UPDATE: This poster (apparently) isn’t an official AVFM poster, but they have endorsed it. See bottom of post for details.
Is the appearance of this poster at a Toronto train station an example of inadvertently terrible timing, or an act of astounding assholery?
The poster in question was spotted at Toronto Transit’s Ossington station yesterday, a day after reports of online threats against University of Toronto women hit the media. Classy, AVFM, classy!
Adding to the ick factor: As one Twitterer pointed out, the bus line that goes through the U of T campus connects to the subway at Ossington Station.
Even if the timing of this little poster campaign is purely coincidental, it’s a little hard to fathom how anyone associated with AVFM would think that the best way to recruit Toronto women to their cause would be to essentially tell them: “We have no respect for you and no understanding of feminism; we like to imagine you suffering; come join us for some epic mansplaining!”
But AVFMers seem to have perpetual troubles telling the difference between “brilliant PR move” and “shitting their pants in public.”
Twitter parody account @TTCwelps had what is probably the best response to the poster.
https://twitter.com/TTCwelps/status/642376748919746560
And here’s a reminder that not everything that starts out with the phrase “hey ladies” is automatically terrible.
UPDATE: Here’s an official statement on the poster from AVFM’s Facebook page. It’s a little … confusing, in that they’re not entirely sure if it’s one of their posters or not.
Apart from the sentiments being terrible, the rhythm of these words are also terrible. It should be something like:
Can’t get any dates? Can’t afford high condo fees on your own? 30 and still not married? Want some answers? A Voice For Men: When Feminism Stops Working for You.
Or something like that. I mean, it made me hurl a little to type that out, and it still makes no sense (what does high condo fees have to do with feminism??? I don’t know, these people are really short on logic), but language has rhythm, a flow, and that’s especially important in advertising. Also the poster is ugly. These people are so bad at EVERYTHING.
So being not married at 30 is worse than being divorced 3 times and not giving a shit about the children, sir paul elam?
Fuck you.
Karen Straughan isnt married, she is over 30 and already divorced.
Do they even think before they write those shitty things?
That response
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lomzubyoIk1qdxntz.gif
Hey, AVFMorons:
1. I’m not looking for dates;
2. I don’t have or want a condo;
3. I’m over 40 and still not married (and that’s not a problem for me);
4. Feminism is working fine for me.
There are your answers, and I didn’t even have to visit your stinking site.
I don’t think this poster is really aimed at women. I think it’s aimed at recruiting more bitter misogynistic men who are angry that women can get through life without needing to be married them.
Oh, and Paulie? I’ll thank you not to neg me.
WWTH I agree, I think it’s snark towards uppity feminist women, meant to get a knowing smirk from men. Great activism, guys!
I am FAR past 30, two great kids, 5 wonderful grandchildren. hate condos, Feminism worked out just great for me, thanks for asking.
Linux/FeministMoray: that’s because these types of angry men are deeply unimaginative.
Deeply!
Men who have imagination, don’t join AVFM or call themselves Meninists! I have found this to be a common truism among all bigots, though. Bigots lack the ability to imagine anything that’s outside of their worldview, which is why they’re so terrible at anything even remotely related to art. All they can do is ape stuff they’ve already observed, and only through the lens of their prejudices. It’s the reason they don’t understand memes or posters.
On occasion, someone who has flirted with bigotry when they were younger, matures into an adult who recognizes how empty their life was in that larval stage.
But mostly, Bigots are not inspirational or innovative. They pretty much have the same tired ideas, arguments, excuses and commit the same shitty acts, that they’ve been doing for centuries, towards every form of human social progress.
The same tired arguments have been used to excuse slavery, vilify gay people, keep women subservient, and excuse patriarchy, for centuries.
WWTH:Good call!
But they don’t want women over thirty so shouldn’t they be addressing this to eighteen year Olds afraid of ending up like us happily not married to an Elam or Esmay?
Funny. Just a few minor changes and:
there. Fixed it.
I’m 35. I have no trouble finding dates. I don’t live in a condo. The reason I’m not married is because I don’t want to be. No, I will not be venturing over to AVfM for any mansplaining – I work with university students. I have enough whining in my life.
Why would anyone get married before 50?
So many questions?
So many question marks?
He looked in the mirror when he wrote this?
The biggest shock is he didn’t write “Ladie’s”?
Bina: Yep!
Don’t own or want a combo. I got a house. Doing just fine in it, thanx!
I’m over 40, got no kids but I didn’t get into Feminism to have kids and I have plenty of nieces and nephews and little sisters to satisfy whatever maternal cravings pop up.
Oh, hey! Not looking for dates, cuz that’s not what feminism is for.
So yeah, I think I got this Feminism thing wrapped up, too.
Yay!
Virtual high five!
The really sad part is them thinking that AVFM is a good alternative to feminism. Even if I didn’t identify as feminist, what makes them think I’d yoke myself to their wagon, instead.
What if their call was only answered by several hundred WoC? What would they do? I like imagining weird things!
Reblogged this on The Monster's Ink and commented:
Hey you sorry fuckers,
I can get dates when I want to, and be content when I don’t. I can afford my housing fees just fine. I turn 35 next month and have no interest in marriage. Feminism is working out very nicely for me. You want to bite my well-fed feminist ass? Please go read some books by female authors and stop wallowing in male tears.
I’m so much happier as a single 30-year-old than I ever was as a married 22-year-old.
And that’s exactly what pisses them off so much. =)
Are condo fees the equivalent of service charges on flats?
Hey guys,
Thanks for asking.
I have a continual date with the lovely man I married.
Don’t care for condos, but bought my house outright back when I was still single.
Married late and happily, and I do what I love to make a crust.
Feminism is doing pretty well by me, and I hope I’m doing well by feminism.
How’s misogyny shaping up for you guys?
If I were over 30 (I am), unmarried (I am), but unhappy with my lot in life (perhaps in some ways, but not due to feminism), I’d realize that feminism was certainly better than the alternative (these douches) and would feel renewed satisfaction with my life as it is now. So all this poster does is make us over-30-unmarried ladies thank our lucky stars that we’re not saddled with a bunch of douches from AVFM. So the poster may help us, but not in the way that they want it to.
I love how the first three questions all pretty much say “You should get a MAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!”. If this doesn’t scream that these guys think women only have value as wives/girlfriends/sex toys, I don’t know what does.
“Hey ladies, are you missing out on the awesome experience of dating men who hate women?”