Well, my question was rhetorical, but your answer underscores my point: when a man performs poorly, the "merit" of other men is not "diluted".

And, it certainly doesn't lead to the risk of other "genuinely amazing" men going undiscovered, which doesn't seem to be a problem in the first-place. In fact, it would be silly to make any of these assertions about men.

Such statements only apply to women and other "out-groups". By uttering them, the author is making the argument against her own case.