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Here’s the video of the Al Jazeera English show featuring Helen Lewis and Rebecca Watson, among others, and me.

It’s  pretty good show. Most of the discussion involves social media researcher and Fordham professor Alice Marwick and Helen Lewis of the New Statesman. Those of us in the Google+ Hangout pop in briefly with comments and questions.

FWIW, I appear only briefly in the show proper, but I have a somewhat longer (and a bit more coherent) comment in the ten minute “online only” portion that immediately follows the show (and which is also on this video).

It was a somewhat strange, if educational, experience, my first appearance on TV. (The next time I get webcammed into a show, I won’t reflexively look down at the laptop while talking.) It all went by really, really quickly. Weirdly frantic behind the scenes as the producer tried to slot us all in.

The comments on the video on YouTube nicely  illustrate the problem we were discussing; that is, they are a rancid pile of misogynistic shitlordery.

My favorite comment is this one from Urhoboman5 about Rebecca Watson:

At 5;30 that chick has a youtube channel. Just type in rebecca feminist and you’ll find it. Interesting how most of her videos are voted down. Sometimes as much as 80% negative because the stuff she says is pure nonsense.

That’s right. He actually thinks that the fact that her videos are targeted by downvote squads proves that she’s wrong to talk about harassment. She’s harassed by dudes who don’t like her talking about harassment so therefore it’s “nonsense” for her to talk about harassment. Brilliant.

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fembot
12 years ago

Typical male privilege:

Not being able to vent misogyny at will on every internet site = I’m not safe on the internet 🙁

Wah wah wah baby.

ShadetheDruid
ShadetheDruid
12 years ago

marxist slut agenda

OH NOES

marxist hate movement

OH NOES

destroying the traditional family

OH NOES

That is all.

KathleenB
KathleenB
12 years ago

Another dispatch from Opposite Land. What a strange place it must be!

fembot
12 years ago

Has anyone heard of men getting harassed in primarily-female spaces online, because while it probably does happen, I don’t think it is nearly as common as the reverse.

You must have missed the thread on Sephora’s face book page where a man dared to voice an opinion about eyeshadow, and a thousand angry women retailiated with hostile gendered slurs and threats of violence. Nah, just kidding, that didn’t happen.

WordSpinner
WordSpinner
12 years ago

I’ve active on Ravelry, and I’ve never heard about it–but then again, on Rav you are supposed to be non-confrontational. But I do think that often when men show up in female-dominated spaces, they are more likely to get kudos and attention–I think if you asked most knitters, for example, they’d say that it would be great if more men took up the hobby.

But then again, a majority of videogamers might say the same thing–its the vocal minority you have to worry about, but I just don’t think women do that when men come into their spaces.

creativewritingstudent
creativewritingstudent
12 years ago

marxist slut agenda

Is it wrong that part of me wants to stand for a Commons seat under the name ‘Marxist Slut Party’?

WordSpinner
WordSpinner
12 years ago

creativewritingstudent:

Is it wrong that I totally want to register as a member of the marxist slut party?

Pear_tree
Pear_tree
12 years ago

NWO, I’m intrigued whether you have bought these issues up with any of the (male) people who create these shows. I know both the creators of Family Guy, South Park etc. have responded to criticism of racism/homophobia/transphobia and sexism with the comment they are an equal opportunities offended. While I think that is a lazy way to avoid either considering the criticism or provided a defence for a joke, they have in some way been questioned on the issue. However, I don’t think anyone has every put to them how offensive they are to cis-straight-white men. Why not ask them, I’d be intrigued to see how they respond.

Pam
Pam
12 years ago

Let me know when feminists hold pictures over their faces promoting the traditional family, then I’ll believe feminism isn’t a marxist hate movement bent on destroying the traditional family.

The promotion of “traditional” family as THE quintessential family type needs to be destroyed.

red_locker
12 years ago

Oh shit, Pam, what are you doing?

NWO will rage hard.

Pam
Pam
12 years ago

Oh shit, Pam, what are you doing?

NWO will rage hard.

LOL!! Well, grab yourself some popcorn and enjoy the fireworks!

Hank
Hank
12 years ago

“We call that the mainstream media, where men are ridiclued and demonized daily.” Where? – be specific.

doctornic
12 years ago

You know Hank, like how dads on TV shows are shown to be a bit dorky and fallible not mystic stand ins for God. All I’m saying is they wouldn’t call it Modern Family if it wasn’t part of a global feminist conspiracy to opress men, ammirite? Also misandry, somehow.

(Man, this MRMing is really easy!)

Pam
Pam
12 years ago

(Man, this MRMing is really easy!)

Sure it is! You can be as nonsensical and contradictory as you wanna be (and a heapin’ helpin’ of vitriol wouldn’t hurt, either!), so long as you blame women, in general, and feminist, in particular, for all the world’s ills, you’ll be in like flynn.

hellkell
hellkell
12 years ago

Does anyone have an extra copy of the Marxist Slut Agenda? I can’t find mine.

RubyHypatia
RubyHypatia
12 years ago

I’m a feminist who has a traditional family so it would be ridiculous to say I’m anti-traditional family. I just think it’s ridiculous to demonize non-traditional families. We are Westerners after all so we believe in freedom, right?

hellkell
hellkell
12 years ago

Ruby, do you really think non-Westerners don’t believe in freedom? Nice try, asshole.

Cliff Pervocracy
12 years ago

We are Westerners after all so we believe in freedom, right?

Yeah! Not like those OTHER people!

I hear everyone in Asia and Africa and South America believes in unfreedom.

Anathema
Anathema
12 years ago

Ruby, I can think of plenty of Westerners who don’t value freedom and plenty of non-Westerners who do value freedom. Try again.

Cliff Pervocracy
12 years ago

Also, I love everything about the idea of a “Marxist slut agenda” and I will make popcorn if NWO wants to lay out for us what exactly the steps of that agenda are.

(Step 1: Torture men by having sex with only some of them.
Step 2: ?????
Step 3: MATRIARCHY.)

clairedammit
clairedammit
12 years ago

Marg Simpson is as much a dork as Homer: she had several failed careers, she mispronounces words, she has very unsophisticated tastes. But no one ever notices Marg’s dorkiness – probably because far more shows are about Homer than her. She’s just sort of there in the background most of the time.

(that’s not aimed at you doctornic , just in general)

Quackers
Quackers
12 years ago

‘Marxist slut agenda’ has to be the funniest and most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I want to see NWO rant on a street corner about it.

Its odd, I’m sex positive yet have very little sexual experience. Funny how you can believe in something but not necissarily do it.

Congrats on the video David, I like your framed kitty picutures in the background.

clairedammit
clairedammit
12 years ago

Does anyone have an extra copy of the Marxist Slut Agenda? I can’t find mine.

Shorter Marxist Slut Agenda: 1. Go out in public in your underwear. 2. Demand the government pay all your bills.

clairedammit
clairedammit
12 years ago

Dammit, I used to be able to do blockquotes.

Pam
Pam
12 years ago

@clairedammit

The Marxist Slut Agenda must be interfering with your blockquote abilities!