Categories
antifeminism cuteness evil fat fatties evil women idiocy kitties lying liars misandry misogyny MRA

Argumentum ad Kittypicturem: A Rebuttal

Manosphere doofuses have a wide assortment of excuses for dismissing this blog without actually having to deal with anything I’ve ever actually said.  There’s the old “you’re a misandrist bigot so I don’t have to read anything of yours to know what you think” argument; no evidence of the alleged misandry is ever given. There’s the old “you call yourself Man Boobz and that’s a silly name so I can pretend that nothing you say counts” excuse; actually, I call you guys the “man boobz,” but never mind. Then there’s the old “he’s fat” chestnut. (See the next-to-last pic here.)

My favorite excuse, though, is a little logical fallacy you might call “argumentum ad kittypicturem.” That is, the claim that I can’t be taken seriously because sometimes I post pictures of adorable kitties. I’m not sure why these pictures confuse and infuriate misogynists to the extent that they do, but I’m sort of happy this is the case, because every time I run across it, it gives me an excuse to POST MORE KITTY PICTURES.

This time the kitty picture hater is the lying liar Dalrock, whom we’ve met several times before—most recently when he complained about women taking jobs from men by “playing career woman much the way that Marie Antoinette played peasant and Zoolander’s character played coal miner.”

In a post with the ponderous yet somehow also very silly title “We need worthy adversaries,” Dalrock dismisses my blog as one of the unworthy ones, the only example of said unworthiness being this post I made featuring pictures of several adorable  kittens.

Here is my rebuttal:

Yes, that’s a hedgehog. Let’s see how they deal with THAT!

195 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
lauralot89
12 years ago

I have nothing to add to the serious discussion, but speaking of kittens, my brother just requested that I make a tiny police hat for my cat so he can shoot a film about a loose cannon cop cat.

cloudiah
12 years ago

@lauralot The terms of the admiralty court (or some such) require you to post at least still pics of your cat in a tiny police hat, if not the video. Just for the record.

lauralot89
12 years ago

If such a hat comes to pass, I will definitely post all the photos. However, as my cat’s main hobbies are sleeping and vegetating, I can’t imagine him pulling off the role. Also, my brother has no camera to my knowledge and I’m beginning to think this is yet another of his absurd schemes that will not pan out.

Bostonian
12 years ago

Jumbofish, MRAs have a definite humor deficiency.

lauralot89
12 years ago

In the meantime, I did find a cat in a little captain’s hat: http://www.etsy.com/listing/88698357/marine-captain-mini-hat

cloudiah
12 years ago

I think your sleepy, vegetating hat needs a tiny police hat whether or not a video is ever made. The nice things about really sleepy cats is that they often don’t notice when you balance tiny things on their heads, particularly if you have a light touch. At least that’s what I’ve heard.

A nice modern look: http://www.militarysupplyhouse.com/images/headwear/us/police_hat.jpg

Or perhaps you want something more classic: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MekVZXcIw-0/Tbq8nuSAkVI/AAAAAAAAI-Y/YjNAVIttvkU/s400/KeystoneCops.jpg

cloudiah
12 years ago

OMG, the hat isn’t so great but what a cute face! http://www.etsy.com/listing/54891418/top-hat-for-cats-seasons-warm-joy

cloudiah
12 years ago

Oops ^vegetating hat^ should be vegetating cat. My apologies.

lauralot89
12 years ago

I shall begin balancing things on my vegetable cat right away.

But since I have no Police Cat to post yet, I decided to contribute to the Kittypicturem by making another of my “Feminazi Cat Owner” images. (The cat in the picture is not the one who needs the tiny hat, in case you were wondering. The orange cat actually does things): http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/Lauralot/inamedhim.jpg

jennydevildoll
12 years ago

“I have a friend who has, I think, a plausible theory that there’s a link between hatred of cats and misogyny. It’s lot like how racists often have an irrational hatred of hip-hop. Cats are associated with femininity and women, and their loathing of the feminine is so that it rubs off on cats. Even though there’s nothing intrinsically feminine about cats. Anti-feminists often employ “cats” as a way to insult feminists, claiming that if a feminist is fond of cats, that’s somehow surefire evidence of man-hating, which of course is code for an unwillingness to be controlled by men. It’s funny, because cats are the most popular pet in the country, and in the real world, loved by the rich and the poor, men and women, conservative and liberal alike. But for serious misogynists, the association creates a knee-jerk reaction.”

Often true, but I also knew a guy who was a cat lover, yet was up to his ears in having belligerent, stalker-y issues with women. Not sure what that paradigm is.

Falconer
12 years ago

Oh, hey, Lauralot, I forgot about your Wonder Woman costume. It looks awesome! Great job! And your kitty is lovely.

Probably you don’t need the lasso to get him to admit that he wants to nom the lasso.

cloudiah
12 years ago

I love the kitty AND the costume!

Argenti Aertheri
12 years ago

thecat — I am so sorry, I hope you get your little one back soon. I wish the people administering this shit would realize that punishing pregnant women for needing help only discourages them from getting both the help they need and pre-natal care, and that that’s not helping anyone. This is also why I think drug testing pregnant women is a terrible idea, it’ll only discourage seeking treatment, and pre-natal care, and discouraging pre-natal care =/= helping kids. Not to mention that the foster case system also needs serious help…argh…

Nanasha — “No one should ever be afraid to walk down the street in the middle of the day.” — a-fucking-greed

“I always have to ask people who try the “she could have avoided it” lecture what they expect us to do- lock ourselves away in a fortress without windows?” — carry a bigger knife? call the cops? (they’re probably thinking that one and assuming that’d make a difference) — idfk, that’s some extra special victim blaming bullshit

MorkaisChosen
MorkaisChosen
12 years ago

Take cat.

Take tiny SCENTED FUCKING CANDLE.

Balance tiny SCENTED FUCKING CANDLE on cat.

Sorka
Sorka
12 years ago

With the whole “SCENTED FUCKING CANDLE” rant it’s occurred to me again that MRAs do such a good job making fools of themselves on a daily basis that there is very little David and manboobz actually need to do to actually mock them.

Kyrie
Kyrie
12 years ago

What David does is turning the horribleness of it all in something often funny. I smile or laugh most of the time I read his article, but almost each time I follow the links to check context or other comments, I feel sickened by what I read. David is an alchemist!

Sorka
Sorka
12 years ago

Kyrie: Actually, that’s exactly how I feel as well. I should learn not to follow the links!

LBT
LBT
12 years ago

RE: Mental illness

I’m actually in an unfortunate boat of realizing that I’ve finally reached the point where I’m not going to be able to work. Right now, I’m almost able to pull my shit together so we can drag our dilapidated ass in some of the time, but we’re running on fumes, and pretty soon, I know I’m going to crack for good and end up in a hospital or a loony-bin.

I’m applying for disability, but I don’t really know what’s going to happen to us. I’ve hoarded almost three months savings (at extreme tight budget) but… well, we need a complete rest, and I know folks who’ve been hunting work in this city SIX months with no luck, and I really don’t want to have to crawl back to my parents, who I’ve cut off.

And with all the stigma about being mentally ill… D:

Argenti Aertheri
12 years ago

LBT — good luck, I just got home from welfare telling me I’m too young to be disabled enough — and after editing this 3 times, I give up, I’m too angry to form a competent comment >.<

Half a competent thought — when you apply, include the diagnosis you don't want to consider a problem, because it'll look serious on paper and it's all about appearances with them.

LBT
LBT
12 years ago

Yeah, I can’t go for welfare; all I can find is for families and pregnant folks only. I look to be old enough, it’s all a matter of GETTING the damn stuff.

Unfortunately, looks like I’ll need to be properly diagnosed. *sigh* At least I have some medical staff to back it up… too bad I’m not skinny enough to be anorexic…

Argenti Aertheri
12 years ago

LBT — pregnant, elderly, or disabled. They’ll require you apply for SSDI/SSI, but their definition of disabled is looser (I’m neither pregnant nor elderly, it’s the category I’m applying under) — they weren’t saying I’m not disabled enough by them, but that I am disabled enough by them but SSDI/SSI won’t care because “you’re young”. It was a lovely lecture on how technically yes, but how I basically suck anyways…now I see why they do interviews with random workers, I have no name to file a complaint against if I wanted to.

And yeah, you need current records. Love the “too bad I’m not skinny enough to be anorexic” bit, but I’m honestly not sure my current psych would’ve caught it if I still was, I’m tiny and never got asked what I weigh (I say tiny, and not thin, because I’m 5’3″ and really hate being called short ^.^)

LBT
LBT
12 years ago

RE: Argenti

Yeah, anorexia has an actual weight requirement. Which is complete bollocks, since, you know. Collapsing every week I think is a better gauge for my well-being than a number on the scale. (Besides, testosterone is a magical weight-gainer for me. My grandma’s now worried about me getting fat.)

M Dubz
12 years ago

Jesus LBT, I am so so so sorry that you are going through this.

Viscaria
Viscaria
12 years ago

Oh no Rogan 🙁 that’s terrible.

Best of luck to you guys, my heart goes out to you.

cloudiah
12 years ago

@Argenti/Rogan So sorry this country lacks a meaningful safety net. Take care, and let us know if there are ways we can help.