So someone on YouTube decided to put together what was intended as a heartwarming and inspirational video — assembled mostly from Russian dash-cam videos — showing an assortment of ordinary fellows taking a few moments from their day to help out their fellow human beings, and even a few animals. We get to see little old ladies walked across the street, cars pushed or pulled from snowbanks, and so on.
But when Paul Elam of A Voice for Men — the alleged Men’s “Human Rights” site that posts an open call to firebomb courthouses and police stations in its “activism” section — watched the video, all he saw was what wasn’t there — that is, helpful women.
For you see, as far as anyone can tell with all that heavy winter clothing, this five minute video features only helpful men, and I think one helpful boy, and no helpful people of the lady persuasion. Mr. Elam underscored this point by headlining his post “Where are the women?” and ending the post with the very same question.
I’m not exactly sure why Mr. Elam thinks this is a particularly important question to ask (twice). I don’t know the precise gender breakdown for helping little old ladies across the road either in Russia or the US, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t 100% male. I’m almost positive that there are some women in the world who actually help their fellow human beings (and animals) from time to time. I’m pretty sure I know a few myself.
Indeed, if you look at the actual statistics for volunteering from the Bureau of Labor Statistics — generally considered a better source of data than compilations of Russian dash-cam footage — you will discover not only that substantial numbers of both men and women volunteer but also that, in the US at least, women consistently volunteer at rates higher than that of men. Take it away, BLS:
The volunteer rates for both men and women (23.2 and 29.5 percent, respectively) changed little in the year ending in September 2012. Women continued to volunteer at a higher rate than did men across all age groups, educational levels, and other major demographic characteristics.
I guess that’s where the women are. Volunteering.
If you’re interested in seeing the video that got Mr. Elam’s heart feeling so warmed, here you go:
Oh, wait, that’s not it. That’s not dudes helping. That’s dudes punching each other and acting like assholes. Here it is:
Damn it! More punching and assholism. Let’s try again.
Oops again.
In my defense, the videos I’ve posted are assembled mostly from Russian dash-cam footage, and I’m pretty sure there are no women in any of them.
Here’s the actual video, for reals.
So desperate to put yourself above an entire gender. Paul Elam is a monster.
I know when I need to know something about what women do when volunteering, I watch Youtube videos to get my answer.
When I watch YouTube videos, the first thing I think is “How can I use this as an excuse to get angry?”
Well, I don’t, but everyone else on YT does.
That is truly a collection of good deeds.
How does PaulE cope in his day-to-day dealings with women? I imagine him going about his day, constantly muttering about “bitches.”
You know, I’ll even grant the MRAs that men probably are more likely than women to stop and directly help a stranger in need (as in, personally intervene–I’m not talking about calling 911 in an emergency or things like that). But, you know, that’s because women all grow up on stories about men acting like they’re in need of help (or having a female accomplice do so) in order to lure women in and then rape and/or murder them. We’re taught that stopping to help people is actually dangerous for us. So then it’s somehow an indication that we’re terrible if we bow to that conditioning and don’t stop to help?
Also, according to all numbers I have seen, women don’t just volunteer more, as a gender we also donate more as a percentage of our incomes.
@Hellkell Me too – remember Elam’s raging post about the two women in the coffee shop drinking lattes and discussing recycling. How dare they?
Well, I guess now we know why Ted Bundy killed only what, thirty-fivish?
I do help people when I can, but I am a bit more wary around men. I am more likely to help them if I’m in a public place. MRAs can blame themselves for that.
That was very likely the sweetest thing I’ll see all day.
Well, assuming that goose doesn’t try crossing the road again (my mother and I got delayed not long ago by a goose unable to decide which way to go, poor thing seemed completely disoriented, but traffic came to a halt until goose-y found a safe place to land)
Oh and Elam? Yep, there were women stopping for the goose. Really was the darnedest thing to watch though!
Contra, one of the idiots in my graduating class intentionally ran down a family of geese and got arrested for it (damned right), wanna guess on gender? A jock, manly manly dudebro. (And, of course, it came out all over just how many people he bullied in HS, this dude should not be allowed anywhere near other living creatures)
They watch a heart warming video paying tribute to men doing good deeds, and their first reaction is “women suck”.
But that’s their reaction to everything.
My rent is due? Women suck.
I want to take a nap. Women suck.
There is a rainbow outside. Women suck.
What, how dare you say I hate women? Stop lying because I don’t hate women, just the women that insist that all women aren’t evil, hypergamous bitches, that’s all!
Is it wrong to be amused by those videos of guys fighting? Because I kind of am. What is going on at the end of the third video?!
I’m surprised Paul Elam didn’t also go on about white knighting manginas who obviously are only helping the women in the hope of sex. Or is he saving that for a follow-up article?
Argenti: While driving through Chicago for work a few weeks ago, I got to see a goose that had mastered traffic patterns well enough to use the crosswalk in time with the lights. It was a bit on the slow side, so some folks had to wait after the light changed for it to finish crossing, but it was still damned impressive.
Argenti Aertheri, I know a guy who runs down “varmints” on purpose. Raccoons, opossums, squirrels… all in the name that their overpopulated.
He doesn’t have a small game license either.
He also enjoys hearing stories about cats being killed/maimed, not to mention he kills strays. Yeah, it’s just too much work to actually get animal control or capture them yourselves and give them to a pound where they might actually have a chance to get a family. Nope, too hard.
*They’re. Dangit, been using the other form for too long.
Aw, the original video made me feel good. Though I am slightly confused about why people would keep cameras on their dashboards or their motorbike helmets. Wouldn’t that mostly just get… random footage of streets and such? Is this a Russian thing, or some trend I haven’t heard of?
Just another instance where they let the mask slip and admit that their hatred and contempt extend to all women, not just feminists.
On a happier note, happy birthday to me. 😀 I’m about to go for a hike if this rain will stop, and then a fancy dinner paid for by my sister and b-in-law. At some point we’ll make the b-in-law go help an old lady across the street while we film him. (We, of course, will stay warm and dry inside the car while eating bon bons.)
Oh, LBT, the dash/helmet cameras are self-protection. Lots of lawsuits in Russia are based on people flopping to the ground in front of your car/bike, claiming you hit them, which has led to a proliferation of cameras in cars/on bikes.
Happy birthday, cloudiah! 🙂
I will point to this every time I hear another MRA claim that it is *feminists* who are bitter and hateful.
Seriously, doods? THIS VIDEO enrages you? SERIOUSLY?
Yup, that’s the explanation that I saw on Gawker when they reported on this video, and the many car-cam videos of the meteor that recently struck in Russia. It’s a protection against insurance fraud.
*meteorite? I always use the wrong term, sorry.
Dash cams can straight up suck up your whole day. They capture some marveloous things though
@cloudiah
Happy birthday!! Also, I’m sure you’ll make the BIL buy you the bonbons before sending him out to help old ladies. Bigot
@Freemage and Argenti
Canadian Geese are the entitled princesses of the avian kingdom. They give no shits about anyone here, and we all have to work our plans around them 😛
Also, that’s not a dashcam capture obviously. it’s just where my mind went. Random Shadow’s mind is random.