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
I am so glad I didn’t have to read that aloud, Fibi! XD
Hugs for LBT, Leela and anyone else who needs them. Dude….did anyone click on LBT’s link? On the first page there is a post about a SAMURAI/CAT MOVIE. The stills are SO FREAKING CUTE. ZOMG *dying*
http://lb-lee.tumblr.com/post/85673118424/botanycameos-dorobozaru-a-movie-about-a-hot
I hadn’t seen that, redpoppy!
Live action film of an animated series – it looks gorgeous!
Link to a page about it:
Trailer:
http://youtu.be/Li6hbKLAqvE
So gonna watch this. My husband will roll his eyes but whatever. He thinks cats are cute, too. 😛 He just tries to act all stoic about it. BUT I KNOW HIS SECRET.
I was just looking at clips on youtube. Watching scowly uber-serious samurai giving kitty a bath is classic.
Yes it is. It’s so so so cute. Even a hardass samurai can’t resist the charms of the Furrinati.
OK, for your safety I’d say class as creep as best LBT. But after that it might be innocent. I have met preciselyt one black person in my life, and I liked him, but everything I read tells me I’m autoracist cos I’m white. So I’d blurt out something about not being racist in a convo, just cos everything I read says I must be. Maybe he’s been reading feminist stuff and wanted to say he was safe. As I said though, treat him as a creep at best for your safety. Just also commenting on how someone could innocently say stuff people are treating as ddanger signs. But your safety is the most important thing, not hurt feelings from innocent(maybe) strangers.
I’d say it could be an innocent blurting out if it had been in a conversation, gilshalos, but this dude was trying his lines cold, an invitation to coffee for someone he’d never spoken to, and followed being refused with telling LBT he’s beautiful. The context here says to me not ‘foot in mouth attempt at reassurance’ but ‘skeevy attempt to paint himself as not being after sex’. Even the wording – platonic? Seriously? That says platonic relationship, and implying there’s going to be any sort of relationship is creepy as fuck at that point.
My feelings: too many red flags to give the benefit of the doubt to this dude’s wording.
Yeah, every single thing Kittehserf just said. I get nervos and say stupid things and overthink and overcompensate for it with pre-emptive apologies if I get flustered. That’s one thing.
Specifically lining up “platonic” when inviting strangers out? That’s a nopenin’
Using “Intimate get together”? Nopenin’
“Join me at my house no pressure”? Nopenin’
“My wife doesn’t need to know?” Definitively a nopenin’
That’s why I first said ‘treat as creep’ I just hate saying anything abad about people. Even Woody. Hi Woody!
Ah, but to me not giving the benefit of the doubt to likely creepers/predators doesn’t fit in the category of saying something bad. I’m inclined to give less space to the “he might be okay” part than to the “this is setting off every alarm bell” part. I’m not all that big on benefit of the doubt in situations like LBT described.
I heard the poor guy who played Joffrey has given up on acting because people have been being really horrible to him because they hated Joffrey. Meanwhile he’s apparently a really nice guy and everyone on set liked him. Ironic that his acting career has ended because he was too good at acting. Well, that, and the people who think harassment is fine and dandy
See, that’s the thing – we’re constantly having to engage in a form of Pascal’s Wager every time we interact with strangers. The cost of being wrong if someone is a creeper is catastrophic compared with the cost of being wrong if someone is well-intentioned.
This guy might be more subtle and patient than the average creeper, but seriously – driving around in his car looking for “friends” to “invite” for “coffee”? Who does that? And using the “I’ve seen you around” line? If you haven’t seen HIM around, then he’s either a stalker, or lying. That’s not someone you want as a friend.
The U-turn is a pretty aggressive move, also, like “Hey, you’re so compelling I just had to completely stop in my tracks, put my errand on hold, and execute this showy/risky/probably illegal maneuver that leaves me facing the wrong direction”. If you don’t even know the guy, that’s just….weird.
LBT, what about forming your own block-party meetup, for people who live within walking distance? Is there a local spot that would make a good social hangout?
RE: alaisvex
I thought that the “lunk alarm” was for when somebody dropped their weights really loudly?
That too. According to the gym, it’s for people grunting, dropping their weights really loudly, or generally being a pain in the ass or making people uncomfortable.
RE: Fibinachi
If I close my eyes it’s as if I’m actually in a bad german porn! The smell, the sweat, the grunting, the obsession with bars and size…
Ugh, yeah, back when I was in school, the uni athletic center was totally like that. Like I get it, sometimes a little noise is going to happen, but Jesus Christ, these guys acted like auditioning porn actors! And here I was with my little ten, fifteen pound barbells, feeling like Sergeant Noodlearms.
RE: Cassandrakitty
do you really want a friend who’s going to keep trying to get into your pants in a sneaky, passive-aggressive way and who has potential stalker tendencies? No, you do not.
You are correct. Also, due to the sheer amount of weirdness here, I am unlikely to make a proper friendship with this guy ANYWAY. I HAVE friends. Friends who do not give me the creeps.
Seriously though, I wish there were more Mammoths in my area. 🙁
RE: hellkell
No Cross Fit type gung-ho evangelizing or Rambos. You and the hubby will have a great time.
Here’s hoping! It’s still a bit of a walk (half an hour each way) but who cares, a designated no-creeper zone!
RE: Buttercup Q. Skullpants
LBT, what about forming your own block-party meetup, for people who live within walking distance? Is there a local spot that would make a good social hangout?
Hmmm. Actually, one of the local churches is throwing a block party soon! I might as well go; they’d do all the work of setting up, and probably get more people than I could! 😀
@LBT
I’m coming in late, but I didn’t see anyone else say this:
The guy can be perfectly innocent and not a creep, and just have bad timing, etc … every rationalization you’re making could be 100% true … but you still don’t have to give him a chance.
You’re not under any obligation to go out to coffee with someone just because he isn’t a creep and you’re in a good mental health place right now. You’re allowed to say scram to non-creepy guys, too.
I agree with kitteh – you’re giving him soft nos and he thinks that means it may become yes in the future. It sounds like you’re also thinking it might become yes when you’re in a better place. That does not have to happen. That “you’re beautiful” was an update from his boner, completely inappropriate if his objective is to make a friend, and also completely inappropriate if his objective is to get into your pants because: rude.
In an ideal world he would not be wasting your time with his boner updates, but since he is, be empowered: he does not actually deserve a chance with you.
Insofar as friends: I am actually kind of terrible at making friends, and I’m sorry I have no help there. 🙁
Hugs for everyone!
What an absolutely adorable baby, Shaenon! Congratulations!
So, fifteen-year-old Kid has come up with a new idea on how to repel the creepers who keep trying to bother us in the street.
It is a bright pink spray bottle filled with water. Every time we go out, we take the spray bottle. Should we get harassed by creepers who do not obey the word ‘no,’ or seem to hear anything we say that isn’t, “Yes, please, fuck me now,” they get spritzed like a misbehaving housepet.
“Are you a guy or a chick?” SPRITZ!
“Where do you live? What’s your phone number?” SPRITZ!
“WTF what is your deal with that fucking bottle—” SPRITZ SPRITZ SPRITZ!
Harmless, stupid, and just plain embarrassing. As Kid pointed out, “Dude, we’re FREAKS. Certified bona fide freaks. Stop pretending you’re normal and use it to your benefit.”
She wanted to make the water smell like grandmothers and flowers, for extra demeaning points, but we’ll just stick with water for now. If we’re going to be crazy, we might as well be crazy in a way that repels people.
I have started loudly conversing with nobody in particular if someone who skeeves me out approaches. But the spray bottle also works.
Oh god, I do that too sometimes! It’s like, defense mechanism!
But yeah, it turns out, our soap, melted down and diluted, would also be a good roach repellant. We can keep away insects AND jerks at the same time!
LBT: I also suck at making new friends. Big zen kitten hugs if you are okay with that.
Leela: I am really sorry to hear work is going poorly. Hugs and hope life gets better.
@Leela, I hope things at work improve for you – keep us posted.
@LBT, that is the single best idea for keeping creepers away ever. Joining the chorus of other folks who get their creepdar pinged by this person, esp. the u-turn. I mean, presumably he was going somewhere – a honk and wave wouldn’t have sufficed if all he wanted to do was say a friendly ‘hello’?
One time, I was walking home at night and happened to smile at a guy on a passing streetcar. He got off at the stop, which was about 2 blocks ahead of me, and walked back to me. I was spooked… he was very nice, and had quite a bit of luggage with him (which made me feel safer, for some reason), but nope, not comfortable with that at all. I chatted with him, took the wrong turn-off street home, took his number when he offered and never ever called him. Might have been a really great guy who just took a chance, but… nope, not worth it.
I’ve perfected my Stink Eye and my Resting Bitch Face. Now to bottle it. Would anybody like some?
THE CREEP REPELLANT HAS NOW BEEN BREWED. It smells like ocean hippie grandma, is totally harmless, and can also be used to keep roaches out of our room.
I have absolutely no idea if this spritzer bottle will help or make things worse, but it feels good just to have SOMETHING at my side to use to fight back, instead of feeling helpless and afraid. If it just acts as a mental security blanket and keeps me from being so easily frightened, that’ll be a success.
Kim: I heard the poor guy who played Joffrey has given up on acting because people have been being really horrible to him because they hated Joffrey.
Hah! No.
Jack Gleeson is giving up acting because he’s pursuing an academic career, having studied philosophy and theology at Trinity College. In the reports I’ve read, he’s said his biggest problem is people expressing concern that he might be abused for playing Joffrey, and so far no-one has actually confused the actor (reportedly a really nice guy) with the character (a little shit who deserved to die horribly).
As Mr. Futrelle observed correctly, that particular subreddit mostly deals with male “objects” – estimated, for every 20 male objects of interested, there’s 1 female, and only occasionally, someone who is (considerably) gay.
Taking that into account, I’d like to ask Mr. Futrelle why this subreddit only catches his attention when 2 notorious radical feminists appear in it ? Is this merely a case of selective attention due to his own radical feminist worldview, or does he genuinely not care about violent phantasies as long as they’re limited to heterosexual male objects ?