In the wee hours of the morning, this morning, there was a great disturbance on the Internet, as if millions of shitposters suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. For about ten seconds.
What had happened? This:
https://twitter.com/deanesmay/status/623796900903432192
Huh. That’s interesting.
But I’m not exactly stunned to hear that another Men’s Rightser has had what looks like a big falling out with the rather temperamental Paul Elam. Or perhaps that Elam has had a falling out with him?
Oh, sorry, I’m being told that Esmay is quitting “to look after his health” and to “take his activism in a different direction.”
That’s A Voice for Men’s explanation, anyway.
Esmay own explanation, which he posted in a Twitlonger shortly after his announcement, also mentions the health thing:
I am taking some time off, looking after my long-neglected health, and relaxing with family and friends.
But he also notes, a little enigmatically,
Unless there is some serious issue of life and limb that requires grand drama, it’s never a good idea to air philosophical and personal conflicts publicly.
I have quit A Voice for Men because it was time to move on. That is all. I am on speaking terms with everybody.
It seems as though Esmay is, for once, trying to be diplomatic. But he doesn’t seem very good at it. “On speaking terms” is not exactly what you’d call a ringing endorsement of the Cult of Elam, which had utterly consumed Esmay’s life for a number of years.
Esmay promises that
I will also continue to be a shit-stirrer, but now, as a civilian. At least until I find my next home. 🙂
So with that, I would like to introduce We Hunted the Mammoth’s new Chief Operating Officer, Dean Esmay!
Just kidding. We Hunted the Mammoth’s chief operating officer is the one on the right here:
I look forward to the inevitable meltdown of the facade of amicability between Esmay and his former boss.
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Please read the newly revised COMMENTS POLICY before commenting.
On topic: Dean Esmay leaving Paul Elam’s little group is a death knell for them. I don’t expect them to be around this time next year at this rate. The bad news is that they’ve already been replaced by the infinitely worse Return of Kings…
Ah, to be on speaking terms with Paul Elam. Who wouldn’t be inspired to retreat to the nearest culvert to salve one’s hemorrhoids with bat honey…
What a beautiful operating officer! The other one looks like the enforcement of new comments policy division? I think it’s the angle of the eyes. They look menacing.
benfromcanada – interesting article, and of course interesting debate. I do not have time or energy to say much, but I think one thing that is obvious is that young inexperienced people are much more likely to get into such a situation.
And that is not helped by views that make sex shameful in some way. How can anyone truly own their sexuality and have the confidence to express themselves clearly if they have never been given ‘permission’ to do so ?
As a young woman I put up with numerous sexual situations because I felt I had to – and I hadn’t even grown up with the ‘sex is shameful’ crap. In fact, because I hadn’t I felt that I had to be the enthusiastic ‘up for anything’ type, and that meant I put up with the crap because my self esteem was so much defined by what men thought of me (in my teens, before I was a lesbian).
@Falconer
Aww! *blushes*
Just doing my part to bring cute things to the blog. ^_^
@Katz
That depends on the size of your pocket, I’d suspect. Have a turtle eating a strawberry.
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1099617/images/o-TURTLE-facebook.jpg
I’ll admit, I read the “take his activism in another direction” bit and felt a chill of foreboding.
Also, there should always be more turtle.
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cUV56U-lfPg/hqdefault.jpg
I’ll put the popcorn in the microwave, just in case.
Also, turtle! 😀
About that article, I don’t know how to respond. It makes me sad more then anything.
It felt like he really didn’t mean to do anything and knew he did wrong. But for the same reasons the article said you can’t say she is at fault for not saying no.
I guess I’m someone who thinks you have to say yes for it to be yes not as long as you don’t say no its yes. But lots of people differ on that, of both genders. I guess it’s something I have never considered before today.
I mean I think rape is a form of torture and torture is the worst thing you can do to someone. But he seems like he honestly never met to hurt her and isn’t someone I would think of as a monster so idk.
idk what to think about it. I’m just sad for everyone involved.
All that hate can’t be good for his health.
Oh well, wish you the best Esmay, you silly bugger :)))))
So the COO of WHTM is Sweetie Pie? Or is Sweetie Pie the other one?
Translation: I have shot my wad with Twitter rage-gasms. I’ve run out of inflammatory shit to tweet. Must stop before I bust a brain hemorrhage.
Translation: Yes, Paulie IS back on drugs. Also, I’m sick of doing for him what this woman is doing for this elephant:
http://ct.weirdnutdaily.com/ol/wn/sw/userpics/funny_pictures/48_new.jpg
Translation: Invest in Orville Redenbacher stock NOW!
I’m glad that “Tim” feels remorse for what he did.
But, the article describes their encounter as if it’s completely reasonable to assume nothing is wrong here. Maybe I’m just weird, but if I were feeling up a person and they did not respond in any way, I would be extremely concerned. I think it’s a symptom of our expectation that sex is something men have to trick out of women, and not something that men and women do together to make each other and themselves feel good.
I cannot imagine touching someone in intimate places for a few minutes without being absolutely sure it was making them feel good, let alone for over an hour. We act like it is totally out-of-the-box to expect affirmative consent, but I can’t enjoy anything without affirmative consent. What’s the point?
Am I weird?
My brain feels all numb after those super flashy gifs.
Ooh tiny little turtles! The Cracked article was quite interesting, I think it really highlights how badly our culture needs to learn to talk about sex openly and honestly, and include discussions about giving and receiving consent in general sex ed. Unfortunately it seems like even having sex ed in schools now is controversial.
That article is awful. Awful because it’s fairly good, and the things need to be said, but oh you poor kids. I’ve never been in that situation, but that’s absolutely horrifying. I do find it a bit sketchy how long it took for him to realize “hey, my partner’s not moving”, I’ll admit, but it’s still a godawful situation.
Seconding Sunny’s “We need better sex ed” and “TALK ABOUT CONSENT IN SCHOOL, DARN IT”.
Silly story: A college roommate of mine never even learned in school that women secrete mucous that varies in consistency over the course of their cycles.
We’re both women.
I learned via nurse mom. Still, getting to college with no one ever even mentioning “Oh, yeah, sometimes you secrete mucous and that’s okay” was a bit of a problem. Especially when sex ed is all over telling you about all those STDs that produce discharge…
Also, they never told me about ace-ness. That would have been nice.
I reckon there’s a more general issue here in conversational language and casual ‘understanding’ of physiological responses to lots of threats, not just sexual.
Everyone’s heard of ‘fight or flight’. How much easier would life be for the Vickys of the world if the common expression was ‘fight, flight or freeze’? Because those are the real standard instinctive responses to threat. And that ought to be the common understanding and language. After all, everybody nods sagely when people tell stories about a terrifying event and get to the “And I/he/we just froze … ” point.
It might or might not help with specific Tim&Vicky couples, but it would certainly make cops, prosecutors and courts — as well as more members of the general public — more realistic and accepting of victim/survivor stories.
On topic:
I hope Esmay takes a good long break from what he’s been doing. A permanent one, in fact. There are not many people whose influence is so purely negative that the world would benefit from them stopping engaging entirely, but he’s among them.
As katz said, I wouldn’t put money on the polite professionalism lasting. Let’s see what happens when details begin to leak.
I am, however, going to open a book on how long it’ll be until Bloomfield quits too. Come on, place your bets. I accept payment in black and white pictures of lions.
I will miss his short pants at their events.
I’ve thought for a very long time that young humans need to have some instruction about what constitutes “ethical sex.” I mean, honest to goddess, all questions of legality and gender aside, let’s just talk about relating to one another, one-on-one, as ethical human beings.
Will go and make some popcorn as I look forward to the next episode of the AVfM sitcom
Andisexist: That’s a tortoise!
http://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=LRWAFQqQY9Y
@Katz
You are completely right. That is indeed a torotise eating a strawberry. In apology, I offer a cute terrapin.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/anastasiap/silentbob.jpg
Turtles and tortoises are both favorite. (Mostly I wanted to post that song.)