So over on the Men’s Rights subreddit, the regulars are engaging in a bit of self-reflection. Well, that may be a bit of a generous description on my part. They’re discussing the question “Are we fanatics?” Not surprisingly, they conclude that they aren’t.
Yet this is the most upvoted comment in the thread:
Those of you who have studied twentieth century history may have remembered Lady Hitler’s war on the Jews, the Romani people, and homosexuals; the Great Feminist Purges of Lady Stalin; the Cultural Revolution of Lady Mao. (Oh, wait, there actually was a Madame Mao, and she was a pretty evil gal, though she owed her power largely to her husband and was ousted shortly after his death.)
Moving on from all that war and starvation stuff, let’s return to that first sentence, since MRAs are so fond of blaming eeevil feminists for the draft.
The link in that sentence goes to a discussion of an organization called The Order of the White Feather. Take it away, Wikipedia:
In August 1914, at the start of the First World War, Admiral Charles Fitzgerald founded the Order of the White Feather with support from the prominent author Mrs Humphrey Ward. The organization aimed to shame men into enlisting in the British Army by persuading women to present them with a white feather if they were not wearing a uniform.
It’s worth pointing out that at the start of WWI, people of all political stripes and in all the countries involved were pretty gung-ho for the war. Even the big socialist parties of the day quickly forgot their pledges of international solidarity in favor of supporting their national war efforts.
So where do the evil feminists come in? Well, a couple of the most famous British suffragettes signed onto the White Feather crusade: Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst. And yes, they supported compulsory national service — though they supported it for both men and women: men would go to war, while women would be required to work in factories.
Of course, the Order of the White Feather didn’t represent all feminists at the time. Indeed, it didn’t even represent all the Pankhursts: Christabel’s sisters Sylvia and Adela were pacifists.
Even aside from all that blather about feminists being responsible for wars and concentration camps, it’s highly misleading to present the story of the Order of the White Feather as “proof” that feminists are warmongering all-male-draft-lovers. As a quick visit to Google will demonstrate, feminism has a long history of antiwar activism, dating back to the 19th century — when feminists first organized Mother’s Day as a protest of war.
But, hey, MRAs, if you want to invent your own mythological version of history, knock yourself out. You only make yourselves look like the fanatics you are.
Thanks to this thread in the AgainstMensRights Subreddit for pointing me to this most edifying discussion.
Auggziliary, I think being trans* is not in and of itself a disorder, although some (but not all) trans* people experience dysphoria. And of course identifying things as “disorders” might be a precursor to getting insurance companies to cover things like surgery, hormones, other meds, etc., so it’s complicated. I am by no means an expert on this subject!
This doesn’t answer your specific question, but Ozy posted it here a while ago and I found it useful: http://tranarchism.com/2010/11/26/not-your-moms-trans-101/
Ahh, I see. So “alpha male” means “any straight male who is getting laid”, in much the same way that when a NiceGuy(tm) says “jerk”, he means “any straight male who has sex more regularly than I do”, then?
Alpha male could well mean “any straight guy not an MRA” …
@Theda Bara – Aww, thanks! I’ve just got a lot of time on my hands recently so I’ve been trying to up my game with the historical clothes. They’re a lot of fun, I think! Both to make and wear.
@Kittehserf – Hahah, yeah, it’s just too expensive to buy legit linen and whatnot for everything. That stuff’s costly — worse than scented candles! 😛
Also… is that man’s jacket knitted?! Or just his stockings? And give me a minute and I’ll find you more ridiculous historical fashion illustrations… I’ve got a book of fashion through the ages that was published in the ’50s… it’s a goldmine!
@Kittehs’ If only they knew the ultimate alpha is historically a skinny English bloke!
I JUST MADE AN UNDIGNIFIED NOISE. Quietly. Because my boy is almost asleep in my arms.
But it was still most undignified.
@dustydeste – I think it’s just his stockings. That’s all the caption mentions … otherwise, are we looking at Cardigan Fashion here? :O
@Theda Bara – not only a skinny English bloke, but one that doesn’t have sex! OMG!!!11eleventy!!!!
@Falconer – I didn’t make an undignified noise but I did choke on my sammich, does that count?
@ Faloner – Holy crap!!!
@dustydeste If you sold them I would buy them, take all my money! 50s’ fashion plates,especially when they ‘look into the past’ are definitely a goldmine, there are certain people who would skin their Grandmother for those drawings (maybe hipsters, no judgement)
I am holding out that we get the complete “Web of Fear.” Two plus Jamie plus Victoria plus Col. Lethbridge-Stewart plus Yeti … heee.
Oh gods yes, I’d love to see that! Lethbridge-Stewart was one of my favourite characters. Remember when he wore a kilt in Terror of the Zygons? And earlier, his first time in the TARDIS (The Three Doctors, iirc) and he says to the Doctor, “So this is what you’ve been spending UNIT funding on!”
@kittehs’ they would be swooning like Victorian ladies. Which would make them even angrier. Which would lead to high blood-pressure and more swooning. And so the circle will continue.
Nicholas Courtney was apparently a real sweetie. Did you know English wasn’t his first language? He was born in Cairo to a British diplomat.
I miss him and Elisabeth Sladen.
They say the Zygons are going to be the villains of the 50th but I’m all … they aren’t big enough. They had one serial in the mid-70s and a handful of references in the last couple of years. I’m sure they’ll show up but they’ll be someone’s catspaws, bet you a dollar.
(I thought Zygons hit a flat note with the Scottish laird being cheap as a last joke.)
Yay the Brig! “Just once, I’d like to meet an alien menace that isn’t immune to bullets.”
… I think I forgot to finish my first paragraph. Courtney spoke several languages fluently.
I dunno how “Five rounds rapid!” became a catchphrase with him seeing as he only ever said it once (in “The Daemons”).
The villains of the Tenth and Twentieth anniversary stories were Time Lords. Not really an option this time around
They managed it to kill Ten off. Got Rassilon, even (there goes my first theory about who the Doctor is).
True, but that’s why I think the won’t bring them back again so soon
You all are awesome. Just know that. My plans for a sixth tat doesn’t seem so silly.
I had no idea English wasn’t his first language! Never really read much about Nicholas Courtney.
Did you know his first appearance in Dr Who was in William Hartnell’s day? He played Bret Vyon in The Daleks’ Master Plan (the twelve-parter). His sister Sara Kingdom was played by Jean Marsh, best known as Rose from Upstairs, Downstairs, and once married to Jon Pertwee.
The best.
Yep, I knew about Bret Vyon. That’s an odd little episode because it doesn’t have any of the regulars in it at all. I’m sure the tots were scratching their heads over that for a week.
I’m ashamed (not really) to admit that the first role I saw Jean Marsh in was Bavmorda.
She had another Doctor Who role, as Morgan Le Fay in “Battlefield” (1989), which is also the Brig’s last big dance in Doctor Who (he has a guest appearance in The Sarah Jane Adventures).
This made me laugh.
Alright, after much rummaging for the book and deciding on the best things, and scanning (and also dinner!) I return bearing historical fashion plates from the ’50s!
Be sure to get a good look, because feminists have censored this information in recent years so that MANLY ALFALFA MEN won’t realize how much women have frittered away resources on
scented candlesostentatious frippery throughout the course of history!