-adorned suits but plagiarized and slandered world leaders, like another scientist, would there be the same level of outrage over his intellectual indecency? Experience tells us not.)
Let’s keep things in perspective. The earth is, after all, just the pale blue dot we live on. On it is every thing that does and does not offend. You can dwell on that shirt, but other people are taking us to comets. Tell me which you think is more constructive.
Some people spend their time building robots that land on comets. Other people spend their time demanding those people change their shirts.
— Radley Balko (@radleybalko) November 15, 2014
Taylor, originally from London, currently lives in the Netherlands with his wife and two children, a son and a daughter. He studied at the University of Liverpool and Imperial College London, earning a PhD in space plasma physics. Taylor has worked at the European Space Agency since 2005 and was given the top scientific job on the mission in the summer of 2013, according to the Daily Mail.
Asked during an interview Friday for an update on the research from the lander, called Philae, Taylor immediately launched into an apology for his wardrobe choice when he should have been the hero of the moment.
“The shirt I wore this week,” he said, choking up. “I made a big mistake and I’ve offended many people and I’m very sorry about this.” Taylor then collected himself before answering the question about the research.
His shirt was a poor choice, but Elizabeth Gibney, a feminist science journalist, got it right in her response:
Emotional apology from @mggtTaylor over #shirtgate. Said he made a big mistake and is v sorry. Then moved on to Philae science. Good stuff.
— Elizabeth Gibney (@LizzieGibney) November 14, 2014
The human race is doing big things, people. Back to the science.
