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actual activism MRA MRA paradox

Men's Rights in the real world: "No one showed up to the event but organizers say the lack of attendance is not due to a lack of interest."

Come early to get a good seat!

Sometimes it’s worth reminding ourselves that despite all the noise they make online, the Men’s Rights movement has basically no presence in the real world. The picture above is an actual photo of a men’s rights symposium at Montana State University. Here’s how the local NBC affiliate described what went down – or, more accurately, what didn’t go down:

The MSU chapter of the National Coalition for Men organized a symposium to raise awareness of problems in men’s lives.

The group geared the event towards fraternity students at the college and invited speakers to talk about things like men’s rights when it comes to sexual misconduct investigations on-campus.

No one showed up to the event but organizers say the lack of attendance is not due to a lack of interest.

You just keep telling yourself that.

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Bostonian
Bostonian
12 years ago

Seriously, no one I would want to hang out with would think there is any justification for beating someone bloody and unconscious.

ozymandias42
12 years ago

As a feminist who has worked to raise awareness of the abuse and rape of men, I’m not particularly pleased to find myself erased here.

Kelly
Kelly
12 years ago

I know men aren’t a homogenous group but they still belong to the sociopolitical group: male. (feminism 101) Feminists have been talking about gender roles (both sexes) for decades men have had every oportunity to engage with feminist theory and question it (especially in the age of the Internet) why can’t they start there? Why do they absolutely need their own movement when everything else is intended for them in the first place. This allows them to do some serious soul searching if they are willing to put in the effort and drop the attitude.

If they truly disliked the harms of toxic masculinity and wanted justice for male sexual assualt survivors then feminism is the way to go.

 Or why not try other social justice causes racism, classism, disability activism, injustice in the prison systems,(just dention-though you’d be helping a lot of men of colour not men ‘falsely accused of rape’) global poverty (oxfam), the environment (we all live on planet earth), anyone else have any ideas?   

@jumbofish huh what did I say, I’m confused?

IdeologueReview
12 years ago

Laura de Force Gordon had arranged a number of lectures for Miss Anthony on the route eastward. At Nevada City she was the guest of A. A. Sargent, the newly elected United States senator, and his wife, both earnest friends of woman suffrage.[62] The rainy season had set in and the diary says: “These storms which bring new life and hope to farmers and miners, mean empty benches for me.”
Source

thebewilderness
thebewilderness
12 years ago

I think you may be overlooking the obvious here.
No beer and no food = no show

Kelly
Kelly
12 years ago

Thank you Kirbywarp suffragette me smile.

Kelly
Kelly
12 years ago

Um IR they have a roof…so what are you saying here?

Kyrie
Kyrie
12 years ago

Fact Finder, I missed you! Care to give us news of Preggo punch?

IdeologueReview
12 years ago

What’s a Preggo punch?

red_locker
12 years ago

lo-FUCKING-l.

They actually did it, and almost no one showed up? This…this is beautiful. Mel Brooks wishes he could come up with shit like this.

IdeologueReview
12 years ago

I know the first feminist rallies were full houses… Oh, wait, they weren’t.
So, David, are you deceiving your feminist sisters or are you just stupid? Take your pick.

katz
12 years ago

you run headlong into the spectacular trainwreck that is feminists insisting that no-one should be able to kick up a big fuss about them supporting problematic gender roles because everyone else does

I must have missed that one. When did that happen?

mysogyny and misandry

Oh, for the love of… you’re putting them right next to each other! How can you misspell one of them but not the other?

Bostonian
Bostonian
12 years ago

IR, we know you are FactFinder, the incredibly dense. We also remember Preggo Punch, the video game concept you were shopping around at one time. No one is fooled by you.

IdeologueReview
12 years ago

On the topic of deception, here are a few successful rallies/organizations which David neglected to mention. Once again, is he grooming his naive audience or is he just stupid?

Bostonian
Bostonian
12 years ago

Also, what agrarian tasks are the MRAs busy doing that keep them away from their own rally?

Rutee Katreya
12 years ago

Are you really implying feminists had 2 people at their meetings because someone used artistic license in speaking? FF, you are incompetent.

katz
12 years ago

FF, so how about that Preggo Punchout? We’re waiting.

Bostonian
Bostonian
12 years ago

“The turning point came when Fathers4Justice decided that real change could occur only if the political agenda was grabbed and shaken. When one of their campaigners dressed up as Batman and clambered along Buckingham Palace’s walls, he thrust the cause of men’s rights into the face of the public.”

David covered this bit of silliness in England, as I recall.

Kendra, the bionic mommy
Kendra, the bionic mommy
12 years ago

Of course there was a poor turnout to an MRA meeting. Attending a meeting is hard work. Why won’t feminists attend the meetings for them?

/sarcasm

IdeologueReview
12 years ago

I think the link was Preggo Punchout, not Preggo Punch.
I’m not trying to fool anyone. If you are stupid enough to think that a game involving miscarriage would be released on Steam, then I guess you’re just overemotional and don’t understand how the gaming industry works.

katz
12 years ago

I know, Kendra! Once again, men are expected to do all the work.

makomk
makomk
12 years ago

Bostonian: that depends very much how you define men’s rights. For example, is Toysoldier’s blog count as men’s rights activism? The answer seems to be that just siding with male rape victims is sometimes enough. Certainly, I think at least Amanda Marcotte and most of the commenters at her site consider NSWATM as part of the evil anti-feminist MRA backlash, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see her using Manboobz as an attempt to discredit them.

Kyrie: I think the comment that finally caused me to get really pissed off has been deleted over the intervening years, by the looks of it. On the plus side I found this Feministing piece, and the comments in that should give you some idea of why I don’t think much of male feminists.

red_locker
12 years ago

Ooooh, FactFinder is mad.

Keep it up, man. Your tears make a nice condiment for my Orzo.

red_locker
12 years ago

Wait, Marcotte thinks NSWATM is evil and male femenists are evil, too? This is an interesting movie pitch so far. Carry on.

Rutee Katreya
12 years ago

I’m not trying to fool anyone. If you are stupid enough to think that a game involving miscarriage would be released on Steam, then I guess you’re just overemotional and don’t understand how the gaming industry works.

You’re the one who was sure it’d be released dude.