I sometimes say that the only “activism” that the Men’s Rights Movement is any good at is harassing individual women. But perhaps I’m being a bit too stingy here: following on the heels of the Father’s Rights activists who dress up like superheroes and climb up buildings and bridges to show that, well, I’m not sure what they’re trying to show, Men’s Rightsers seem to be developing a knack for poorly conceived media stunts that make them look like idiots.
The latest incredibly poorly conceived Men’s Rights media stunt come from Men’s Rights Edmonton, the A Voice for Men sister brother group famous for, among other things, chasing women down the street in the middle of the night and claiming that the women they chased were the bullies.
Anyway, the loudest and most obnoxious dude in the group, Nick Reading (a.k.a. “Eric Duckman”) has decided to run for Edmonton City Council on — get this! — the Patriarchy Party ticket! Oh no he didn’t!
Oh, yes he did. I suppose that the Patriarchy Party’s supposed platform — including a pledge “to end antiquated laws regarding women’s sexual consent” and provisions to instruct teachers “to snatch things like toy trucks out of the hands of little girls and replace them with dolls or tea sets” — probably inspired a chuckle or two amongst the folks at A Voice for Men, but the trollery here is really too inane to offend.
Whetever, dudes. You can find their badly designed pamphlet, with traced-photo “artwork” presumably by the noted FeMRA artist TyphonBlue, here.
Meanwhile, the MRM continues to claim that any oppression (in this case, mental illness and lack of access to treatment) is a men’s issue if it happens to affect men. Childhood sexual abuse and adult self-harm occur across gender lines.
On a less polite note: I’ve spent my entire life watching a beloved male family member go through repeated mental breakdowns (including at least one suicide attempt) because of his own childhood molestation. I’ve watched him turn to drugs, watched his relationships crumble, seen him go days without leaving the house because he’s too depressed. I’ve been on the wrong end of his fear and anger when he gets triggered. Don’t you fucking tell me those men are invisible to me.
LOL at Good calling people children when he couldn’t find his ass with both hands, a flashlight, and a map.
Hey now! Paul Elam is a man!
Good, just because you’ve never seen feminist critiques of other power structures (or the existence of an entire school of Marxist feminism) doesn’t mean they don’t exist. How much feminist writing have you even read? You’re like those guys who whine about how moderate Muslims never condemn terrorism, while refusing to read anything actually written by Muslims.
OK, seriously, what is it with anti-feminists and their ignorance of any feminist thought after 1980? Dude, pretty much no one outside the eco-feminist Goddess-worship movement believes that any more.
I’m not sure that he’d be able to find it with a GPS, honestly.
Happy birthday, hellkell. I hope you get to do something today a lot more fun than getting bored by Good.
“A Voice for Men takes in well over $100,000 a year in donations by its own admission. Not a penny of it goes to actually helping men, as far as I can tell.”
Seriously, how depressing it is it that people invest that much money into horrible hate?
I am depressed.
Thanks, grumpycat. The Mr. is on his way home, and I think we’re going to go get some Indian food for lunch.
My otherwise reasonable acquaintances are MRA-level misogynists… that’s why it’s such a mind-fuck.
Yay for birthday Indian food!
Happy Birthday, Hellkell! 😀
You really need some new friends, then.
Hey, I’ve got you guys, haven’t I? 😛
But yeah, I seriously do. It’s hard to figure out who to give my time to, though. I mean, do I just say “hey, I think women are humans, do you think women are humans?” to everyone I meet? People would talk… plus I still have this idiotic idea that I can logic them out of it, despite having already wasted a year in the attempt.
I’m not convinced that you can logic people out of being hateful assholes. Were they always like this or is it a new thing?
I don’t know if new is the right word… they were certainly quiet about it up until the dreaded elevator incident, so I don’t know if it’s pure misogyny, or taking offence at being told that they’re imperfect and going to great lengths to hide from the fact that many men in the atheist & skeptic communities treat women like objects. Surely the latter can be tackled somehow?
Athywren, you’re in the UK aren’t you?
Have you ever heard of Skeptics In The Pub? You may be able to meet likeminded people at their events if there’s a good group close to you. Although some of the groups aren’t great on feminist issues, you’d be able to look at their site and past topics to get a feel of the group before you go.
Good: You can do better boy!
Figures that you are a racist.
Weak sauce. Figures that you don’t have a deep cultural understanding of humor.*
*I should have put an over/under on the racism charge, but that would have spoiled the effect.
Happy birthday, Hellkell.
For the racist charge to have any hope of sticking you’d have to show that I knew/had reason to believe you were black.
If you’re gonna play the game boy, you gotta learn to play it right.
I have heard of Skeptics In The Pub! There just doesn’t seem to be one in my town… that said, I’m close enough to – and familiar enough with – York that I could probably justify a monthly trip over there. Might be better if it wasn’t a Monday evening, but there are worse things than a late night on a Monday.
I’ll give that a shot next time I have the money for it.
If the MRA crap is a new thing with the friends, post elevatorgate, I’d be tempted to respond with eye-rolling contempt every time they brought it up. “This is stupid” and “are you really still sulking about that?” might work better than a reasoned political argument.
Not to mention all that un-defaced artwork they have.
Still waiting for an explanation of that.
Elevatorgate really was a magnificent litmus test for Asshat Athiests, wasn’t it? If Rebecca was one-tenth as devious as her opposition seems to believe, I’d almost suggest she made the original video just to draw them all out.
My cat totally knows, she gets super depressed when it happens.
Now now, he must have found it at one point, how else could he fit his head so far up there?
A lucky lunge?
Wouldn’t that imply he’s not doing it on purpose though?