A Voice for Men’s ongoing campaign to convince the world that “Men’s Human Rights Activists” are a bunch of petty, malicious, sexually insecure douchenozzles continues apace.
I mean, that must be what they’re really up to, right? Because no one who actually had any real interest in human rights of any kind would produce “memes” like the one above and all the rest below, delivered to your eyes straight from AVFM’s Fcebook page.
At their best, AVFM’s memes are merely baffling …
… or ridiculous.
AVFM also loves appropriating the images of famous people, and pretending that these people are somehow on their side. But their choices of imaginary celebrity endorsers can be a bit, well, ironic. A couple of days ago in one of my posts on the iconography of the “Cultural Marxism” conspiracy theorists, I posted a neo-Nazi meme showing a crudely photoshopped picture of Star Trek’s Kirk and Spock endorsing Adolph Hitler — a rather odd conceit, given that William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy are both Jewish, and that the original Star Trek series promoted tolerance and a very 60s-liberal sort of multiculturalism.
Well, here’s AVFM’s attempt to make Spock an MRA:
Dudes, hate to break it to you, but Nimoy is actually a … feminist. Really. In the 60s he demanded that Star Trek’s producers pay actress Nichele Nichols the same as her male counterparts on the show. And as a photographer today, Nimoy acknowleges that he is heavily influenced by feminism, partiularly the writings of Jewish feminist Letty Cottin Pogrebin, one of the founders of Ms. magazine.
So that’s not really his “listening to feminism face” at all.
An astonishing number of AVFM’s memes are so sexualized that they are more or less soft-core porn. Even their anti-male-rape memes, ostensibly attempts to raise consciousness about the rape of men by women, feature seductive, scantily clad women, undermining whatever message they are supposed to be getting across.
But the most, er, revealing memes are the ones that hint at deep sexual insecurities on the part of the meme makers and those who “like” them on Facebook. (The images that follow are mildly NSFW.)
This meme, for example, actually features the dreaded vagina dentata:
[slightly risque meme removed]
And this one attempts to shame male feminists by suggesting they enjoy being penetrated, an act that’s really only “shameful” if you have some rather fucked-up notions of what is and what isn’t appropriate male sexuality. And a certain degress of hatred and fear of female sexual agency.
[slightly risque meme removed]
AVFM meme-maker John Galt also continues to be weirdly obsessed by me.
And then there’s this lovely meme, intended as a joke at the expense of a feminist activist who’s been on AVFM’s enemies list ever since she told some AVFM dudes to shut up at a demonstration several years ago. (I’ve crossed out her face, because no one really deserves to be made into an AVFM meme.)
[slightly risque meme removed]
The joke is obviously supposed to be at her expense, suggesting that she is so unattractive that she makes penises wilt. But you don’t have to be Sigmund Freud to realize that this isn’t the real story here. This is a woman demonized by AVFM and other antifeminists because once, several years ago, she shouted down some dudes. It’s not her appearance that frightens their penises; it’s the fact that she wouldn’t put up with their bullshit.
Guys, you’re not fooling anyone, except yourselves.
I interpreted the asphalt swimming one as somebody attempting to swim against the current. Or somebody attempting to get ahead but who is probably going to be run over by a car.
Hi, so I’ve never posted before because posting on the internet terrifies me but the more I read on this blog the more panicked I’ve been getting.
At first I thought all of these MRAs and the other denizens of the manosphere were just a ridiculous minority that were mostly found on the internet. However the more I read the more I realize my brother (who lives with me currently) frequently says very similar things to many of these men. He’s been getting more and more bitter lately and it’s only been getting worse. I’d like to talk to him about it but I don’t want it to seem like I’m attacking him or trying to put him down. I refuse to make excuses for him and his attitude but I’m worried that he needs a wake up call soon.
Does anyone here have experience talking to a loved one who might be heading down this bitter, misogynist sink hole?
Re: The “But feminism isn’t necessary anymore!” one:
Even if we lived in some magical alternate universe where women had achieved full equality, we’d still need feminism, because MRAs, Republicans, Libertarians, religious fundamentalists and other misogynistic dickwits are doing their damnedest to undo every last bit of it.
The Spock one cracked me up. As a kid I wanted to BE Spock soooo badly. He was the COOLEST. (OK, and also because my life was shitty because I grew up in a cult that had NO logic behind its insane rules and Spock at least made freaking SENSE most of the time!)
I love Nimoy as a person as well – he’s at the VERY top of my “If you could meet an actor/celebrity/etc” list.
I mean, I’m just not buying that the top meme is expressing a genuine concern that old feminists will wind up alone. There must be something else to this…*strokes imaginary beard*
MRAs: Settle for us when you’re 20 so we can leave you for someone younger when you’re 40.
But, hey! At least you’ll have the kids to keep you company…I mean, either won’t pay or will endlessly kvetch about child support, but at least we’ll have a drawn-out legal battle to ensure that MY children are raised to MY precise specifications!
Wait!
Wait! Where are you going?
Come back!
Whore.
@proxieme
Yep, that’s it!
@ proxieme
Perfect imitation. I lol’ed.
Eh. That kind of rhetoric happens both ways. Wishfully hoping your political enemies live lonely, pathetic lives isn’t an MRA thing.
I love how in their world woman not getting married = failure at life and eternity of loneliness.
Honestly, in a way, though, women not getting married DOES equal those things…
FOR THE MRAS, THOUGH, NOT THE WOMEN!!!
At the bottom of all these memes, I think that’s really what they are afraid of… just like Scott Aaronson admitted – in the old days, some family member or something might’ve found a woman and forced her in some way or another to marry a dude. Now these dudes, just like women have always had to, actually might have to work at making themselves dateable because women are allowed to have choices now (in theory), which means that it’s now socially acceptable (in theory) for women to refuse to date these guys.
But we’re not talking about political enemies–this is how they feel about every woman who doesn’t have sex with them.
These memes..I mean…what?http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/twoflower/64307/18497/18497_600.jpg
women and girls would rather die alone than date an abuser. They cant stand that we have the right to date and marry whoever we want and that scares them because they need us but they can’t have us. The only people who will die alone will be Misoygnists.
I’m getting really tired with all this ‘Misandry!’ The MRAs keep crying out but the only people who are doing the misandering are them. Calling men and boys ‘manginas’ that actually enjoy being submissive and aren’t misognists like them.
Antifeminists: we’re the ones who love and respect men and boys! We will shame them if they enjoy dresses and other girly things, we’ll make fun of them for crying and seeking help, we’ll laugh at them for being raped because they enjoyed it amiright!? And we totally think that men and boys can’t control themselves! Screw you feminists we are the ones who love and respect men and boys!
In my husband’s extended family, it is not at all uncommon for men and women in their eighties to find a partner after their spouse has passed away. In my own family, my uncle was single until his sixties, when he married a woman with three grown daughters and some grandkids. They had ten years together before he died of colon cancer and she said they were the happiest years of her life (her first husband had been a real shit). Where do these people get the idea that love and partnership don’t happen for older people? This, of course, is aside from the fact that marriage isn’t for everyone and not being married is not the kiss of death. I knew plenty of older women when I was involved in NOW that were happy being single–they were far from the stereotype of the lonely, bitter spinster regretting that she’d been too damn particular. They were active, a lot of fun, engaged in their work, involved in their nieces’ and nephews’ lives, had a lot of friends, etc. These guys just live in an alternate universe designed by their own bizarre, distorted world view.
Why would you swim up a road? Oh right, it’s much easier to flop around bawwwwing about feminists than to actually use your fucking legs and walk.
Ten-minute time-out for “Both sides are bad” and false equivalence.
The guy in the second meme is swimming in the male tears road that leads to the magical male tears spring, that is where the great Fempire gets their tears for baths, scented Effin candles and other great Misandry products.
J
We are talking about them who wish for women, who don’t date them, become miserable. And ‘happens both ways’? I don’t think so.
I have no idea of who the girl in the Jigsaw cosplay is, but I doubt they asked her for authorization to use her image on a meme that seeks to promote their (hateful, harmful and violent) ideas.
I remember I’ve also seen Patrick Stewart in a few (related) memes at some point, which is also a contradiction (and proves their ignorance) since he’s a spokesperson against misogyny and violence against women, besides his involvement in Amnesty International.
I remember his speech made me cry.
On the other hand, if they make a meme mocking you, Futrelle, then that’s proof you’re walking the right path.
I think it’s funny that you’re attempting to refute misogyny with blatant misandry. It’s a total non productive, eye for an eye scenario.
I only wish they hadn’t drawn one of my favorite fictional characters into their sordid arguments. Please leave Spock out of this nonsense.
That first meme, I guess it doesn’t occur to them that when Women Go Their Own Way, we actually do it.
That one with Sisyphus: whose problems did they solve, cuz I know some PoC who would react extremely to the suggestion that that’s what happened. I m not even sure I can point out just how many things are wrong with that assumption. That’s a level of ignorance so extreme, it’ll make your head pop.
Estraven: Thats assuming of course that they believe in love and partnership. I’m pretty sure they don’t. They only believe in sex and that’s for hot, young , white , cis-gender people.
Dear divines up above, it’s like glimpsing into The Twilight Zone.
Specifically that one episode where a ten-year-old boy gets the power to control reality, and makes all the adults fear him. I think this is what MRAs want most in the world.
For those in need of brain bleach, I drew a kitty! Its name is Sparrow, and it’s a familiar for an original character I’ve been batting around in my head the past few days:
http://40.media.tumblr.com/0f9276e0b606fa543e428dc7ee5a02fd/tumblr_nj7yn3uYbA1qjd686o1_1280.png
Enjoy!
P.S. I would have taken a picture of our physical cat, Mr. Whiskers, but he won’t stay still unless there’s food involved.
Eh, I just noticed Sparrow’s fuzzy butt’s a little wonky. Eeeehhhhh. I’ll fix it later.
Why did the MRA swim across the road?
1. To blame the feminists on the other side for everything.
2. To get out of paying child support.
3. He was liquidzoned by that conniving bitch of an asphalt lane. (Oh sure…it only solidifies when assholes cross it.)
4. #notallmencrosstheroad
5. Because women have higher road-crossing rates while men are more likely to get run over and more likely to be victimized by false jaywalking accusations
6. He didn’t cross the road. He went his own way. (But he kept hurling rocks at the road anyway.)
7. Because he personally invented and built all the roads one night while sitting behind his computer.
8. It’s about ethics in crosswalks.
How do you post images? Got a nice one.
Just paste the URL in. No html needed.
Ah cheers, it’s one on my computer though. Can I just copy and paste?
[Obviously being a bloke I’m brilliant at computers and technology and stuff. Just pretending not to be to give the women a chance; me being such a white knight and all]