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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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clairedammit
clairedammit
12 years ago

I theorize that Joe is one of those people who thinks talking about or acknowledging race is racist.

Falconer
Falconer
12 years ago

In the US, “thug” is often used as a racist dog whistle. I don’t know if this holds true in the UK. If it does, I find it hilarious that Joe feels the need to use coded language like this.

He’s rejected the concept of dog whistles on the basis that they don’t have them in Blighty.

I’m no expert, but I think there is a legitimate concern in the UK over roving bands of white punks. There’s plenty of Those People talk, too.

And Joe can’t be a racist because one of his parents is brown.

fembot
12 years ago

Joe, instead of shouting over and over again how we are racist, can you just find where we said something racist and link to it? What provoked this tantrum of yours? What was the specific comment that sent you over the edge? Because no one here knows what the hell you are talking about.

kirbywarp
kirbywarp
12 years ago

@Anathema:

I think his logic (for lack of a better term) is that because some Muslims are homophobes, therefore everyone who doesn’t hate all Muslims is a homophobe. (And a racist, I guess. I’m not entirely sure how that bit fits in.)

I think you’ve got it just about right. I’m guessing this is his thought process:

“Well, Muslims are all violent savages. Just look what they did here! People who are saying that Muslims aren’t the problem are being racist, because they are using the race of the perpetrators to excuse the behavior of all Muslims. And they’re homophobes because they’re using this tragic circumstance to perpetuate their agenda of Muslim-loving. Also, they’re defending the perpetrators because they aren’t recognizing the obvious fact that the stabbers did it because they were Muslim.”

*sigh* It’s “the anti-bigots are the real bigots” all over again all over again.

Myoo
Myoo
12 years ago

Oh no, the EEBIL MOOSLIMS are taking over Europe, no other religion is as bad as them!

Why, it’s not as if from 1933 to 1974 there was an oppressive dictatorship in Portugal that based its “moral values” in Christianity, and that censored any opposition to government, had a secret police and regularly “vanished people”. It’s also not as if in 1940 the Catholic Church signed a treaty with said dictatorship that removed freedom of religion, established the Catholic Church as the official religion of Portugal and gave unparalleled benefits to the clergy. No, that never happened.

Another thing that also hasn’t happened is that despite its support of the dictatorship, the Catholic Church is still the main religion in Portugal, and has been the major opposition to abortion rights, LGBT rights, sex education and other such issues that conflict with the churches teachings, nope, not at all.

It’s also not the case that the Catholic Church has an immense amount of political and economical power across the world, no.

No, what I have to worry about is a minority of Muslim immigrants that has barely any power to affect legislation and social mores. That’s the people who I should worry that they are taking over Europe.

Fuck off Joe, you’re a fucking intolerant asshole. Europe has more to worry about from the Christian Church than they do about Islam, and you know what? That doesn’t make me go around saying that all Christians are evil people who are trying to take over Europe, because people are individuals and a lot of Christians are still perfectly decent people who simply find spiritual comfort in their religion.

kirbywarp
kirbywarp
12 years ago

Would not be surprising at all if Joe was an Anne Coulter fan. I still remember reading a book by her where she basically said after 9/11 “We know what they look like. We’d be fools not to target all the foreign-looking folks.” Somehow the situation was always choosing between a white grandma and a Muslim youth in a turban…

kirbywarp
kirbywarp
12 years ago

@cloudiah:

Oh Noes! Nots the Muslins! D:

Falconer
Falconer
12 years ago

Joe also seems to be convinced that he who calls racist first or loudest, wins.

Hence the capslock abuse.

Sir Bodsworth Rugglesby III
Sir Bodsworth Rugglesby III
12 years ago

@ Kirbywarp – Nice cloth. Or is it? White cloth is, after all, what Klan robes are made of, and therefore intrinsically r4c1st. How dare you defend the perpetrators of lynching like that?

kirbywarp
kirbywarp
12 years ago

@Sir Bodsworth:

But but but… It’s soft!

*curls into a confused but comfortable ball*

tasblacksmith
tasblacksmith
12 years ago

Joe, I don’t like criminals that stab people I think criminals that stab people should be arrested and held accountable for their crimes.If I saw someone being stabbed, I would do what i could to help the victim of the crime committed by a criminal. I would hope that the justice system would take into account the motivation of the criminal and the circumstances of the victim. That way the crime can be seen in context, for example a hate crime committed by a criminal motivated by hate towards the perceived identity of the victim.
I would also hope that the publicity of high profile crimes would trigger a debate about how we can reduce their frequency, how we make the streets safer for all.
But you don’t do you Joe? Your just a hater. A useless fuckwitted reactionary hater.
Anyway how would you deal with this ‘Islamic threat’ Joe? Do tell us. Have you any answers to the problem you have identified?

RubyHypatia
RubyHypatia
12 years ago

That’s the problem with many leftist feminists. They only want to bash misogynists if they’re white, all the while ignoring the women-hating coming from non-whites. Misogyny should be condemned no matter who it comes from.

Falconer
Falconer
12 years ago

But but but… It’s soft!

That’s how it gets ya!

fishes
fishes
12 years ago

yes rudy thats the problem here and not someone spouting off about how all Muslims are homophobic and we should all hate those middle eastern Muslims.

kirbywarp
kirbywarp
12 years ago

@Ruby:

And you base this sentiment on what, exactly? The only thing I’ve ever seen that even comes close from lefties is discouraging piling on non-white folks for the misogyny that’s found everywhere expressly because they are non-white. That is not the same thing at all.

Anathema
Anathema
12 years ago

That’s the problem with many leftist feminists. They only want to bash misogynists if they’re white, all the while ignoring the women-hating coming from non-whites. Misogyny should be condemned no matter who it comes from.

Ruby, I’m going to ask you to do the same thing I asked Joe to do:

Name one (just one!) person on this site who has done this. Because I sure don’t remember anyone here saying that misogyny is okay so long as the misogynists aren’t white.

Cliff Pervocracy
12 years ago

So I went to the bar and when I got back… huh.

The best I can understand Joe’s logic is:
-You should hate Muslims.
-Muslims are not a race.
-If you do not hate Muslims, this is because you falsely believe they are a race.
-RACISM!!!!!!!!!

And the best I can understand Ruby’s logic is:
-If I keep calling myself a libertarian feminist, I can be as much of an authoritarian bigot as I like! Because I said I was a libertarian feminist!

kirbywarp
kirbywarp
12 years ago

Never mind me asking exactly how one can be a rightist feminist these days… Maybe if you enjoy a good rape joke every now and then.

kirbywarp
kirbywarp
12 years ago

Oh, right, Ruby’s a libertarian. Hmm… Snark… Off base… Nuuuuuuuu! *failure puddle*

kirbywarp
kirbywarp
12 years ago

@Cliff:

I’m convinced that Joe thought folks were giving Muslims special treatment (ie not blaming all Muslims for something that a few people did) because of their race… Basically what Ruby insinuated.

clairedammit
clairedammit
12 years ago

*failure puddle*

Is that what happens when you spill KFC gravy?

kirbywarp
kirbywarp
12 years ago

Oh god. I’ve seen so many commercials for KFC chicken nuggets on the Daily Show website… It’s made me crave fried chicken like no other but become utterly repulsed by KFC for having them on constantly. Not quite what they intended, I imagine.

Sir Bodsworth Rugglesby III
Sir Bodsworth Rugglesby III
12 years ago

Friggin’ wind! I wanted to go cycling today, but it’s blowing a gale outside.

clairedammit
clairedammit
12 years ago

I never liked KFC (is it just me, or is the French fry smell in their parking lots really weird?) but Popeyes, man. I haven’t eaten chicken in about 15 years and I still crave Popeyes sometimes.

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