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?
@ Kirby
Trolling in a really boring way, too. This is reminding me of MRAL on a particularly off day, like maybe with a hangover.
Alrighty then, have a nice night mags.
*sits patiently for evidences of misandry*
I C what you are doing thar
@CassandraSays:
The “You are wrong, but I won’t tell you why” argument is a very easy one to dismiss. 🙂 I’m nearly certain she’s going through the shtick because she thinks that feminists routinely dismiss any objections at all to feminism by accusing the person of privilege, and therefore she thinks she’s being clever.
Not realizing, of course, that’s its only after a long trying period of trying to explain exactly why you as a man don’t get to explain what life is like for women that the concept of privilege is pulled out.
Ah well.
If anything its kinda like she is mocking mras as well. I mean she doesn’t appear take it seriously enough, rather she is just using this time to mock feminists instead of talking about men’s rights. Which isn’t really surprising considering mras are pretty much just anti feminists and could care less about the real issues men face.
You have to admit though, it is quite amusing when stupid people think they’re clever.
posting in blog comments is very few peoples job, kid.
the question is, do you want to communicate something, or do you just want to post the minimum you have to to get attention?
The perception that men aren’t to be trusted around children, or are poor parents- that’s just one example of hatred and/or contempt of men. It- and most other institutionalized misandry- is a very specific and contained hatred and/or contempt, and misogyny is in general more prevalent. But it exists, and it’s clear to anyone who is really willing to look. Refusing to recognize it, or writing long posts about how it’s “really” misogyny just makes you look like a hypocrite. Frankly, I do think that gender is more give-and-take than other forms of “common” oppression- racism, homophobia, transphobia- because women are and have been half of every single society in history. Whereas gays, ethnic minorities, religious minorities etc. often had no place whatsoever, there always had to be a place for women. It might not have been as qualitatively “good” or “comprehensive” as men’s, but it was there. And likewise, most misandry (like most misogyny) at a very basic level stems from the perception that men aren’t capable when it comes to things that aren’t in “their sphere”.
You- that is, various feminist bloggers- might ask themselves why exactly they are so hell-bent on willfully ignoring contempt for men in society. Personally, I think it’s because many (most) feminists are middle-class white women with epic privilege, and they basically want to cling to the only major “oppression” they can claim- because if they have to concede the more nuanced reality, well, they’re really no better than white men. Sady Doyle in particular- if I may psychoanalyze for a second- has got this mentality. I never hear this line from gay activists or whatever, because they have more important shit to do than argue incessantly about semantics.
Because the fact is that a lot of feminists pay lip service to “other forms of oppression”- again, racism, homophobia, transphobia- but then spend 95% percent of their time bemoaning “their” oppression. Now understand- that’s fine. It’s their prerogative how they spend their time. But I can’t help but think that this lip service is almost sickeningly theoretical. I get the impression that most white feminist bloggers don’t really know that many black people. That many gay people. That many transgendered people. So this “checking privilege” really is an almost abstract notion notion for them; it’s only occasionally that they need to “check their privilege” (ie, walk on eggshells and constantly defer). But then they self-righteously demand that men treat them likewise; problem is, women are everywhere. Women are half of my acquaintances. I treat people well, and expect others to treat me well. That’s the extent of my “feminism”.
Get over yourselves.
@jumbofish:
Funny enough, I don’t think she’s mocking MRAs as much as emulating them. I saw a comment on ShitRedditSays that basically said “in the MRM, the syntax of an argument is much more important than the content.” Which is kinda true. Using the same words as feminist (with some playful substitutions) doesn’t make your argument have the same validity… the content and context actually does matter.
@cassandra
i have to disagree. cleverness is overrated, and when the dull try to emulate it, it just turns out tedious.
I meant that in a rather malicious way. Effective parody takes much more intelligence than mags has, but it is funny watching her think she’s saying something clever and failing if you’re a mean person, which I am.
I didn’t mean that she was mocking it on purpose kirby XD
I guess I should have said she is making it sound more mock worthy.
This…x10000
This is how you know they aren’t serious about fixing this shit. Like I mentioned yesterday, AVfM had a recent article that basically said women being in the military will fuck it up. In another article a few monthes ago, the writer was basically laughing at a female firefighter who was (according to her anyway) struggling with the hose and about to cry. That’s a real great attitude to have towards women who are trying to step up and aquire these dangerous jobs. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t with the MRM as usual.
As for misandry, I’ll concede that there have been some articles on news sites that have a misandrous tone. It is uncomfortable to read. But you know what else is uncomfortable to read? thousands of internet comments vilifying and degrading women. Calling them stupid, overly-emotional, selfish, bitches, golddiggers, hypergamous sluts, cunts, inferior to men’s superior “logic”, immoral, incapable of love and everything else etc. Most of these comments come from MRAs who then turn around and complain about misandry. How does this make sense? it doesn’t. Misogynist comments and beliefs like those are systematic too…they’ve existed forever and more importantly have been used to justify previous female oppression. Men were never denied anything because of their sex. They were never denied the vote, education, property ownership, a chance at government, STEM fields, etc because of their sex. If men were oppressed it usually had to do with race or class instead. And women faced those oppressions too.
Oh and off topic…but I was browsing Craigslist personals (there’s always someone that seems interesting to talk to on there but I wouldn’t take the chance cuz you know…it’s Craigslist o.O) anyway…there are always posts on there of men offering to be sugar daddies and pay women’s bills/schooling in exchange for sex or companionship. So why don’t MRAs ever go after those enablers? why are women always to blame? and why is it always assumed that all women will take these men up on their offers? what BS. And I’m supposed to care about misandry? maybe if I didn’t have to hear everyday what a worthless piece of shit I am I’d care more about MRA grievances.
question: am i drunk as fuck and about to switch over to posting random songs from youtube
answer: fuuuuuuuuuuccccckkkkkk yusssssss!!!!!!!
go go go!! XD
And Quackers, again, I totally agree that misogyny is more prevalent than misandry. It sucks, and I do not think that feminism is completely antiquated. But come on- the MRAs are a fringe group. They’re like the “white pride” people, except even more hilarious. You have to choose to seek them out, is what I’m saying. And I get that- they’re funny as hell- but I don’t think you can generalize about society’s views on women from A Voice for Men or r/mensrights.
Pretty Girls Make Graves sounds like an MRA slogan lol o.O
This also reminds me, I would really like to get some imput from men who do actually work dangerous jobs, not just sitting around being a keyboard warrior all day. That’s how Betty Friedan found out about how miserable and unfulfilled housewives were for The Feminine Mystique.
I’d really be interested in hearing how they felt about the dangers. Do they feel oppressed by it? do they feel fear on the job? how would they suggest improving safety standards? why did they choose that line of work?
Don’t think I could just waltz up to some, say, construction workers and asks them though :/ Once in the summer there were construction workers on our street and I really wanted to give them some beer or something to cool off, but they might have thought I was flirting…
@ Quackers
Because the only issue most MRAs have with the sugar daddy concept is that they aren’t rich enough for it to be an option for them.
As a person speaking to men who don’t think it exists, I’d say it IS your job, mags. One of these days I might go through the mental pretzel of not seeing my oppression for my privilege without some mystical MRA guru, but how will I ever learn unless someone shows me?
Yawn.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UOXfC5OgmY&w=420&h=315%5D
Oh hell, I don’t know how to embed a video. I suck at internet.
anecdote!
when i was in undergrad, i worked with a masters student who was married to a guy ill call ‘sean’. ‘sean’ and his wife were from houston and sean always knew what was going on in the texas music scene. notably, he saw at the drive-in in their first few performances, when they were apparently a fake mod band in skinny black suits with mop-top haircuts. as he tells it, they got a slot opening for christie front drive and went home and started writing emo songs.
anyway, on the heels of in/casino/out, the were starting to get press and feeling more like rock stars. they had a set opening for i cant remember who, which my friend ‘sean’ was at, because at this point he was real close with the band and showed up to all their shows.
cedric bixler-zavala had forgotten his mics, so he borrowed some from the band they were opening for (or maybe the band was opening for them, i can’t remember; it’s unimportant). the important part was, he got really keyed up and ended up smashing the borrowed mics. when he refused to pay for them, my buddy ‘sean’ stepped up in his face and said if he wasn’t gonna pay for the mics he busted, ‘sean’ didn’t understand why he had to pay for the show. and cedric flipped the fuck out, and from then on, any time he saw ‘sean’, made sure he knew that he wasn’t forgiven.
the moral of the story is, if you weren’t sure whether or not cedric bixler-zavala is a gigantic cock, he is a gigantic cock.
@cloudiah
no embed
just paste in a youtube link and it embeds automatically
Thanks, Sharculese!