Congratulations, A Voice for Men. You are having an impact upon the world.
Or at least upon one organization in India, a truly reprehensible group called Masculinist India, which has adopted the histrionic rhetorical style, and even some of the specific arguments, advanced by AVFM and other North American Men’s Rights groups for a series of graphically challenged “masculinist” memes posted on Facebook and on the group’s web page. Masculinist India has even adopted AVFM’s preferred nomenclature, describing its members as “Men’s Human Rights Activists.” They are of course the complete opposite of “human rights” activists, campaigning instead against basic rights for women.
The influence of AVFM and other Western Men’s Rightsers can been seen again and again in Masculinist India’s posts and memes, which have all the sophistication and subtlety of Chick Tracts.
The “feminists made me a misogynist” logic of the meme above, for example, echoes the argument made in “Hate Bounces,” an influential MRA screed by MRA/MGTOW elder “Zed,” and by countless other MRAs including former AVFM Number Two John Hembling.
Other memes borrow not only the arguments of Western MRAs but recycle the same tired stock photos, like the angry woman in this meme, a favorite amongst Western MRAs.
Masculinist India’s graphics-makers are as obsessed with this “argument” as is AVFM’s Paul Elam.
And they share AVFM’s fondness for threatening rhetoric — in this case complete with violent imagery.
And while AVFM’s Elam argues that men serving on juries should vote to acquit all men charged with rape, even if they’re obviously guilty, in order to protest an allegedly “misandrist” court system, the Masculinist India crew celebrates a court decision allowing married men to rape their wives with impunity. The following meme appears on their website under the taunting headline “Know Your Role, Girls.” [TRIGGER WARNING for rape apologism, offensive imagery.]
.
.
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I don’t even want to know why they chose bloody fingers for this graphic.
This meme, meanwhile, suggests that it’s an injustice that men are not allowed to forbid their wives from wearing blue jeans.
Human rights: You’re doing it wrong.
Unfortunately, Masculinist India is not some obscure little group with no influence in the world. Its Facebook page has nearly twenty thousand “likes” — several thousand more, that is, than that of AVFM itself.
Apparently in India as well as the United States there is a market for this brand of hatred.
NOTE: Thanks to Cloudiah for bringing these memes to my attention.
Dave, why you afflict word salad us?
Ugh! * facepalm *
As if India wasn’t enough of a patriarchy already.
i honestly don’t know what makes me cringe most in these memes. Thank you for raising awareness.
My god. It finally happened. Someone gave ExploreNature a soapbox.
A husband or boyfriend is not a source of income? I can go with that. Let’s have paycheck fairness and equal job opportunities for women in all industries, and we’ll earn our own money.
But remember, Sarah, if you insist on not staying at home and looking after the kids, you’re an unnatural wannabe man. And if you insist on being paid the same as men, you’re not being reasonable.
Wow. That’s quite a website there.
I had no idea that wearing jeans is akin to walking around naked in public.
They also come out and say:
The only way for a place to be good for men if it’s a hell for women.
From here:
These are ridiculous graphics, but this is also quite chilling.
What’s the story there? Is there a new #2 at AVfM?
Yikes. I’m dreadful at graphic design (I can barely get colours in a spreadsheet to be readable) and I don’t think I could make something this bad.
I kinda feel they would invoke racism with anyone from Western countries trying to argue, too.
Formatting fail.
Hi LBT! How are you doing?
India has a big misogyny problem and a huge population, so there’s no surprise to see such ridiculous pushbacks become so popular.
What’s the story there? Is there a new #2 at AVfM?
Has someone been dropping drones on them?
Those graphics are hilarious. I particularly liked the one with the karate kick. It’s just so…nonsensical.
I stopped laughing at the rape one though. That’s just disgusting.
Hembling was already withdrawing from AVFM even before that Daily Beast piece suggested he was the up and coming MR rock star, and this continued on for a while. There was even one time in which he– gasp — disagreed with Elam in the comments at AVFM (I forget about what). Now he’s off the masthead entirely. Not sure what the issue is. Possibly that AVFM decided to stop pushing Register Her, which was his little project? Possibly a conflict with Esmay over that? Or maybe Elam was jealous he got so much attention from the Daily Beast and/or got pissed that Hembling was arguing with him in public? Who knows.
RE: sparky
Hi LBT! How are you doing?
Surviving! The memory finally mercifully popped this morning, thank god. It was of course absolutely reprehensible and horrifying in its content, and there may be more to come, but it’s such a relief not to be hauling it around by the testicles anymore.
LBT! Glad you’re surviving! Would spamming you with pictures of cute animals be a help or a hindrance?
And oh ick, I hadn’t seen the marital rape thing. SO MUCH ICK.
“Those graphics are hilarious. I particularly liked the one with the karate kick. It’s just so…nonsensical.”
“It is a fall on your rheumatoid knee. Deal with it.”
— realist woman
RE: cloudiah
I’m pretty stable and okay right now (mostly just relieved) but cute animals never hurt anything!
My reaction to these graphics
http://youtu.be/ztVMib1T4T4
Everyone’s reaction to these masculinists
http://makeameme.org/meme/Pricks-Pricks-Everywhere
Time for brain bleach
http://youtu.be/Cy68fqRROKg
@Faint Praise
Aren’t they all #2s over at AVFM?
Ooooohhhh snap.
David
“I don’t even want to know why they chose bloody fingers for this graphic.”
I was thinking they would choose a bloody fist then fingers.
Here’s a yawning viscacha:
http://i.imgur.com/VBag1Aq.jpg
Booburry
Hey-Oh!
And some confused, head-tilting pugs:
http://i.imgur.com/5yD6xiH.gif
Mama cat & kitten:
http://actinglikeanimals.com/wp-content/uploads/pin5419b9d63109b.jpg