More brilliant public relations work by the AVFM crew.
The top “meme,” posted on AVFM’s Facebook page, isn’t inexplicable in itself — I assume someone said to the meme-maker that by “criticizing” women he was doing the same thing feminists were doing by criticizing men, and this was meant as an enormous insult? It’s just inexplicable as a way to, you know, reach out to a broader audience beyond misogynist douchebags who think that the idea of ironing a woman in lingerie is inherently hilarious. But I guess that’s not really AVFM’s aim, is it?
Another one from the AVFM Facebook page:
Ah yes, I remember the chants at the last feminist demonstration I went to.
What do we want!?
Childsupprtagencies’protecting’childrendivorcecourtspolicearrests cheaperworkforcecontrolofeducationworkerprisonsdisposablesoldiers!
When do we want it?
Now?
Let’s just finish off this edition of inexplicable AVFM memes with this lovely submission from the AVFM forums, which is ostensibly about child abuse.
AVFM, proving critics of the Men’s Rights movement right pretty much every time they post a meme!
You think repetition will help? All evidence so far suggests that to be unlikely in Ken’s case.
Also note that I, a man, did not require my hand being held by feminists who cradled my head in their hands, told me what a good boy I was, and then gently, sweetly explained why my “pro-life” views were actually hugely misogynistic. I figured that out on my own, thanks.
If I can do it, then other men can do it. I have STANDARDS for my gender, and I’m embarrassed when they whine that those standards are too high.
cassandra: probably not, but I can dream.
Fact of the matter is Ken that we made progress when we stopped holding their hand and told them exactly what we thought of their behavior toward us.
What’s that old saying? You can lead a male chauvinist pig to water, but you can’t make it think?
You can definitely get it to whinge about how women need to think for it, though. While gently caressing it’s trotter that’s sore from a day down the mine.
BTW, Ken? My father used to be a miner. Stop using the members of a profession that I doubt you’ve ever come into even the most peripheral contact with to make rhetorical points. Some of them are far better human beings than you’ll ever be.
If you took a gander at the Occupy movement you would see plenty of young white men who believed progressive critiques of the financial industry, the growing police state and a government no longer representing the public interest all confronted the key issues which specifically effects them.
The nimrod choke poster seems to think women and/or feminists “control of education” is an issue, but a young white male with an actual awareness of how the world actually works will recognize the real issue is the profiteering that has led to a student debt crisis that is spinning out of control (At least in the US).
MRAs have shitball statistics and bullshit slogans and fail at every turn to produce any substational, sensible or functional policy ideas or activism. Their minor successes all stem from the pre-existing Father’s Rights Movement they co-opted. Their real passion, of course, is anti-feminism and I don’t see how true progressive politics can scratch that particular itch.
Feminists Should Be Nicer, remix #599. We’ve all heard the original, Ken, and the cover versions, and the a capella rendition, and the version with a rap break in the middle. It’s not a song we’re interested in playing again.
Feminists have tried meeting anti-feminists halfway. It usually ends roughly the same way as Charlie Brown believing that this time Lucy definitely won’t pull the football away. There’s no point trying to compromise with people who are convinced you’re 100% wrong and aren’t willing to be led. Feminism has many forms and some of those forms are extremely inoffensive – and yet antifeminists are STILL howling about them (like a rather dry discussion about the presence of sexism in video games, for instance). You can’t find common ground with people who are determined to salt the earth between you and them.
I REALLY wish that AVFM, and all the other misogynists would just admit they hate WOMEN, not just feminist women (and all men who are feminist or in the slightest bit women ‘friendly’!). Practically ALL the things they moan about are about women generally, not feminism specifically. Like that stupid ‘cookie’ thing – what feminist would say that women should be served first?! That was said by a dyed in the wool non/anti feminist!
There is the occasional man who is quite open about generally hating women, but he generally gets hushed, being told that he needs to reserve his hatred for the ‘female supremacist movement’.
@Ellesar
Seriously? For an example of openly hating women, see every other thing Elam ever writes.
vaiyt – Yes I am serious – I have not read what Elam says – but does he say he hates ALL women? I just haven’t seen it, just stuff like ‘the feminazis have destroyed men and destroyed the world’ sort of stuff. Usually these misogynists are all over people like girlwriteswhat or judgy bitch (for eg) because those kind of women tell them how evil the feminists are and how oppressed men are.
Obviously they are true misogynists, but take pains to pretend that it is just feminists they are gunning for.
Ellesar: Check out these:
https://www.wehuntedthemammoth.com/2014/08/07/paul-elam-if-a-woman-five-feet-tall-and-110-pounds-soaking-wet-hits-me-i-am-going-to-hit-her-back/
https://www.wehuntedthemammoth.com/2014/06/04/a-voice-for-mens-paul-elam-and-dean-esmay-explain-the-proper-slurs-to-use-for-nasty-women/
https://www.wehuntedthemammoth.com/2013/10/18/paul-elam-of-a-voice-for-men-in-his-own-words/
Of course Elam and those like him don’t come out and actually say, “I hate all women.” It’s socially unacceptable to profess blanket hatred for a large group of people. They just use talk about “feminists,” then happily conflate all women with feminists and all feminists with women.
Actually, Elam does pretty much come right out and say he hates all women, or at least he accuses women as a class of doing extremely hateful things like destroying the planet. He had two posts up, one with a title like Mother Earth is a Selfish B*tch or something like that, in which that is his accusation. I’m too lazy to search for them, but he doesn’t even pretend it’s about feminists; he admits he blames women.
Well, actually they weren’t hard to find. That’ll teach me not to be so lazy!
Elam hating women, part 1
Elam hating women, part 2
Wut? And why did I google that? I know better. I really do.
The opening was funny, though:
Ha! Yeah, because the one thing MRAs are known for is an aversion to “stupid, self-deluding crap.”
So yeah, I stand corrected, Elam pretty much just up and hates women and doesn’t really try to hide it. At all.
What an ass.
I would have said that “stupid, self-deluding crap” is probably the best nutshell description of the MRA you could come up with.
No Hadfield, but the ISS crew was having a bit of fun.
This one bugged me more than normal Fox News sexism because Kimberly Guilfoyle was trying to do a nice little spot about this woman and her cohosts just had to ruin it.
Did you know that the first-ever female fighter pilot was also Middle Eastern? Sabiha Gökçen, 1937. U mad, Fox News?
Occasionally MRAs turn out memes of the form “Women don’t need feminism to be cool and awesome, they just need to do whatever men define as being cool and awesome!” I think this is supposed to be one of those.
We all know that warm sun or a gentle breeze can give you a boner…
Boo, borked a link. Sabiha Gökçen, ladies and gentlemen.