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?
The Walter White once again proves one thing about MRAs: they don’t understand Art. Especially when it comes to fictional narratives.
When I say I “like” Walter White – I mean I like him as a fictional character. He’s a dynamic individual and becomes more interesting as he keeps pushing boundaries of decency. That does not mean, however, that I like him in the same way I would another individual in person.
It does get annoying when people assume that liking a character in fiction equates to being supportive of their actions or in agreement with their views. I blame it on the caveat that stories “need” to have “relatable” characters. It’s probably why you get MRAs glorifying Walter White instead of getting the point to the show: you don’t want to be Walter White. It’s like fucking Scarface all over again…
*The Walter White meme – not sure how I forgot that word.
@grumpycat That song just made my day
DARKNESS
NO PARENTS
Vince Gilligan, the creator of BB, has pretty much said that no, you’re not supposed to be cheering Walt’s “awesome manliness.” I don’t agree that he got everything he wanted in the end, but I won’t say more to spoil it for people who haven’t gotten there yet.
I like the Rainbow Knight better:
I told you not to think about the perspective! The line/rope also goes between the two front wheels but to the right of the two back wheels without bending at all.
I like the way the road bends back and forth for absolutely no reason, even though they’re in the middle of a perfectly flat landscape. Did the surveyors get bored?
I’m not sure the bride is getting a better deal. She has to sit next to Herr GunAscot and make awkward small talk, plus hold up that naked carrot effigy of herself, which probably weighs a ton. Ed Harris isn’t even looking at it anymore, he’s so beaten down.
Falconer – katz is right, your little boy is plotting something. World domination, I suspect.
Luzbelitx, I’d vote for the Rainbow Knight any day. He looks like he’s having fun!
Kind of emblematic of MRAs lacking perspective generally, really.
Slightly OT, but a story regarding a run-in w/an MRA (not described as such, but anyway):http://notalwaysfriendly.com/not-built-like-a-tank-but-can-carry-one/34563
Skye, what a fucking TOOL that guy was. smh
Hey now, tools can be quite useful. 😛
Seconding the smh–everything the guy said and did after his first line is a perfect example of what NOT to do. >_<
True, true, scott – one can’t even say he’s about as much use as a chocolate teapot (a phrase I’ve heard) because at least they’d be yummy!
Chocolate teapot?
I’d say as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike.
Not just useless, but inextricably linked to an unhealthy habit and no longer ordinary social behaviour.
Katz, on weird MRA art:
That’s what you get from wanting to marry an Escher girl.
As much use as hatful of arseholes, as my former boss liked to say.
“As much use as hateful of arseholes”<–definitely this
lol @ chocolate teapot XD
@katz, @kittehs — Yes, I have high hopes for him. Don’t worry, I will raise him to be a benevolent master. But the days of the Old Masters are numbered….
OT: Is #4 once again conflating men in general with MRAs and other anti-feminists who know that the vast majority of people will call them out on their ignorant bullshit if they open their mouths? That when they “speak up about feminist bias” (read: start their usual pointless rant about hypergamy and gynocracy and the red pill and feminazicommiehippies), even a large portion of the men around them will point out that they’re being fucking idiots. And they see that as proof of a conspiracy against them, instead of entertaining the thought that maybe, just maybe, if nobody but a vocal minority on the Internet agrees with you, you should probably reconsider your view on society.
But I guess MRAs displaying even a modicum of awareness of the world around them should count as a partial victory.
But feminists don’t talk about all men being rapists. The problem, I think, is that when we talk about the specific subsets of men who are rapists, those men look a lot like the men in various branches of the MRM, especially PUAs*. Which MRAs then assume means we’re saying all men are like that, whereas PUAs know exactly what we’re saying, but don’t care, because they’ve pretty much already admitted to themselves that what they do is legally rape in lots of countries, which is why Roosh keeps running around trying to find countries where it isn’t, yet, from a legal perspective.
(Seriously, folks, have you read the Meet The Predators essay and the research behind it? The big PUA gurus are all pretty much Exhibit A. http://yesmeansyesblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/meet-the-predators/)
*Any man who really is concerned about child custody and domestic violence shelter options for men and so on REALLY needs to disassociate himself and anything he’s working on from PUAs, because no cause benefits from being associated with people who’re trying to sell raping drunk college girls as a valid lifestyle option.
Thanks for the link Cassandra. I just used it against someone who was making one of those “how does he know she’s too drunk to consent?” comments.
Noooo! I like those paintings!
I think the MRA logic goes: “They say X is rape, and I do X. But every guy in the world would do X given the chance! . So they are saying all guys are rapists”.
That, or they narrow rape to mean a slim, pretty, modestly dressed, teetotaller white virgin attacked by a mob of hulking black guys (who aren’t pro athletes of any sort) with machetes/submachine guns, on the street, at night.
Even then, it’ll be her fault for being there.
(This isn’t that much of an exaggeration, when you think of the reaction of some prominent male politicians to the murder in Delhi of the student called Brave Heart.)