ABSTRACT
Biochemist Tim Hunt’s comments about women in science on June 9, 2015, at the World Conference of Science Journalists sparked a Twitter firestorm resulting in a viral hashtag and act of narrative resistance: #distractinglysexy. The present study examines public tweets using the hashtag #distractinglysexy and posted on June 10, 2015 and seeks to understand what Twitter users utilizing the hashtag say about women in science as well as how those tweets resist socio-cultural narratives about women in science. A thematic analysis revealed four primary themes: personal photos by women in science conducting mundane, gross, or funny tasks on the job, historical photos of important women in science, humorous responses to Hunt’s remarks, and opinion and judgment of Hunt based on his remarks. A critical discourse analysis concentrated on four additional elements: intertextuality, hyperbole, presupposition, and functionalization of #distractinglysexy tweets. Analysis revealed Twitter users of #distractinglysexy on June 10, 2015, sought to construct a counter-narrative about women in science to combat Hunt’s comments through humor and sarcasm, encouragement and inspiration, and scathing criticism.
