Hot on the heels of my recent discovery of Men’s Rights Bronies, a new controversy about My Little Pony has erupted in the Men’s Rights subreddit. Though, to be honest, I might have provoked most of the actual controversy there by wading into the muck and pointing out a few facts.
The discussion centers around a rather obtuse post by Kathleen Richter on the Ms. Blog from two years ago accusing the show’s creators of racism and homophobia, among other things. The post couldn’t be more wrong about everything, and, unsurprisingly, was torn apart by commenters on the site – and by Lauren Faust, then the show’s “creative steward” and executive producer, who was given the opportunity to write a rebuttal on the Ms. Blog.
So why are the dudes on the Men’s Rights subreddit getting worked up by this dead controversy today? Because an MRA who calls himself ThePigman – we took a look at one of his terrible, terrible comic strips here – decided to post Richter’s original post (but not Faust’s rebuttal) to r/mensrights under the title “My Little Pony FIM attacked by nuts at Ms Magazine Blog. NOT, repeat, NOT a satire.”
Perhaps inadvisedly, I posted a comment pointing out that the Richter’s blog post had not exactly been well-received. And this happened. (Click on the pic for a full-sized version.)
The whole discussion is rather surreal. Some highlights.
ThePigman responding to a rather straightforward and factual comment of mine with:
You are a disgusting animal. Go and talk to someone else, just having you on the same planet makes me want to puke.
Ullere repeatedly misrepresenting my recent post on Men’s Rights Bronies.
The dude who regularly posts on r/mensrights as “Manzboobz” makes an appearance.
And this barely coherent little masterpiece of sarcasm from our old friend Eoghan (who posts on r/mensrights as Sigil1):
As someone who speaks fluent Eoghan, let me translate: he is suggesting that the women discussing the issue of MLP on the Ms. Blog are all a bunch of layabouts living off of their hard-working husbands. He’s also making a snide reference to feminism as being an “astro-turf” movement (rather than a true grassroots movement) because, in his mind, feminism is all a big plot created and funded by the CIA and the evil elitists who run the world.
Eoghan aside, this whole episode suggests how difficult it is for a feminist to have any kind of discussion with MRAs even on the Men’s Rights subreddit, probably the most moderate MRA forum out there. (Several other people posted references to Faust’s rebuttal, but weren’t downvoted, because they aren’t the dreaded, more-evil-than-evil-itself “manboobz.”)
A couple of days ago, one poster to r/mr asked “Why are there not more feminists here” debating the issues with MRAs. Here’s your answer.
EDITED TO ADD: ThePigman has responded to this and my previous Brony post in his typically calm and reasonable manner on his blog. By which I mean he spewed forth a bunch of angry nonsense.
Interesting… I just did a whole post about MLP. I wish it was as feminist as it wants to be, but I have some big problems with it. I really don’t get the Bronies thing, but I am fascinated by this phenomenon. As always, reddit entertains…
I wonder how many MRAs think you, personally, are funded by the CIA.
I also wonder how much of a feminist you need to be to get CIA funding. Do you need to actually be working in government advancing the Feminist Agenda? How about being a lobbyist? Would a feminist writer count? How about a feminist blogger? *wink wink* Would you need a certain readership to qualify for a CIA stipend?
Or is it enough to merely be a feminist? Like, if I give Uncle Joe a hard time at the dinner table because he says women should just be mothers instead of going to college, is that worth a bonus from the CIA? If I vote with women’s rights in mind, can I at least get five bucks for lunch? What exactly are the standards here?
…Do people like Eoghan think about these things?
Leave it Ullere to completely miss a point.
Nice to see the reddit mods still won’t take down your impersonator.
I like the idea that feminists just sit around all day getting furious as hell at cartoons, but not giving a shit about ‘important’ issues. Because, as we know, people can’t be concerned with more than one issue at a time. In fact, I was just thinking about how shitty the Where The Wild Things Are film looked (Maurice Sendak just died 🙁 ), and now I don’t care about ending FGM any more. Trufax.
They’re pretty much spelling out “it’s okay to cherrypick feminists for one silly quote from months ago, but MRAs must be judged only by our most reasonable and moderate members,” too.
BUT A WOMAN WROTE SOMETHING STUPID ONCE
I know it’s low-hanging fruit, but the dissonance of someone who chooses to refer to himself as The Pigman calling someone else a “disgusting animal” is pretty darn lulzy.
The same thing happens to me if I don’t get eough sleep, and try to write something coherent.
No, it’s just because you’re a shitwit.
Whatever Zarat. That’s probably another lie.
AntZ just implied that he sometimes is coherent.
Maybe he hasn’t gotten proper sleep in years?
Finally an explanation for everything Antz has ever said!
No no, y’all! He’s a victim of institutionalized misandry! He has to stay up all night designing his FOREIGN BRIDE’S VR replacement whilst mapping out the great divide. That’s what makes him incoherent donchaknow!
AntZ, how long has it been since you’ve slept? Eighteen months or so?
Yesterday I cared about rape culture. Today, I care about cake.
There is only 1 active care unit in my brain at any time.
I’m making a grocery list right now, so clearly I don’t care about domestic violence.
I don’t get why MRAs would like MLP. The only real reoccuring male character is the baby dragon Spike who has unrequited crush on Rarity and is used as manual labor/ scribe/ letter deliverer by the ponies who often forget to include him in friend -oriented activities.
It is really so far beyond mind boggling I have to conclude that they truly are living in an alternate reality.
So I am still confused, are they agreeing with the show, or with the critique of the show, or is it just the idea of women disagreeing that they like? I haven’t been around long enough to decipher it all.
Antz, talk to a therapist yet? Seriously. Do it.
I’m never quite sure what Spike’s relationship with Twilight Sparkle is. Is he her employee? Student? Friend? Coworker? Pet?
Confession: I have never seen MLP, so I have no context with which to interpret this remark from the reddit thread. Help?
Source.
Wha?
cloudiah I’ve seen one episode, so I can’t explain, but I love this line from that link — “ignoring the racial aspect, because they’re friggin’ multicolored ponies, people” — so MRAs can handle that part but are worried about divorce laws in pony world? o.O?
Also — “If I vote with women’s rights in mind, can I at least get five bucks for lunch?” — or at least bus fare to the poll and back?
I don’t think the show is insinuating that Mrs. Cake cheated on Mr. Cake. I think the show is insinuating “even regular horsies can have magical baby horsies, how magical,” because for God’s sake it’s a show about talking ponies learning the value of friendship. They are not going to throw in a subplot about pony sexual infidelity and pony divorce law.
Right now, there are three different tought in my brain:
– you must work. Write this thing.
– go to sleep. Sleep is soft, sleep is nice, I know you wanna sleep, just close your eyes for a second and it will be much better
– internet is awesome. look at this article. And this funny thing. And this cute one. Manboobz!
There is clearly no room for caring about DV. Maybe tomorrow.