Stop the presses! Noted counter-feminist bloviator Fidelbogen has an announcement: He no longer wants to be known as an MRA. In a shocking and stunning post on his blog, Mr. Bogen informs us:
I am an agitator against feminism, and in favor of a Male Renaissance.
But I am not an “MRA”.
That is not a word which I apply to myself as a label. I formerly did, but I no longer do.
He likes these one-sentence paragraphs.
But why, oh, why would you turn your back on those three little initials, Fidelbogen?
That word has picked up more baggage than I can honestly claim to be carrying. I mean that it has picked up other people’s baggage. And it would place an unwanted burden on me personally, to carry a shitload of baggage which I do not own — or which is worse, to have other people assume that I am carrying such baggage.
Huh, what kind of baggage might that be? Could it be that MRAs have picked up the “baggage” of being labeled a bunch of histrionic woman-hating angry dudes – perhaps because ( I would hypothesize) so many of those calling themselves MRAs just happen to be historionic woman-hating angry dudes.?
But what shall we call you now, oh Man Who Will Not Be Called an MRA? He’s got some suggestions:
A counter-feminist….
A non-feminist. . .
An activated non-feminist. . .
These are his actual suggestions; I swear I’m not making them up.
A non-feminist partisan. . .
A partisan of the non-feminist sector. .
A pro-male agitator. . .
A pro-male partisan. . .
And last but not least:
A Male Renaissance Agitator. . .
Uh, really? Male Renaissance Agitator? Mr. Bogen, I hate to break it to you, but “Male Renaissance Agitator” has the exact same set of initials as “Men’s Rights Activist.” In other words, you want us to stop calling you an MRA, and start calling you an … MRA?
[I]f you still insist on calling me an ‘MRA’, it is in contravention to my own stated wishes.
But you just said to call you a Male Renaissance Agitator!
It’s the SAME THREE INITIALS.
But Fidelbogen is off and running again:
I invite others to crystallize around the suggested list of terms above, in order to create a distinct brand that will gradually come to be differentiated from the ‘MRA’ brand. We ought to create many, MANY such distinct brands if we wish to claim the liberty of the non-feminist sector.
Or for short: the Liberty of the Sector.
The what of the who?
Fidelbogen imagines a glorious future for this new brand of activism:
Some day, I hope to organize “Non-Feminist Be-ins” at such venues as college campuses. It might be nothing more than a crowd of silent people at some popular location, standing stock still like the guards at Buckingham Palace and wearing identical t-shirts that say, “I am not a feminist”. And maybe holding up signs, too.
Yeah, the signs and the shirts would be nice touches. Otherwise you’ll just look like a bunch of dudes waiting for the bus.
Does anyone want to think of more things to call the guys who now call themselves MRAs?
Let’s make it a little game. It has to be three words. Double your points if it can be acronymized into MRA. Triple points if it’s an anagram of Men’s Rights Activist. No using terms that already exist, like Magnetic Resonance Angiography, Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft, Michigan Restaurant Association, or Magneto-Resistive Asymmetry.
Men Raving Annoyingly?
More Ridiculous Asshattery?
Manly Robogirl Admirers?
I’m all for guys who are concerned about men’s issues making the choice not to throw in with the MRAs. But I’m pretty sure “counter-feminist” and the like are much, much worse than “MRA.”
At least “MRA” pretends to be about men. “Activated non-feminist” is pretty clearly “oh, fuck this pretending to like men shit, I just want to hate ladies straight up.”
Hm. I can’t tell sometimes if these guys don’t know what “feminist” means and what “feminists” actually do, and that’s the whole problem. I mean, a whole lot of MRA discourse is just throwing the word around like it’s a synonym for “helldemon.” I hear the feminists want to outlaw joy and laughter! Don’t let someone in the door unless they show ID, they might be a feminist! Check under your bed every night for feminists! It’s become completely meaningless, a way to say “Baddy Baddington McBad,” without any reference to the original definition.
But sometimes I think they know exactly what “feminist” means and then I get all sad.
Mostly Rape-y Anglophobes?
It would look something like this but less asthetic
When someone says they are anti-feminist, the only thing I can think is “So, does that mean you’re against me owning property? Having a job? Having basic human rights, bodily autonomy?”
I am confused as to how a “non-feminist be-in” would achieve anything.
1.) Stand around in matching shirts
2.) ????
3.) PROFIT!
Is it me, or does creating a multitude of terms seem intended to sow confusion? They’re doing the opposite of consolidating and settling on one brand for their beliefs, almost as if they’re either ashamed of those beliefs or trying to pursue a fifth column strategy.
These Male Renaissance Agitators usually tend to be Mostly Reprehensible Anti-feminists rather than having a genuine concern for men (or if they do, have a perverse way of going about it: Misguided Reactionary Arguers). The trolls on the other hand seem to have few if any redeeming virtues and could be described as Morally Repugnant Assholes.
Not awake enough for anagrams.
If he really wants a different acronym, how about Firm Anti-Gynocrat?
Hey now. Replacing one kind of bigotry with another isn’t how we play here.
Mammary Rejection Association?
Moronic Raging Asshats?
Make Rape Allowable?
Oh Fidelbogen! Fidelbogen, Fidelbogen, you’re so silly. Proof reading is your friend.
I’m sort of curious what a male renaissance would look like. If dudes get to wear tights I am not okay with not getting to wear huge dresses, just so we’re clear.
Well, the reappearance of the codpiece as part of the male renaissance fashion wardrobe could be diverting. (The dresses I could pass on, too.)
What’s this “Claiming Liberty Of The Sector” (CLOTS) business – more male separatist sabre-rattling?
Male Rejection Avengers?
Mostly Rape Apologists?
What about “Against Silly She-people Having Overt Liberty and Equality”?
“What about “Against Silly She-people Having Overt Liberty and Equality”?”
I love that!
Morchella – I am IN LOVE with your last suggestion!
Making Ridiculous Arguments
Men Rejecting Authenticity
Also, it has been forever since I have read the comments or been able to comment here…and it is a mix between comforting/sad to see that some things never change (ie: NWO’s insistence that the presumption of innocence no longer exists, MRAL’s random angry outbursts but occasional showings of growth, etc.). Sorry, none of this is relevant to this post…I have just been catching up…
What was so wrong with masculinist?
Too many people who don’t hate women are using the term “masculinist.” It’s been co-opted by non-anti-feminists, and that just won’t do.
Is it me, or does this sound like a euphemism? Sort of like, “Master of his Domain”?
Also, are we going to see the rise of Male Renaissance Agitator Lieutenant?
That word has picked up more baggage than I can honestly claim to be carrying.
isnt fidelbogen one of those dudes whose always getting quoted here going on about how much women suck or whatever. how is that baggage not his fault.
Also: Is it just me or does Male Renaissance Agitator sound like he’s agitating the Male Renaissance?
In this case, and probably many others, yes. Yes, it does.
I call them “partisans for the patriarchy”, it sounds like this brodude might actually enjoy that.
Well….he’s agitating, that’s for sure. 🙂
@Hershele
It mostly cements my belief that MRAs are first and foremost trolls looking to harass women. Uniting under one “brand” allows them all to claim a single justification for their actions and make it look quasi-respectable, but it also allows them to be criticized and called out for collective behavior. Making many “brands” allows them to both harass women and feminists (and whoever else they’re angry about today, gay people, brown people, whatever) and claim disassociation from anyone else who’s doing it. It will also make it super hard to argue against any claims they make, because if you don’t keep track of each M.R.A.’s specific set of tenets, they’ll yell at you and claim you are stupid for not knowing Males Repellent to Anyone supports lowering the age of consent to 10 and Masturbates Righteously Alone is the group that says there shouldn’t be an age of consent because all women are children anyway.
I mean, they pull this shit to some extent now (This site popular with self-identified MRAs isn’t representative of our movement! This other site that isn’t actually any better is representative!) but if Fidelbogen had his way it would get much worse. To me that’s just a sign that many MRAs don’t really care about the arguments and just are looking for ways to rationalize their anger (Men Rationalizing Anger?) and take it out on somebody.