So Alexander Ryking is a Tumblr blogger and one of Tumblr’s community “editors” for politics. He thinks of himself as a liberal.
He is also a raging misogynist who regularly calls women “cunts” and tells feminists to “kill yourselves you feminazi twats.”
In recent days he’s turned his douchebag-o-meter up to 11. As a result, there’s now a petition up on Change.org to have him removed as a politics editor on Tumblr. It’s already gotten more than 3000 signatures, with several hundred new signatures added in the time it’s taken me to write this post.
Here’s unknowable woman, a frequent target of his cyber-wrath, with more details on his recent meltdown. (Read the post on her Tumblr blog for links to the evidence of his douchebaggery.)
Alexander Ryking, who has a history of attempting to silence women bloggers (he told Jess of STFUConservatives and the other “feminazis” to “go kill themselves” several months ago, and has also been rude to women of color but I haven’t been on Tumblr long enough to have personally witnessed that), defended The Amazing’s Atheist’s violent rape threats on Reddit by tagging his posts with “I support TAA.”
I and many, many other Tumblr users were disgusted by this, so we decided to tag our criticisms of Ryking that night with “Ryking’s banana republic”—a reference to his co-opting of [social justice] concepts, NOT a homophobic dig, and the person who coined it was a queer man anyway. Someone also wrote a few jokingly romantic lines about Ryking’s blind defense of TAA and new atheism, and Ryking interpreted this as homophobic and misandric…it wasn’t, but because I reblogged it, Ryking insists that I am now a homophobe, which is hilarious given my own sexual identity but whatever.
We also responded to some of his posts with pictures of extreme close-ups of our eyes.
Seriously. That is what this guy is calling “abuse.”
We did NOT threaten him, make personal attacks against his sexuality, tell him to go kill himself, send him rude messages, or commit any other acts that could reasonably be interpreted as the “cyberbullying” Ryking claims it is. I did temporarily change my URL to rykingsbananarepublic and I make no apologies for that. Why should I? Why shouldn’t a group of feminists and their allies be allowed to respond creatively to misogyny? The only actual cyberbullying that has taken place was TAA’s initial rape threats on Reddit; I wouldn’t even go so far as to claim Ryking’s tweets to me and other Twitter users are cyberbullying, though I leave it up to the other people who were insulted by him to label their experiences as bullying or not.
Anyway, a few nights later, I tweeted something in defense of Whitney Houston’s legacy, and suddenly there was Ryking going ballistic. He found me on Twitter, called me a cunt right off the bat, and insisted that I claimed Whitney Houston’s death was “more important than the death of 5,000 Syrians” (I didn’t! Here is what I actually said!). I had never exchanged tweets with this man before, and was confused about his sudden interest in my thoughts about Whitney Houston and Syria. Naturally, I responded, told him how wrong he was, and the next day I screencapped some of the things he said and posted them … I never expected that post to get the amount of notes it did, but I think that just goes to show how widespread the dislike for him is.
Ryking, for his part, has responded to the widespread criticism by striking the pose of a victim, and pretending that it is somehow all related to race. Apparently, the evil feminazis are impugning his white manhood, though he’s not white.
So-called feminists have subjected me to white-bashing comments (even though I’m Hispanic) and sexist attacks impugning my manhood (slash-fiction scenes featuring me and heterosexual men; being called faggot; being told to man-up; insults about my body;) by people who don’t realize I’m gay. After nearly two decades online, I learned early on that when you’re attacked, you defend yourself by attacking right back and just as viciously, if not more so. And that’s what exactly what I’ve done. …
What’s really at issue here is not my rude behavior but that you and others like you want to punish any man who refuses to conform to your rancid, misandrist orthodoxy by discounting everything he says and using his gender and race as the excuse for doing so. …
You don’t want me stripped of my editorial privilege based on my behavior but because I reject your sick, bigoted, misandrist (per)version of feminism.
Yep, apparently the dude who loves to call women “cunts” is the final arbiter of what is and what isn’t “true feminism.” Who knew?
I signed the petition. How about you?
The “men are abusers” idea plays into underlying misogynist ideas, even though in this manifestation it ends up worse for men.
It’s the “women are weak and helpless” idea. If violence is happening, it’s caused by men, because men are big and strong and women are fragile little china teacups. Both sides get harmed by this assumption, but women get harmed more. That’s kyriarchy in its plainest form.
Katz, you could say the same for any misogynist trope. Housework is women’s work? Seems misogynist, but we can’t expect those other idiot slobs to do it, can we?
You just plainly admitted that “this manifestation” ends up worse for men, then weirdly tried to retract that in the following paragraph. Sorry. This is a gendered issue that hurts men more. Sorry if that gets your fucking panties in a knot.
There has been no comparable backlash against gay rights, or civil rights, or what have you, that we’ve seen with feminism. Of course there are hate groups against the former, but nothing so widespread or with such a wide appeal. There are radical liberals who hate feminism (the subject of the OP is just one example). The MRAs are essentially disparate antifeminist sentiment gathered and rallied under a different name. I’m convinced a lot of this is in part due to the feminists’ childlike inability to recognize the more complicated reality of gender politics. It’s not the same; it cuts more; it’s more incisive and divisive. And the white girls, they don’t want to give up their blanket oppression.
Are you serious? Not that the backlash against feminism isn’t severe or fucked up, but to act like there’s no comparable backlash against shit like Affirmative Action or the fight for gay rights to marriage (and even simple recognition for the validity of non-cis-hetero orientation in general) is just………
I don’t see all that much backlash against affirmative action. A lot of grumbling, sure, but I don’t see a massive online movement that almost seems to secrete throughout the internet like a disease. As crazy as they are, MRAs have a weird, almost magnetic appeal for a lot of non-feminist men.
The push against gay marriage is rapidly falling apart, it’s been a (relatively) brief issue, and anyway the only people who have recently opposed it are conservatives. Everyone hates feminism- liberals, libertarians, conservatives, independents. There’s a reason for that.
Tiger Beatdown is the only feminist blog I read, because I find Sady Doyle’s wannabe-DFW LOLspeak style occasionally amusing. And she’s even admitted once or twice that “as someone who is so fucking privileged, I am allowed to sit here and spend all my time bemoaning my own little oppression at the hands of The Man.” Of course, that doesn’t stop her from, you know, doing it, but it’s a start.
@Nathan:
“Kirby, by your logic, corporations are justified in a reluctance to hire women. After all, the majority of harassment suits (tedious, time-consuming, a waste of company resources) are initiated by women.”
No, that’s stupid. Harassment suits are brought up because women are harassed. Not hiring women just means there are no women to harass, not that harassment has stopped. Clearer head, you say?
“What exactly do you hope to gain by denying that men face systemic bias? They obviously do…”
Sorry, you can’t just keep pushing your assertions with the argument “why don’t you want to believe the truth?”
>>>There has been no comparable backlash against gay rights, or civil rights, or what have you, that we’ve seen with feminism.
Wait, what?
Right now, in 2012, there are gay kids in America being locked up in reeducation centers to rid them of the gay. And maybe you’ve heard of that little assocation, the KKK? There are probably less MRAs in the world than there are white supremacists (if only because if you read the Spearhead of In Malafide, you’re left with the impression that every MRA is a white supremacist in the first place).
Nathan: Oppression olympics much? Also, your Concern about what Sady (“I’m fucking Sady Doyle”) Doyle should be writing about, is noted.
>>>As crazy as they are, MRAs have a weird, almost magnetic appeal for a lot of non-feminist men.
That’s because the Internet is populated with nerds that still haven’t gotten over the fact they didn’t get to bang the cheerleader in high school.
“Tiger Beatdown is the only feminist blog I read, because I find Sady Doyle’s wannabe-DFW LOLspeak style occasionally amusing. And she’s even admitted once or twice that “as someone who is so fucking privileged, I am allowed to sit here and spend all my time bemoaning my own little oppression at the hands of The Man.” Of course, that doesn’t stop her from, you know, doing it, but it’s a start.”
Wait, what?
Are you so angry that you have to mischaracterize Doyle’s arguement like that?
@Nathan:
“you do get actual hate-mongering like “men are all pedophiles””
“Again, Kirby, it’s not the fact that men have a hard time getting work as a babysitter, it’s the perception of men as ********FUCKING CHILD ABUSERS*********** that is misandric.”
Have you read schrodinger’s rapist? Is this an article that calls all men rapists? If not, how do you get from “pedophiles are more likely to be men” to “men are all pedophiles?” There’s a pretty big fucking difference here, in that the latter (like the idea that feminists want to kill all men) doesn’t exist in any substantial amount.
*sigh* Oh html tags… ‘/b’ doesn’t end an ‘a’ tag…
So, Nathan, just out of curiosity, why did you throw a “you’re so privileged!” tantrum at me, and then veer from your inital topic of the idea that men aren’t suited for childcare work into that odd little rant about how you bet I’ve had a super easy life with lots of relationship success? How exactly did you get from point A to point B there? Because as far as I know you and I have no history – it’s not like you know my personal backstory. Why is this the assumption that you make about women who don’t agree with you, and why do you think that “I think men are discriminated against in the childcare profession” is a topic that logically leads into “your life must be awesome and I bet you have an easier time with relationships than men”?*
Because what I’m seeing here is a kneejerk response that doesn’t make any sense within the context of your argument. Unless you actually do think that men are discriminated against in the childcare profession because feminists get lots of dates, which would be a hilarious argument.
* Just FYI, not all men are socially awkward, unsuccessful at dating, unlucky in relationships, etc. Which is why that was a rather bizarre segue.
“That’s because the Internet is populated with nerds that still haven’t gotten over the fact they didn’t get to bang the cheerleader in high school.”
Hey, now, not being able to bang the cheerleader is a legitimate trauma.
/nerd
/no really, I am a nerd, but I’m like, “Psh, whatevs” about not getting laid in HS
PS Oh Nathan, for you of all people to make the argument that other people are playing Oppression Olympics is hilarious.
@Nathan:
“Everyone hates feminism- liberals, libertarians, conservatives, independents. There’s a reason for that.”
source
@CassandraSays:
What’s funny to me is that if I’m playing oppression Olympics, then I’m apparently batting for the wrong team.
Also, no backlash against the gay rights movement? Someone isn’t paying attention. The pray the gay away movement didn’t come out of nowhere.
@ kirby
Bets that he’ll call you a mangina or a traitor by the end of this conversation?
Nathan does not know what “oppression olympics” means. Oppression olympics involves comparing actual oppressions, like saying being gay is worse than being black or vice versa. Telling privileged people they are privileged and not fucking oppressed along their axis of privilege is not in any way, shape, or form oppression olympics. Men aren’t fucking oppressed, they are privileged, along the axis of gender oppression/sexist oppression.
Also, Nathan is actually trying, as an uber privileged person, to say that anyone who is privileged along any axis must shut up about being oppressed along another. That’s a form of oppression olympics. White gay people don’t have to shut up about homophobia because they have white privilege, black heteros don’t have to shut up about racism because they have hetero privilege. Women who are privileged on other axis of oppression (like race, class, colonialist position, etc.) don’t have to shut up about sexism.
You know who should shut up? An entitled little douche bag prick named Nathan. He’s picked up, though he totally and absolutely misuses them, common social justice terms. This means he has had plenty of opportunity to learn and has willfully neglected to do so.
Fuck off, Nathan.
@CassandraSays:
I’ve mentioned my gender several times, yet he still seems to think we’re all privileged middle-class white girls. *shrug*
I just don’t believe that, BlackBloc. The KKK is almost completely marginalized these days. Gay opposition comes from a rapidly dwindling conservative sect, and it’s terrible- don’t get me wrong- but it’s not the same thing.
Because beyond the MRAs- ask around. There is a HELL of a lot of very deep-seeded antifeminist resentment in a lot of men, and some women too. There’s an interesting video on youtube, if you can find it- “feminists on the street”, or “what men on the street think of feminism”. A lot of the shit they say is very banal, and you could laugh at it- but it indicative of the level of, again, not anger really, but resentment, more like. There is no comparable widespread sentiment toward, say, the gay rights movement.
And also, yeah, I can and will share my opinion on what I think Sady fucking Doyle should be writing about. I’ll also share my opinion that she does a shitty job at ripping off David Foster Wallace.
DSC, as I’ve said, I reject the notion that gender privilege exists in such absolutes. That’s simply wrong- and most people agree with me. Deal with it, bubba.
“Because beyond the MRAs- ask around. There is a HELL of a lot of very deep-seeded antifeminist resentment in a lot of men, and some women too. There’s an interesting video on youtube, if you can find it- “feminists on the street”, or “what men on the street think of feminism”. A lot of the shit they say is very banal, and you could laugh at it- but it indicative of the level of, again, not anger really, but resentment, more like. There is no comparable widespread sentiment toward, say, the gay rights movement.”
Ok, one question: How the fuck does a YOUTUBE VIDEO accurately represent the hatred of Feminism in America? If I used a video of a bigoted white guy sprouting White Nationalist bullshit as a representation of backlash against the Civil Rights Movement, how would you react?
Yeah, it’s called misogyny.