Yesterday, we looked at 6 memes from A Voice for Men’s “meme team” and decoded what they really meant. Today, some memes from AVFM’s Pinterest page that are a bit harder to decode, because they really make no sense at all. I’ll do my best to try to sort them out.
1) TALK TO THE HAND
What might it mean? “Ha ha girls talk too much, well joke’s on you because I’m GOING MY OWN WAY and later I’ll go home and make a poster about how I imagined I might I totally really did put that bitch in her place.”
I mean, that is what this poster is saying, right? It’s illustrating the notion that men and women should listen to one another by depicting a dude just up and leaving because he’s tired of listening?
How exactly does this advance any “men’s rights” other than the right of men to act like petulant children?
2) BREAKING BADDIE
What might it mean? Well, the quote itself makes sense. What doesn’t make as much sense is why alleged “human rights activists” would want to publicly identify themselves with a rage-filled amoral meth-maker and murderer who fucks up the lives of everyone around him through his own pigheadedness. I mean, Walter White is not really a good person, when you come right down to it. That made for great television, but as a role model for a “civil rights” movement, no so much.
3) VENUS MAN TRAP
What might it mean? That the person making it is very, very confused about a lot of things. This one starts off with ridiculously simplistic — and provably incorrect — premises. Men’s attitudes towards marriage haven’t undergone a 180 degree turn since the start of feminism; they weren’t that rosy(as it were) in the prefeminist world, and they aren’t so negative now.
But it’s that final statement that the real puzzler. Feminists aren’t blaming “patriarchy” for men not wanting to get married. That’s completely backwards. Marriage began as a patriarchal institution and is still steeped in patriarchal symbolism. The only thing that this poster makes clear is that the people behind it don’t know anything about feminism, patriarchy, or marriage.
4) HAVE A KNIFE DAY
What might it mean? That the person making the poster has a very vivid imagination. Once again, the folks at AVFM picture their feminist enemies as violent oppressors. This has zero basis in reality, but makes it all that much easier to justify their antifeminist hatred. The projection is strong here.
5) SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP
What might it mean? That AVFM’s antifeminists don’t realize that feminists aren’t actually interested in chivalrous providers?
6) WHO’S THE PIG NOW?
What might it mean? That AVFM meme-maker “John Galt” — clever name, huh? — hates women, fat men, and good graphic design.
7) DUH NUH NUH NUH NUH NUH NUH NUH BATMAN
What might this mean? That AVFM meme-maker “John Galt” not only thinks he’s an Ayn Randian ubermensch; he also thinks he’s Batman.
Is Christopher Nolan’s Batman really the best role model for an alleged “civil rights” movement? I mean, I suppose he’s a step up from Walter White, but, seriously dudes, maybe try to model yourself on people who don’t solve problems with violence?
8) STUPID PATRIARCHY TRICKS
What might it mean? I have no idea. Seriously, what the hell?
It looks to me like the pole the carrot-woman is dangling from passes behind the Nazi.
Oh what I would give for labels. Labels are lazy, but lazy is better than failing to pass your message along entirely.
Except for “woe is I, me am so oppressed.” That’s coming through clearly.
Obviously, the man with the shotgun is the illusory patriarchy that they assure me doesn’t exist. So that part’s an illusion, because it has to be a woman driving the whole thing or else their entire worldview is incoherent again. (hee!)
SO… the woman in the dress is making the man think that there’s a patriarchy that requires him to get married. While at the same waving the carrot which is obviously her, but an illusory her. A woman in makeup! Which we all know are lies.
So the carrot represents makeup, and the shotgun-scarf represents illusory men, who obviously don’t really exist. That’s why it’s so unclear if it’s a gun or not, because, illusion!
…
Now, why is the divider an eternal rope to haul upon? This, this might be too much for me to explain.
Whatever you do, don’t try to explain how the perspective works. Your head will explode.
Also, why is Chairman Mao standing behind a Swastika?
*puzzles*
Oh! I got it! The woman has used the power of her father and his shotgun to force the man into marriage after tempting him with an erotic fantasy forever beyond his reach!
*beams* *barfs*
Which frankly, reinforces my view that the MRA position is that they love the patriarchy, they just want to get rid of the “hurts men too” part.
So… was this picture actually laid down, brush stroke by brush stroke, or did the artist get lazy, plop down some flat color, and then use a filter?
Probably the latter. If there’s one constant to the MRM, it’s their aversion to actually working, and hating women. If there’s two constants to the MRM….
I thought the Nazi with the threatening gun-scarf was supposed to be the mother-in-law.
And why is pulling on the dividing line on the road? I know the whole picture is totally bizarre and makes no sense, but that bit just seems completely unnecessary.
Wait, AVFM are the heroes men need, but don’t deserve? So men don’t deserve the help they need?
There’s an interesting idea.
Wait, they think MHbP is as common as rape or that it’s victims are treated to the same blaming? That ludicrous. Do they think children are given instructions on how not to be abused due to their caregiver’s psychosis? Do they think that victims of MHbP are asked if they caused the crime against them by the way they dressed or who they were with?
There really is no way these shitlord’s could get any more stupid.
I stand corrected.
These really bizarre nonsensical ones are on Facebook. This has the readheaded feminist and a hen:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=640472686008216&set=a.607729695949182.1073741826.102001393188684&type=1&theater
Uh . . . doesn’t A Voice for Men actually “censor opponents” all the damn time? Linking to Manboobz, for example, is a cardinal sin, is not?
This just made me laugh: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=639922042729947&set=a.607729695949182.1073741826.102001393188684&type=1&theater Do they think anyone actually outside their little circle will understand what the hell they’re trying to say?
MRAs consider themselves skeptics?
Bwaaaahahahahaha!
What is it with MRA’s and Ayn Rand’s works? They do know that Ms Rand was a female over 30 who cheated on her husband who she cuckholding and dumped her new man after he cheated on her. Or are they just in it for the oking of “rough sex” and the whole “world will fall apart without me mentality?”
I think this is what is meant: The bride is the wife of course. She is sitting next to the Nazi, representing the State who threatens him with sanctions if he does not fulfill his obligations (like child support and other rage-inducing injustices). The carrot-woman represents sex, the sex that is the only thing that could motivate a man (which he of course should be entitled to), and which he is never gonna get because he is a poor beta.
I don’t know, looking at these examples I begin to think I may have misunderstood what a meme is. I thought it was some kind of neat and snappy combination of a picture and a few well chosen words to make a clear and memorable point.
Now, I really don’t know…
Chicken Boo, what’s the matter with you? You don’t act like the other chickens do. You wear a disguise to look like human guys, but you’re not a man, You’re a Chicken, Boo.
Grumpycatisagirl,
Did you see the first two comments on that last one?
All someone needs to do is bring up Stalin and the idiotic hyperbolic analogy trifecta is complete!
I love how they think it’s a fallacy to say “not all feminists/women are like that” but then they turn around and argue that we should it make it clear that we don’t believe all men are rapists and abusers.
Of course, I don’t usually see feminists arguing that not all feminists are evil and Nazi-like. We usually point out that they don’t understand what feminism actually is. We also don’t tend to say that all men are evil.
My interpretations of the memes. Sarcasm may have been employed at various points.
1. Women talk too much anyway. Misandry!
2. Pride is awesome! I tried to sell it once, but the BH10 laughed in my face, so I guess I’m stuck with it.
3. Marriage used to be about bees, but now it’s about eating flies. Clearly, Patriarchy has nothing to do with flies and bees, duh!
4. People who are being shaved with kitchen knives should probably find a new barber. Or are into high-risk dining. Either way, having to be quiet to avoid pissing off your provider during the process is a clear sign you lack privilege!
5. Princess Buttercup found Wesley… no that doesn’t work… Wesley is dead! do you hear me?!?! Dead!!!
6. Shadowy people of undetermined sex, gender, or reality are pigs. Cuz they have standards I don’t approve of. And aren’t really there.
7. It’s clearly a chess joke created by non chess players. Checkmate, feminists!
8. Patriarchy totally lets you choose – wife or SPINSTER!!!
Oh no… Me and Husband have watched the first three seasons, and we still really like the show. Don’t wanna see it go downhill…
The thing is, we both see Walt’s two big problems as a) cancer (obviously) and b) being obsessed with living up to the male gender role. We’re always going “drop the gender role, Walt!” at the TV when it gets really bad. (Idk if you have that expression in English, but in Sweden you can go “drop the fridge!” at some dude who walks as if he was carrying a big heavy object… like a fridge… you know what I mean, the typical macho walking style. With Walt, it’s not “drop the fridge” since he walks like a normal person but “drop the gender role” since he holds on to it so desperately on the inside.) I think it’s a great and fascinating show so far, but seriously, Walt as a hero? It’s way easier to have sympathy for Skyler, in our opinion…
Regarding Batman, he can be a great or a terrible character depending on who writes him. I really dislike writers who are like “oh, Batman is SO COOL, he’s the best super hero ever because he’s so DARK and BROODING and COOL” and just fanboys all over the pages.
I do think it was a bit funny though in the new 52 when he first meets the rest of the Justice League, and over and over again have to explain to a new person that no, he doesn’t really have super powers, and the others are like “What? You’re just a guy in a bat suit? I thought you had like vampire powers or something… Really?”. It’s funny because so many writers like to hype him up so hard. *S*
I think I’ve figured out the line in the middle of the road. The dude pulling the cart has been cut out of a photo where someone is climbing down a wall. Look a the posture, and the shoes, and rotate it 90° clockwise.
http://www.frequency.com/video/lego-moviebatmans-song-untitled-self/154231122/-/5-107274
So the Nazi with the shotgun scarf is sitting on the right, and the bride is sitting in the backseat on the left, and holding a pole that is going to the right of the driver (so diagonally across the cab from left to right), yet somehow manages to remain completely straight while ending up just to the right of the man pulling the car, and the carrot woman seems to be right in front of him.
Also, I think the man pulling the cart is at least 4 times larger than the Nazi and the bride. And I think one of the thingies attaching him to the cart is going straight into his butt somehow.
*lol* Grumpycat. You know there was a time (a long, long time ago…) when Batman regularly fought quirky aliens, was magically turned into a Batbaby instead of Batman and all kinds of shenanigans like that? I like how Grant Morrison, when he was writing Batman, lately explained that as Batman tripping from all the weird toxins and gases he’s been made to inhale by his enemies throughout the years.