Yesterday, A Voice for Men published an article so extreme, so hateful, so beyond the pale, that even Paul Elam, the site’s founder, was taken aback by it. Elam, who said he hadn’t read the article before other editors on the site posted it, claimed in a comment that when he finally did read it, it made him literally sick to his stomach.
Today, he took the extraordinary step – for AVFM – of taking down the article and offering an apology for publishing a piece so “counter to every aspect of our mission and values.” (It’s still up, for the time being, in Google cache; the original can also be found here.)
So what did this terrible, terrible article say? Brace yourself.
It said that Emma Watson’s recent United Nations speech on feminism … made some good points.
While the author of the piece, a tech dude turned “dating expert” named Jeb Kinnison, took the standard MRA swipes at the alleged evils of third-wave feminism, he argued that Watson’s version of feminism represented a kind of “equity feminism which is equally concerned with men’s rights.”
Then he described Watson as “very, very smart, and wise beyond her years … .”
I know, I know. Horrifying.
But that wasn’t even the worst part of Kinnison’s piece. In his conclusion, he actually suggested that
The smart and civilized aren’t spending their time nursing grievances based on sex, gender, race, or religion. If only the most intelligent voices were as amplified as the voices of ignorance and hate promoted by the grievance-mongering misandrists of third-wave feminism as well as insecure male misogynists.
Yes, that’s right: An article in AVFM actually acknowledged that some of those in the Men’s Rights ranks might actually be – gasp! – misogynists.
Naturally, such heresy could not stand. In the comments, a fight broke out between those who hated the article, and those who also hated it but felt that criticizing AVFM about anything was terrible and counterproductive and, hey, remember to donate to AVFM during the Fall Fundraiser!
In the former camp, the most outspoken critic was Nick Reading of Men’s Rights Edmonton, posting under the alias Eric Tiberius Duckman, who bluntly warned that
This article is disgraceful. If uncle Jeb here imparts any more of his mangina wisdom on AVFM, I’ll be seriously considering pulling my support and encouraging others to do likewise.
Elam was having none of this – very poor taste, especially during AVFM’s Fall Fundraiser! He responded to Reading’s threats to take his ball and go home with an indignant comment defending the editors who ran Kinnison’s piece and tearing into prodigal Nick:
[O]ur editors did their job and I am 100% supportive of that.
To be even more frank, even less appealing to me than this article is tantrums and ultimatums from readers attempting to exert editorial control by threatening to leave if they see content they don’t like.
Then apparently Elam decided that he didn’t support the editors 100% after all. In another comment, he declared that
This is the most overly generous, myopic interpretation of Watson’s speech I have seen, including feminist websites. It is literally embarrassing in its reductionist dismissal of issues unique to men and boys. …
I could write an entire article on what is wrong with this piece, but I am just too busy right now.
Throwing up.
Once he finished up with this, he took the piece down.
And AVFM’s Fall Fundraiser was saved!
Damn! I knew it was too good to be true…
Man, for one shining moment…
Emma Watson: the new Solanas/Dworkin?
Stay glued to your seats, Mammoths! The answer after the commercial break!
/me vomits
You really had me going there, “what could be too terrible for Elam?” This is an amazing story. They’re allergic to even “moderate” MRAs.
Sigh. Once again I’m reminded that my city is now most famous for a particularly appalling group of MRAs.
Take note, Sam Pepper. This is what a prank looks like. You had me going for a minute David. Well played.
Also, shut up Woody.
Silly sods. They really believe it’s a ‘radical’ and ‘extremist’ notion that women are people.
I have to admit that was one of the stranger episodes I have ever been involved in. A very few commenters understood the subtle point I was trying to make, but not many. You see similar knee-jerk groupthink in feminist groups, which are notorious for blowing themselves up by attacking members for even the slightest hint of heretical thoughts, but I was surprised. This is progress?
Oh god, Woody’s gonna cream himself, come here and tell us all about the righteousness of Sir Paul, when he reads this.
Shut up, Woody.
@Jeb, wow, I had no idea feminist groups had a habit of doing something that counter productive. Most of us are in the habit of, I dunno, actually getting shit done and fighting actual problems that make our lives miserable.
Bang! The old switcheroo!
But remember, the MR movement is about equality and totally not about mindlessly blubbering into their heavy-duty echo chamber about anything said by women regardless of what they actually said!
Yeesh, MRAs are as bad as Fox News.
I was so excited for a second. Oh well. At least Elam’s responses are kind of hilarious. And holy shit the comments on the apology page. Paul really is their Jesus who can do no wrong.
Uh-huh. Sure.
Fucking with PaulE’s money is fucking with his emotions. If he didn’t have suckers to bilk, he’d have to go out and get a job.
Johanna: I am remembering my college days among the proto-Social-Justice-Warriors — deviation from the party line was cause for ejection and shunning. 🙂
That was sort of the point of my piece — there is real work to be done and real injustice to be fought, though it’s not in privileged Western locales all that much any more. I am all for global human rights and equal opportunity for everyone.
He wouldn’t get a job. He’d just be ENTIRELY dependent on his girlfriend.
Good. Get out there, dear.
@Jeb Kinnison:
“This is progress?”
One less illusion counts as progress, I’d say. So for you personally, Jeb, yes, it is. 🙂
Oh, and he brings out the old saw about feminism not being needed in the west anymore!
Altch: your condescension is duly noted. The microaggressive term “dear” is especially precious.
Jeb: pull your head out if you think feminism’s not still needed here.
@Jeb Kinnison:
What do you think of Paul’s apology and the commenter’s fears of creating an echo chamber?
@Jeb Kinnison:
“You see similar knee-jerk groupthink in feminist groups, which are notorious for blowing themselves up by attacking members for even the slightest hint of heretical thoughts.”
Can you point me towards anywhere that’s actually happened? If so, I’m happy to go snark at them too. =)
From Jeb’s article:
“One point to remember: the mistreatment of individual women is close to a non-problem in the highly-educated, wealthy precincts of the Anglosphere, where third-wave feminists now have to fudge statistics about rape and equal pay to justify an ever-more-intrusive sex-based HR bureaucracy. While some women still encounter slights and difficulties because of others’ prejudices, the remaining issues are not materially greater than what everyone suffers when stereotyped.”
Nope, definitely not progress, Jeb.