Reddit, what the hell is your problem?
So last night I discovered the PunchableFaces subreddit. That’s right, an entire subreddit devoted to posting pictures of people so that Redditors can fantasize about doing them bodily harm.
While most of the pictures in the subreddit are of boys and men – some targeted for being “faggots” – the recent posts (as of this writing) with the greatest number of upvotes and comments were, naturally, aimed at women. Specifically, at two outspoken feminists who’ve been singled out by Men’s Rights Activists and #GamerGaters for endless harassment: video game critic Anita Sarkeesian and Canadian feminist activist Chanty Binx, perhaps better known amongst her enemies as “Big Red.”
Here are five of the worst comments I’ve run across in the, er, discussions about these women.
Needless to say, TRIGGER WARNING for explicit threats of violence and rape.
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1) This rapey comment about Anita Sarkeesian:
2) This comment about Sarkeesian with more than two dozen upvotes:
3) This comment about Chanty Binx:
4) This other comment about Chanty Binx:
5) And this other other comment about her:
BONUS: Three comments about much-maligned game designer Zoe Quinn, the subject of another post on the PunchableFaces subreddit:
![fuckyourteam 2 points 2 hours ago Wtf is this cunt looking at? permalink save report give gold reply [–]edu_gon95 [S] 5 points 2 hours ago Hopefully an incoming fist permalink save parent report give gold reply [–]ovenbutt 2 points 2 hours ago I want to pretend it's a fist coming straight for her face.](https://i0.wp.com/www.wehuntedthemammoth.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/quinncomments.png?ssl=1)
One more BONUS Zoe Quinn comment:
Oh, and as an ADDED BONUS, here’s another terrible comment, this one directed at a gay teen boy whose picture is the third-most upvoted one on the subreddit as of this writing.
Why exactly is Reddit providing a forum for hate speech and explicit violent threats directed at, among others, gay teenagers and women who are already the regular targets of widespread harassment and threats?
H/T: r/againstmensrights
That said:
1) That’s a wonderful looking baby, Shaenon. Congratulations, so cute! And take it from me, after working for 2 years in a maternity ward – that’s the best little baby blanket I’ve ever seen (And there’s been some competition)
2) Leela – that sounds like it sucks. A lot. There’s no easy way to deal with short staff and pressure and stress, so sympathy from here. Sparky is absolutely right though, and I’d look into those options – during those 2 years of assisting an (specialized care) maternity ward, I saw a lot of stressed out nurses and high pressure low staff situations, but actually being reduced to tears on the way home is a really bad sign.
3) None of these reddit-folks realize Gender Mainstreaming as a UN concept was adopted in 1995, do they?
Sigh.
WTF. The things these people are not only horrible and disgusting, they completely defy logic too. Like the homophobe in that last comment toward a gay teen boy. You’re so against homosexual sex, and your response is to fantasize about raping him? Whut?
And then there’s the dudebros in outrage over a woman speaking out against sexist harassment or even just saying it happens. You don’t disprove the existence of cookies by baking and throwing around cookies.
@ thebewilderness and blahtastic
Yeah, in my experience the people attempting to coerce pics out of young girls are almost always adult men. Which is why I don’t want this being excused as kids being stupid – those are adult men, and their attitude towards Watson has been predatory for a long time. And now apparently they’re going to attempt to punish her for not being the helpless victim they want her to be. That’s a gendered dynamic that’s very common, and that’s why we need to name it when we see it.
@ Leela
Your manager’s behavior is so out of line. Sharing what should be private information right out on the floor? I would suggest reporting her for that if she wasn’t the person you’d normally report that stuff too. Hopefully you can find another job soon, because that does not sound like a healthy environment.
@ Fibi
(Cheers, waves pompoms) You should get publicly pissed off more often.
@ Michael
I don’t give a shit why you’re behaving the way you are, I just want the behavior to stop. Whether that’s because you turn over a new leaf or because you leave, I no curr, but this shit you’ve been pulling? Not acceptable.
You can’t fix your problematic behavior if you’re not aware of it. That people are taking the time to tell you and giving you a chance to shape up is pretty generous of them, if you think about it.
PS: allow me to retroactively put my mod hat on with my “gaslighty” comment. It’s abusive and you don’t get to abuse people here.
Kittehserf, non-mods, I’m sorry I didn’t issue an official warning sooner.
Well, I guess it was nice of him to demonstrate how rape is more about power than sex.
I was asleep while all that was going on, emilygoddess, so no apology needed in my direction. We’re not really used to issuing warnings to people who haven’t been trolling from the get-go, or not obviously doing so.
Also I like coming stamping in wearing my mod boots. 😛
I was looking for “go to jail, go directly to jail” pics for trolls and so on, and found this. Priceless (though poor pup):
https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/3411764480/hB8F86635/
Ooh, if we’re talking about Emma Watson’s speech, I kind of want to share what happened when one of my friends posted a link to an article about it on facebook. The very first comment on my friend’s post was someone complaining about man-hating radfems taking over feminism and ruining it or something. I commented about how I almost never see these supposed man-hating radfems, so how can they have taken over feminism.
Yeah, cue wall of comments about Gamergate and Atheism+ and radfems doxxing people and trying to censor video games and everyone who disagrees with them. I wanted to laugh. Oh, and the whole “I’m not a feminist I’m an equalist! Because evil radfems were mean to me!” schtick. My friend commented to say that wasn’t the discussion he wanted to be having about Emma Watson’s speech, so I chose to stop engaging with that person, but in their last comment, they said that they’ve had a “weird contempt” for feminism since they were young (seriously, wtf?). But I want to know which bingo card I should play on their comments.
It’s sad that we keep having to fight this strawman of feminism all the time.
RE: BritterSweet
You’re so against homosexual sex, and your response is to fantasize about raping him? Whut?
I got this too from a straight cis dude after coming out trans. It was intended to put me in my place, to prove I wasn’t REALLY trans, and if I persisted in seeing myself as a man, he would just have to prove my rightful place in the world with his penis. It’s just a brute force threat: don’t be you, or I’ll do something terrible to you.
It goes back to the whole ‘you’re only gay if you’re the bottom’ myth too.
RE: cassandrakitty
the people attempting to coerce pics out of young girls are almost always adult men. Which is why I don’t want this being excused as kids being stupid
Here, here! All the biggest creeps and pervs I’ve encountered were fully adult men. (Don’t get me wrong, there were some really creepy middle-schoolers I encountered too, but still, mostly adults.)
RE: Leela
You have my sympathies. I don’t feel I have any useful advice to give, I’m just sorry you’re in that situation.
Well, if nothing else Michael’s nonsense has inspired me to coin a new acronym – WATA (what about the assholes). I mean, really, what about them? Don’t the assholes need someone to represent their viewpoint?
BTW the Dark Lord has put Michael on moderation.
Actually, speaking of creepers and assholes… *performs obeisance* Oh, great and all-knowing Mammoth, I call upon your gestalt knowledge to help me answer this question: creep or not? In advance tribute for your wisdom, I hereby offer pictures of beautiful people!
I have mentioned recently my issues with creepers and street harassment. Well, lately I’ve encountered this one guy a couple of times, and I am really not sure if dude is creepy or just unfortunate.
The first time I encounter this guy, I am dropping off my recycling, and he pulls up on the street in his car. (Note: I never have encountered this dude without his car. It’s odd.) He looks to be a good decade or so older than me. He says that he has seen me around; fair enough, I’m out walking every day. He introduces himself and asks if I would like to have coffee with him.
I say no (because I am in shitty mental condition and don’t want to be around any humans). He says platonic only, and I say no again. He nods, tells me I’m very beautiful, and says goodbye and goes on his merry way.
I encounter him again a few days ago — again, in his car. I’m walking to the shopping complex, he drives by me, ends up pulling a U-turn, and pulls into the parking lot to talk with me.
Unfortunately, because this man is cursed with The Worst Timing On Earth, this is just an hour or so after Kid has coughed up repressed memories of her molestation. Once again, he could be fucking Krishna on a flaming motorbike and I wouldn’t want to talk to him. I even consider just going home because HUMMMMANNNNS.
But then I say fuck it, I’m not turning around just for one dude, so I approach him and say, “Hey, I have had a spectacularly awful morning and am not fit company for humans.”
He nods, says okay, and says, “I hope your day gets better,” then leaves.
Like, his way of approaching me is weird, and I have no idea why he seems so interested in speaking to me. But he’s always polite and respectful, doesn’t try and keep me around, and he respected my, “Bad day, no human,” sentiment. Your thoughts, Mammoths? Creepy, or just cursed with the worst timing on earth?
Hey, Leela.
I feel your pain. May Bootsy and Maru BOTH entangle your ankles and swat those who would cause you pain. And, may Flo’s lantern guide you through all darkness and blind your detractors.
I also love the work and hate my job. But, hey, I spoke up in a staff meeting today and thought I’d alienate everyone powerful, including one of the mover and shaker doctors, all the nurse managers and educators, and the unit manager too, just for good measure. But the manager asked me some questions later and found out something about how bad things on the unit are getting, so, maybe I’ll still have a position next shift. It’s OK, the only other staff nurse who spoke up broke down in tears and couldn’t finish.
TL;DR – hugs, if you want ’em.
Because he wants to date and/or have sex with you. The fact that he went away when asked to is a point in his favor, but the loitering around in his car waiting for you to show up is a point against. Regardless, if you are not interested in the dating/sexing (which I assume to be the case) then it’s probably best not to accept his offer, and the fact that he’s trying to pass off his interest as platonic only reinforces that, imo.
LBT – That whole first encounter you described set off my creepdar. The fact he’s immediately talking “platonic only” says he HAS thought about sex; it reads to me like the “I won’t hurt you” line. Calling you, a total stranger, beautiful – ewwww. Asking you straight out for coffee? Actually cold approaching?
Even if it is that he’s just odd, that whole scenario is making my skin crawl. It’s reading borderline predatory already.
@LBT
The use of “platonic only” sets off my warning bells, as does the “U-turn.” I can’t quite explain exactly why U-turn is such red flag to me, except that it seems to indicate a more aggression than his other actions (such as backing off when informed) would indicate. But you’ve sent pretty two clear signals of “not interested,” so if he does respect your boundaries he would not attempt a third. If he does… then it’s no longer bad timing, I would say.
LBT: he’s got bad timing and he’s kinda creepy. I don’t know, his approach just doesn’t sit right, even if he does fuck off when asked.
Fibi:
I will never be able to use this because I am Zen’s opposite, but this me me snort.
Also, just in case you need someone to actually say it – LBT, you are under no obligation to be nice to this person. If he’s making you uncomfortable, you are allowed to tell him to get lost. If you just don’t really feel like talking to him, again, nothing wrong with saying that. If you’ve already done so a couple of times and he’s still pestering you, he has already crossed the boundary from polite to impolite, so there’s really no reason you should feel obligated to give him the benefit of the doubt.
@LBT, Creepy. The U-turn thing is officially going-too-far-to-just-be-considered-neighborly. Trust your instincts; they’re good.
@Cloudiah, good to hear someone else get the same reaction from U-turns.
The more I read this, LBT, the more this guy skeeves me.
Asking you out for coffee, specifying platonic, getting a no and saying you’re beautiful – yeah, like cassandra said, he wants sex. Doing a U turn to try again after a NO.
Red flags all over the place with this one.
*sigh* Yeah, I know. It’s just… weird. It doesn’t help that he’s popped up when my brain is already really sore and vulnerable, and I’ve also been having a little trouble making friends here. It’s not like Boston, where I can easily find a dozen people to hang out with.
I don’t know what his deal is, but at least he’s easy to get rid of and way more respectful than most of my creepers. Bleh.
God, I really hoped I’d stop being beautiful to these people after I hacked off our tits and hair. My roommates’ theory is he thinks I’m a rent boy or something.
LBT,
Trust your instincts. If this guy makes you uncomfortable, there’s probably a good reason. Like Cassandra said, you’re not obligated to interact with someone you don’t want to interact with.
Belated hugs for Leela
Doesn’t matter what he thinks. People who don’t take no for an answer are not safe to be around.
Maybe British child stars do better because they don’t spend as much time in Hollywood. All the kids from Game of Thrones are growing up cool and we’ll adjusted so far.