The #allmalepanel Tumblr was started in February 2015 by Finnish feminist researcher and artist Dr. Saara Särmä, 40, whose dissertation was on Internet parody images and memes.[1] Särmä dissertated (or dissed, for short) on the marginalization of women in academia, claiming that some of her colleagues were passed over or outright dismissed as serious thinkers because of their gender.
Why the David Hasselhoff button?
“The Hoff is just simply Hoffsome,” Särmä says. “As a kid who grew up in the 80s watching the Knight Rider, I have a fondness for the Hoff, also he’s the epitome of a white masculinity, isn’t he?”
Indeed.
I noted something similar at a Women’s Conference at American Express for the top 200 female executives in 2012. Although we had amazing women speakers like Ursie Burns, Tina Brown, and Vanessa Williams, we also had one session that was an all male panel from the company explaining to the women how to be more successful in the company. The most obvious answer seemed to be “Be a man, like us!”
Which brings us to #allmalepanel, Mormon edition.
Obviously.
Welcome to the Hoff’s nest.
Caribbean all male panel. Also not looking very Caribbean (but that’s because Hoff is covering part of the panel).
Latter-day Hoffets
All male panels for 2000 years.
Preaching to the all male choir.
“Other all male panels I have, which are not of this fold.”
Even the Book of Mormon baddies have all male panels.
My personal favorite.
Hoff covering Uchtdorf’s face seemed somehow right.
Even more noteworthy when it is a woman being tried.
Ground-breaking, no?
Delivered to the RS by an all male panel.
All male leader centerfold. This one’s getting better with the footnote thumbnails of women in temporary positions wearing pastels at the bottom, like a colorful fringe.
Welcome to our ward, from your local all male panel!
A particularly ironic all male panel.
All boy panel?
All male back tattoo!
Awareness is always the first step in progress, and the awareness is definitely on the rise. While there will probably always be all male panels–not just in the church, but everywhere–the church’s actions in the last few years demonstrate a sea change in thinking. Women are being included in more councils, given more decision making authority, and featured more prominently in events like groundbreaking for new temples. As with all change, it will be too fast for some and too slow for others.
Will we see women participating in disciplinary councils? Women as councilors to higher levels of church governance? Who knows, but as Joseph B. Wirthlin said, “Come what may, and love it!”
Did I miss any all male panels?
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[1] How awesome is it that you can do a dissertation on things that didn’t exist 10 years ago?
By Common Consent, a Mormon Blog 
This post struck the perfect balance between making me utterly depressed and entertained to near uncontrollable laughter. Thank you.
Thanks. I kind of needed this today.
I think you meant, “Come what male, and love it.”
Or better yet, “Come what male, and Hoff it.”
First of all, this girl 🔝. Secondofly, I was once on an all-male “dating” panel for a young women’s activity. Of the 3 guys, one had never had a gf/kissed anyone before, and I’m 65% the other guy was gay. If there was a picture of the event, I’m requiring Hoff on MY face.
Stripling warriors.
Isn’t it beautiful that everything … everything is under the watchful eye of the priesthood?
This is amazing.
Especially the book.
Oh yeah well just you wait until I do my all female panel post, smartypants.
Maybe Pam Anderson should be the “Hoff” for that one, Steve.
so funny! thanks for the laughs.
I thought that Woman book had to be a joke, but no, it’s real. And there is some serious trolling going on in the Amazon user reviews:
“Being born a woman, I wasn’t sure what that meant. I wasn’t sure how to feel and think. Luckily all of these men have come to my rescue and told me what it means to be a woman. We women would be so lost without men to tell us who we are.”
“Thanks to WOMAN, I no longer shriek in terror and confusion every time I glance down in the shower. This diverse group of Mormon men taught me what it means to be a woman (in the academic sense). I didn’t even have to ask my husband to open the book for me — the noun WOMAN supported by a pillar of male names was lesson enough. One star off for not using a prettier font.”
http://www.amazon.com/Woman-Spencer-W-Kimball/dp/0877477582
Polygamy!
Shouldn’t the ‘complementary’ book found here “Priesthood”, have been authored by women?
yes, it seems like that would have at least been consistent!
fuddyduddy: Amazon reviews can be stone cold funny! Thanks for sharing those. I also loved the ones for the sugar free gummy bears; they were horrifying.
Angela C,
You forgot the Godhead, which makes me incredibly sad that Heavenly Mother is not included.
This is excellent, Angela.
Here’s another. Obvious, but worth including, I think.
“I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. . . . When the light rested upon me I saw two panelists from an all-male panel, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air.”
Pete: Good one. It was particularly notable in E. Bednar’s talk in which he described women who have babies as borrowing the creative power of Heavenly Father and . . . Jesus. LOLWut?
Since Heavenly Mother was brought up, I’m just gonna leave this here. It’s an interesting read. http://publications.maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/9/2/S00003-50be458eb2b313Peterson.pdf
AZ,
And, sadly, mentioned once then relegated to footnote status in the church’s Becoming Like God essay. It’s ironic, considering that the article talks about a plethora of referrals to Heavenly Mother.
So do we teach/believe the eternities will be a patriarchy? Or do we believe “all are alike unto God ” as quoted in the explanation for Dec2?
Geoff-Aus: A particularly petty corner of my mind wishes that Heaven turn out to be a matriarchy. Preferably a matriarchy made up primarily of women of color.
Imagine the look on certain people’s faces when they got to Heaven and see God sitting on Her throne as a black woman. I’m sure schadenfreude is frowned upon in Heaven, but…
This week at Stake Priesthood meeting we had a half-male panel (Hoff-male panel?) of newly RM brothers and sisters fielding questions from prospective missionaries. It was a great meeting and IS THAT PHIL ROBERTSON ON THAT GUY’S TATTOO?
You should have Hoff-approved all the US presidents.