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So the other day, the atheist blogger Rebecca Watson, aka Skepchick, had this little conversation on Twitter:
Watson, you may recall, got herself onto the Men’s Rights radar a few months back, after a brief comment she made in a podcast — suggesting that perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea for a guy to hit on woman he’s never spoken to before while the two of them are alone in an elevator at 4 AM – somehow turned into a Big Fucking Thing on the Internet, because how dare she say such a thing, it’s creep-shaming, she must hate men, bla bla bla.
So, anyhoo, one Men’s Rights Reddit noticed this little Twitter exchange, and posted it to the Men’s Rights subreddit. And there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. MRAs hating women? How dare she suggest such a thing!
Here are some of the things that assorted Men’s Rights Redditors posted in response, to remind us all that the Men’s Rights movement isn’t all about shitting on women. Let’s start with this lovely rebuttal, boasting nearly 60 net upvotes:
This comment inspired a long and winding discussion of the word “cunt,” and why it’s like totally ok to use it all the time, because in England the UK people call men “cunts” as well.
Some got a little carried away:
This little exchange came with a side order of irony:
Speaking of fantasy, here’s a strange bit of paranoia, which nonetheless drew upvotes from the very same people who are outraged that Watson was a bit creeped out by a dude she didn’t know asking her to come to his hotel room at 4 AM:
And here’s still more evidence that MRAs, despite their many egregious flaws, do at least have vivid imaginations:
Some other comments, all of which got at least a few upvotes from the MR regulars:
Let’s end with this eloquent plea for people to not give a shit if MRAs hate women:
The folks in the Men’s Rights subreddit are currently debating whether or not to change the subreddit’s slogan, which is currently: “Mens’ Rights: Earning Scorn from Bigoted Feminists and White Knights Since 2008.”
So let me humbly suggest:
Mens’ Rights: Like it’s even relevant if mens rights is anti women in regard to if mens rights is a movement about addressing mens issues.
Or the even punchier:
Men’s Rights: i’m tired of not using the term “cunt”.
MRAs, you’re welcome.
I just want to know who’s John Conner in this future-bot scenario.
Another MRA capitalisation! LOOKING! Anyway, think of how tricky it must have been for Rebecca Watson, dredging the furthest-flung and most obscure parts of the internet for something that could be vaguely misconstrued as sexist to complain about.
If only some kind people could constantly send her misogynistic things to be offended by and constantly attack her in sexist terms over some perfectly reasonable piece of advice she offered months ago.
CassandraSays, I swear the way that all my comments seem to be immediately after yours does not mean you have another teenaged student stalker.
@Shadow
Bwahaha!!! I love that quote and that episode.
As long as you don’t start talking about how I’m privileged because I don’t want to fuck random celebrities, we’re all good.
@CassandraSays
We can share in the privilege of not wanting to fuck Russel Brand. MRAL can too, if he so chooses. Isn’t it pretty arrogant of him to turn someone down just because of their gender if they’re beyond a certain point of being OBJECTIVELY, VERIFIABLY hot?
@Quackers
You win again gravity!!
Surely bisexuals are by definition less prejudiced than him, if prejudiced = not attracted to people who some other people think are hot? I can talk about men AND women who I think are hot* he only wants to talk about women.
* Please note that “hot” is an inherently subjective concept. No, really, PUAs and other assorted folks – please take note of this important idea, it will change your life for the better.
@Shadow
I think this is what MRAs think the world is coming to
Whereas PUAs think that only 10-20% of men will ever be snoo-snood unless the remaining 80-90% of men learn how to make women cry.
Some of the PUA, and especially the MRA stuff makes me think of
“We hear tell men used for snu-snu. But all we have go on are ancient legend and subscription to Cosmo”
Aw, Bakura. So abused and so quotable.
“This looks like a job for Limey Man!”
Roissy had a blog post about Bender. He said Bender is an alpha and that’s why everyone loves him.
I disagree with that. Wall-e is clearly a beta who chases Eve around and everyone loves Wall-e. People like anthropomorphic robots because they have human traits, regardless of whether traits are positive or negative…it’s just funny when a robot or an animal or a toaster acts human.
I know I’m a geek 😛
What PUAs think they are:
What PUAs really are:
Dammit, AntZ left before he could tell us about the robot wimmens. I like how he used the classic “I’m going to party with my lady friend” flounce. Even trolls pretending to be sonic fans(?) parody this classic interwebs debating tactic. Except he conveniently let us know that his lady friend only tolerates his insufferable presence for 1st world citizenship.
“Roissy had a blog post about Bender. He said Bender is an alpha and that’s why everyone loves him.”
The very concepts of satire and irony exist on a different plane of reality from them. Don’t they?
@Ray
I have a feeling it’s a very crowded plane that looks suspiciously identical to ours
It’s just like Jim Crow! If Jim Crow involved obscure health regulations and not, you know, segregation and lynching.
And now, I’m going to make myself a QUESADILLA.
Oh hello, it’s the misogynist known as Steersman! I happened to be lurking on Pharyngula a little while ago when I saw this d00d turn up and employ the exact same bullshit dictionary argument, to justify his direct slur of “ignorant cunt” against one of the regular posters there (Sally Strange).
Fortunately, there’s a tool designed for women-haters like Steersman, called “CUNTO: The Justifications for Saying ‘Cunt’” bingo card. The bingo card (originally on Jen McCreight’s blog, Blag Hag) and an epic takedown of Steersman’s apologism can be found on Ophelia Benson’s blog, here. Steersman got banned by PZ before he managed to acheive a full bingo.
“I claim this debate against feminazis in the name of AMERICA!”
-Anthony Zarat
If the MRM should be rejoicing at this “victory,” then they are probably pretty hard up for victories, not to mention rejoicing.
Xanthe,
Oh hello, it’s the misogynist known as Steersman! ….
You seem to have a fairly low threshold for charging “misogynist”.
But I would say that, as an argument – which you haven’t actually addressed at all, pointing out a definition in a credible dictionary and providing some plausible explanations for why a word is viewed as insulting really doesn’t qualify as that term.
And since you brought up Pharyngula, I wonder how you would view this from the estimable Mr. Myers:
First of all, nowhere have I ever claimed that all feminists are sex positive; some feminists are assholes, just like some atheists (case in point: The “Amazing” Atheist) are total flaming jerkwads.
If he can level some criticisms at feminists without being called a misogynist and if Greta Christina can assert that some claims of misogynism are “bogus” then I would think that you might want to be a little more circumspect before charging someone with that.
@steersman:
Sooo… admitting that people can be assholes, makes PZ a misogynist? I wonder what your reaction would be if he said that all feminists are saints. O_o
Nah, man, quoting the dictionary and deliberately ignoring the way the word is used in the vernacular is obnoxious and misogynistic.
You can level criticism at feminism all you want. What makes you a smelly-jerk face is trying to act like c*nt is anything but a nasty, awful slur.