In yet another stunning victory for their cause, Men’s Rights Activists have successfully infiltrated the comments of yet another article critical of them, leading possibly dozens of comment readers to mutter to themselves “Jesus Christ these guys again, honestly do they do anything else besides post this crap?”
This time, the target of the Men’s Rights raiders was an article on the website of GQ’s British Edition with the self-explanatory title “Men’s Rights Activists are cave dwelling idiots.”
Naturally, the comments from the MRA invaders tended to rather prove the author’s point, with regard to cave-dwelling idiocy.
There were accusations of gender treason:
Bog-standard predictions of feminism’s impending demise:
Unique takes on women’s history:
Tampon jokes:
“Retard” used as an insult:
Awkward turkey-related metaphors:
And of course, Paul Elam:
I should note that GQ seems to be moderating the comments fairly strictly; several I was intending to quote vanished before I grabbed a screenshot. I can only imagine what the rest of the moderated comments look like.
I should also note that Mr. Elam was so offended by the GQ article that he went and made a video about it.
In it the angry Elam, occasionally sounding like one of the storytellers on Drunk History, denounces the article as “lickspittle journalism,” describes its author, Rupert Myers, as looking “kinda like Alfred E. Neuman with liver disease,” defends the infamous AVFM article in which he referred to Bill Cosby’s accusers as “a bunch of drug whoring star [expletive deleted]” and makes the preposterous charge that it is Myers who is the true misogynist for criticizing his Cosby article because this means that Myers thinks that, as Elam puts it,
talking honestly about the reality of drug whoring star [expletive deleted]s is hostile to all women.
You may have to run that through your head a few times until it makes any kind of sense, because it really doesn’t.
Elam then declares Myers to be a “misogynist little [expletive deleted].“
WINNING!
H/T — @idlediletante
It’s rainy and abnormally warm here in the mid-Atlantic US.
*reads thread*
Wow, these last few posts have attracted some especially tedious trolls.
Well, Happy Holidays to anyone who’s celebrating!
Happy end of December to anyone who’s not!
Orion said:
Yes, Steyn, you have our Ear for these answers. Please remember as well, the pen is in your hand.
Just wanted to leave this here – it’s on topic:
http://i.imgur.com/S9TjqP0.png
Ok, weather in upstate SC:
I have my windows open, wearing thin pajamas, and it’s still kind of warm. Seventies during the day, 60s at night.
And buckets of rain. BUCKETS.
@raysa
I adore your adoption dog already!
And I believe I neglected to mention my dog overlord’s name: It’s Remus. No, not after Harry Potter but rather the brother of Romulus. I’m so not nerd-cool like that.
@msexceptiontotherule
Ohhhhh myyy what a smart puppy! I want to see her showing the belly. ^_^ What kind is she? Mine’s just a mutt. German Shepherd, Collie and Flat-Coated Retriever. And cat and rubber duck.
Banananana dakry-
“Mostly eyes like that tell me one thing: ‘Back away very slowly, and for God’s sake don’t make any sudden moves'”
I think that is very sound advice. 0.0
I have to second David on this, we are not having a go at his eyes because we are lookist, but because of what his facial expression (and the body language in the video that David has described) means. Such a facial expression sets off alarm bells and rightfully so. He has proven himself to be a hateful and angry man.
@Leda Atomica
I keep trying to put Molly-pant’s (official name: Molly Mae, the -pants is just one of the add ons since I only use her full name when she’s in big trouble, like parents do the first and middle name for their kid when they act up) picture in a comment but alas fail at this because they’re all on my HD and I’m not so good at finding a way to make it work. *sigh* But she’s a chihuahua miniature pinscher mix and 14lbs of pogo-stick-like jumping fun….:P I spent over a year looking at the animals available for adoption on my local county animal control department website and knew when I saw her picture that she was the dog for me. She’s been more or less glued to me since I went down and picked her up from the shelter – right now her nose is pressed against the back of my calf and the rest of her is on/around my foot making it fall asleep – glued!
My much loved but now departed Siamese cat was the cranky, angsty main-fuzzy of the house for 7 years already, she didn’t know quite what to do about the dog-addition…until she discovered that Molly was perfect to sleep on top of like the dog was a heating pad under the blanket, who cooperated by not moving too much with the weight of the blankie and then cat on top of her. I’ve been considering adopting another cat, if I see the ‘right’ one…just wasn’t feeling quite ready for the last 18 months-ish to look at a new kitty possibility.
@Virtually Out of Touch
Thank you for linking to the Reggie Yates clip! The full episode wasn’t available on the BBC site but I found it on YouTube and enjoyed it immensely (except for slimeball Doosh V, of course). I’ve never heard of Reggie before but I really liked his approach. He had some good insights.
I laughed at his WTF expression when Roosh said, “Women are being applauded and encouraged to look like fat, outer space cyborgs.”
I had no idea Milo was British.
Edit: Oh, I just saw that David devoted a post to this. Cool.
……………..
Regarding Paul Elam’s bulging eyes, there are plenty of pics of him on Google Images where the whites above his irises aren’t showing. The wide-eyed look appears to be a facial expression he wears when he’s raging.
…………….
I’ve shovelled more snow this month than the entirety of last winter. It’s gonna be a very white Christmas in my part of Canada.
I love when they think Anita Sarkeesian (or whoever their current hate-crush happens to be) is, like, president of feminism.
@WWTH: people in Sydney tend to view Queenslanders and especially the Gold Coast as a bit backwards (socially) or bonkers (politically).
Some examples include Paunline Hanson and her “One Nation” party, Billionaire Clive Palmer and his Palmer United Party, Senator Jacqui Lambie and many more, look em up if you want to see some of Aussies worst politicians.
It’s not really fair because Sydney itself produces just as many rotten apples like Tony Abbott.
Hang on. Jacqui Lambie’s from entirely the opposite direction … Tassie.
As for the Gold Coast. I grew up with an entirely unfavourable view of it from my dad. When he was in Qland to train newbies in jungle fighting during WW2, they occasionally got a bit of leave to go to the coast. As far as he was concerned the area that we now call the Gold Coast was a hellish, smelly, mosquito infested swamp. Why anyone would want to visit there, let alone live there, was an impenetrable mystery as far as he was concerned.
From my own pov, it’s always seemed irretrievably crass and vulgar — those gold bikinis on the meter maids, Eeeewwww. Fun for those wot like it, not for me. Seemed all of a piece with the brown bag politics of Bjelke-Petersen and the rest, all the very worst of what we saw in movies or read in books about American society and politics and none of the good and admirable and honorable stuff of that society.
Ninja’d by mildlymagnificent! Jaqui Lambie, the Tassie girl, is an independent now, right? She had that falling out with Palmer.
I’m actually from Canberra, but my mother in law lives on the GC, and my bro is in Brissie, so we came up for Christmas. As I type, it is dark and rainy. Shoulda stayed in bloody Canberra.
@mm, yeah, it’s a bit too much of a shallow party town for me. But the beaches aren’t bad, and I just avoid the party areas and the casino. I might consider living in Brisvegas – love the heat so it wouldn’t be too much a chore to live here. Better than the chill.
@wwth – QLD and NSW have a rivalry going that is best celebrated by the annual State of Origin footy comp. Most of Aus likes Aussie Rules* footy, which is played in a circular field and they run a lot.
NSW and QLD prefer a different form of footy (the State of Origin kind) that is played on a rectangular field and there is more wrestling then running, but is somehow the less “posh” version of the third type of footy that is almost identical. And then there’s soccer.
Can you tell I don’t follow sport?
*I will note that there is an international Aussie Rules footy comp that, for reasons unclear to me, Australia does not participate in.
Thank you, Tyra Lith, that’s amazing. I really like that.
Re: illnesses – I’m fighting my second round of bronchitis in as many months, along with ALL THE BAD REACTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!! to a cortisone injection in my hip, both my sister and her husband had bronchitis (she coughed so hard she hurt her ribs) at the same time the nephew had an ear infection AND fucking pinkeye!! AND my mom has minor blood clots in her legs.
But hey, it’s almost sixty here in west Michigan, and maybe the wind will die down before it manages to knock out the power.
eta: i also have the good cough syrup and won’t have to drive across the state on sat!
@Lysa
This comment section features such commentary, Lysa. This one ‘ere. I don’t think I’m trolling. I mean, I’m being sincere. Isn’t trolling insincere, by definition? I’m not even playing devil’s advocate. I’m suggesting that we, in a totally secular way (or not, if ya want), do unto others as we would have them etc. Of course this is only my perception, as are all things everybody’s. But if one person’s perception is usually within range of a lot of other people’s, it is within range of relevance..?
I’m not talking about precise words, but the type of reduction of an adversary through insults of dubious relevance that women regularly call men out for online, appropriately. It’s not the entire thread, but a good third of the first page of comments are in that realm. Talk about his eyes being weird and the like. These are not that far from the “time of the month” comments we all love so much. Any time it is said that “x is just…” anything, it’s over-simplifying to assist in dismissal of what is probably more complex and worth deeper consideration.
Now I have to summon the energy to collect nasty conversations about gender, reverse the genders in them, and ask the internet to guess which is which. That should prove or disprove the idea that what I’m talking about is ‘a thing’. I’m not certain. All the things I perceive might be some kind of wrong. No reason to stop talking about them. I really hope I’m not a troll. Feels like the definition of that new, biodigital creature is morphing at a great rate.
@msexceptiontotherule
Adopting furry friends is such a good thing to do. I regret getting my puppy from someone who just “wanted to get rid of” the litter before her move (though I do not regret getting my puppy).
I love that your kitty found the dog to be of good use. 😀
Well, Nicholas Mann, the important thing is you get to feel superior.
@weirwoodtreehugger – I don’t feel superior, I swear I doooonnnn’t! Please, I’m really not trying to pick a fight. Nothing I said suggests I think I’m better than any one, I really do not. I just want everyone to get along. The whole gender divide issue is too polarised, there’s too much sniping. The extremes get so much coverage that they seem way more representative than they are.
@Tyra Lith
Ha! That was funny (and tiny) — and, sadly, un-copy-and-pasteable.
Other WHTM readers, you’ll have to scroll up.
@Nicholas Mann
False equivalence bullshit is one of the most common troll tactics. You’re not trying anything new or creative at all.
Hi Nicholas–I’m going to help you out a little with this one. Someone pointing out that someone else has sanpaku eyes is not misogynist. While it may be argued exactly what having sanpaku eyes means, having sanpaku eyes has nothing to do with being male or female; some women have sanpaku eyes (Michele Bachman is a notable example). Saying that someone is acting/saying something because ‘it’s that time of the month’ is misogynistic. Having periods is associated with being female, and being female has a long history in our culture of being associated with being irrational, ‘overly’ emotional, shallow, and other things which make men think it’s sensible to ignore what they say. Hope this helps.
And so I had an edit function and didn’t use it 🙂 Should have said ‘misandrist’ about the sanpaku eyes. As if ‘misandrist’ is a thing.
Hi, guest. Okay, fair call on that one. There is an interesting difference in reactions to a guy calling a girl ugly/fat than vice versa, but that’s not entirely relevant here. I stand corrected. Misandrist is a thing, though. Everything’s a thing. If there are people that like sexing up plush toys, there are surely misandrists. Of all genders. Spell checker doesn’t think it’s a thing, notably. I know the word is only a recent invention. Not saying it’s a problematic thing, but it exists.
@dhag85 – Wasn’t trying to be new or creative, just expressing an opinion. What is false equivalence and who decides that it’s false? I will google it before you tell me to google it or say something about poor education, still… am interested in what you meant.
Why does everyone think I’m trying to big note myself, here? I’m trying to have a conversation, maybe learn something. I have, even. It doesn’t have to be hostile or condescending, ie. “let me help you out a little”. The worst way to convince anyone of anything might be to insinuate that they’re an idiot – even when they are. Don’t you wanna convert idiots? Or is the war the objective?
And again, a troll is insincere, no? Whatever else I might be, I am not insincere, here.
Hi Nicholas–good for you having a think about what you wrote and changing your opinion; that’s a sadly unusual occurrence in people who express the kinds of opinions you express, so that makes you stand out somewhat.
The part that you’re missing is that while you may think that what you’re writing is significant and worth discussing, so have thousands of men before you, in thousands of internet forums, dinner conversations, academic Q&As…and those of us who’ve heard it all before find it pretty boring to have the exact same conversation with thousands of men who’ve just thought of these ideas and would like to discuss them. This isn’t really the website to do that; you’re probably better off on one of the ‘feminism 101’ sites where people are willing to patiently work with men like you, one by one and one on one, to help get you ‘up to speed’ on these issues, so you don’t have to sound like you’re repeating the same arguments and asking the same questions as everyone else. As some people like to say, it’s like wandering into a discussion about the most recent experiments at CERN (or, maybe more appropriately for this website, some inside-joke CERN humour), and asking the people engaging in it to take a break to help you understand the problems with the Bohr model.
Your arguments have been already been argued, and your questions have already been answered. You are correct that you yourself haven’t experienced these conversations yet, and you’re also correct that it would be worth your while to have them, but engaging in these kinds of conversations, with each and every man who needs to have them, is work, and not something you can really expect from anyone you encounter online.
So we’re all just the same. Enjoy your ultimate wisdom, I envy it so.