Men’s Rights Activists learned a long time ago that the easiest way to win an argument with someone is by playing the old straw man game, ignoring what they actually believe and instead pretending that they believe something much less defensible — and much easier to rebut.
Trouble is, when you’re actually debating one of these people directly, they may point out to you that they don’t actually believe what you claim they believe. And this makes it oh so much harder to win the argument.
Luckily, MRAs have found a workaround for this little difficulty. Instead of debating real feminists who can argue back, they debate imaginary ones who say only what the MRAs allow them to say.
One quick visit to a stock photo repository and hey, presto! You’ve got yourself the following memes depicting Straw Feminists Confused About Everything.
Er, what? Feminists have the power to ban hot babes from going out in public? Do these hot babes have to make themselves less hot before they can get a walking around permit from the Department of Jealous Feminists Who Won’t Let You Go Out if You’re Too Hot?
I think I may have posted this one before, but I still don’t quite understand it. Hey MRA dudes, you’re supposed to confuse the imaginary women in your memes, not the rest of us!
This dumb little cartoon, drawn in 2003 by a dude hoping to sell a few t-shirts, has provided MRAs with thirteen years’ worth of cheap outrage so far. Congrats, MRA meme-maker, for squeezing a little bit more outrage from its desiccated corpse.
I ain’t saying she’s a golddigger but, yes, you are saying that. Again. That song is more than a decade old. Move on, dudes.
http://iambrony.steeph.tp-radio.de/mlp/gif/fluttershy_by_mezkalito4p-d4haxch.gif
Oh dear. I guess I was maybe a little too aggressive in my first post? You, um, you missed it. But that’s okay! You can look at it later on if you want to.
Uh, well. I’m sorry to say this, but you’re violating a central principle of rationality in this point – it’s the principle of charity. Assuming that your opposite has bad arguments from the outset (and that they are malicious) is a way to protect your own beliefs, not a way to assess truth.
This doesn’t do anything but hurt yourself! You close yourself off to any ideas that don’t already agree with your beliefs – it’s a surefire way to be wrong about things. We will all be fine – maybe a little sad and confused about your affective spiral – but you will be knotted up in an angry little unhappy knot, unable to get out!
I hope that for your sake you can let go of your anger and assess arguments that oppose you with clear eyes and an open heart.
I bet the Jews in concentration camps wished they had the power Nazis claimed they did too. That does not mean they wanted to subjugate non-Jews. If you can’t imagine the oppressed wishing for power to do anything but oppress in return, that is your internalized guilt and projected fear being showcased. See to yourself, Bro.
Bingo. Most of us have encountered the guy who insists on paying, and only afterward makes clear that he regarded dinner, drinks, or even a flippin’ cup of coffee as a down payment on sex.
Back in my single days, I always preferred to go with an understanding of “I’ll pay this time, you pay next time.” That makes things feel even without having to get out the calculator for exactly what each person can afford. Only time it would be a problem is if you’re a person with whom no one ever wants a second date.
But Tara, doesn’t that mean that it’s always a problem with the redpOh I see…
Today’s dinner, my first attempt at udon/umami soup:
http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo188/dhag85/Mobile%20Uploads/20160409_185743_zpsoo2owukr.jpg
http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo188/dhag85/Mobile%20Uploads/20160409_185739_zpsmdcq4efz.jpg
Pretty good! All vegetarian, and vegan if you skip the egg.
If I ever need to start dating again, I’m going to start by making a reddit account and posting a question on TRP asking what is the #1 thing that makes TRPers turn around on the first date. Then I’m going to be sure to do that thing 100% of the time, in order to weed out the losers as quickly as possible.
I’m a little behind on comments, so sorry if I’m repeating things but regarding the wage gap being a ‘bullshit lie’, here’s John Green to help explain why you’re talking out your ass, Dustin!
He’s even a MAN so that instantly makes it more credible, right?
Imaginary Petal, now I’m hungry! You can eat my cilantro though.
@numerobis
Gladly! Do you want to keep your pea shoots though?
Exactly how many millions of studies need to be done before wage gap deniers are (finally and rightfully) treated like birthers, truthers, anti-vaxxers and climate change deniers?
SFHCs,
Now is good for me.
If this thread has taught me anything, it’s that I need a “Social Justice Kaiju” shirt RIGHT THE FUCK NOW.
(on the subject of t-shirts, I present the following link for your delectation: Social Justice Classes T-Shirts. Sadly, no Kaiju option this time. I am torn between Social Justice Rogue and Social Justice Berserker. )
Just chiming in to add another voice to the “I am a woman and I have always made my own money” pile.
The only women I know who don’t work full-time are two different friends of mine who come from family money. They still work, though, although it’s a lot of volunteer work rather than paid work.
I don’t have a STEM degree, but a BFA. I still manage to own my own home in a nice neighborhood with a nice yard, my son doesn’t go hungry or without various electronics (within reason) and I drive a later-model vehicle. We’re able to take a 2 week vacation once a year.
All on MY dime. My son’s father does pay child support, although not very much and not reliably. That money – when we get it – goes into his college fund (to which I also contribute).
Yeah, I don’t know where MRAs are getting these ideas, it’s honestly just so ludicrous. I think it’s wishful thinking, they’ve expressed before how they would prefer a woman be dependent on them (and thus unable to easily leave them).
@ Dr. Nicola Luna & Opposable Thumbs
Me and Mr Bluecat will be having a little walk through Central London this Saturday, probably pushing a couple of wheelchairs for friends of ours while we’re about it. Badges may be worn and songs sung.
In theory we’re going to be near the Corbyn 50 yrs+ Supporters banner, but based on past experience, we are rubbish at finding the banner we want to march with.
But utterly brilliant into running into people we worked with 30 years ago in another country completely at random.
Is anyone going to be carrying a mammotheers banner?
Re: crew cabs and fieldwork. How I miss my old ’67 Dodge Power Wagon with its crew cab and utility bed (locking cabinets for the truck-deprived). My workers (or kids) and I had a cleanish space to ride in through the desert, with our dusty equipment out back and the camp kitchen sealed in its cabinet, ready to use.
Come to think of it, I could use that roomy cab again now that I’ve let my Kaiju free.
I want to live with the Pathetic Sharks (80s English comic strip) – they just want to play with beach balls and eat ice cream.
@ Ellesar
Everybody loved the pathetic sharks!
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/A1oT1qnDuqL.jpg
I come back after a shave and I see that apparently, feminists have the power to turn into giant reptilian monsters… But I’m already a dragon, so does that mean I can become a MASSIVE dragon?
But what I fail to understand is why the other men measure their masculinity on such stupid things like if they pay for the dinner, what they drive, or something trivial like facial hair when these are all things that can be easily changed by reality. Personally, I just insure everyone tips 20% (my aunt got me started on that), and that payment is either split or done by whoever is willing to do it.
How bass-ackwards do you have to be too see that men make buttloads more money and that men are expected to pay for more stuff and conclude that the latter caused the former?
Actually women pay more for a lot of things. Cars, notoriously. Haircuts and dry cleaning. When products are marketed by gender – shampoo, razors, even bike helmets – the price goes up for pink packaging. Who could forget the “Bic pens for her”?
I feel the need to share some cute. Pepper is enjoying the new flowers I bought for the planter.
http://i.imgur.com/fyF409p.jpg
@kupo – Pepper is a gorgeous spooky kitteh. Lookit those eyes!!
@Scildfreja
Your reply makes no sense, and I fail to see how controlling for certain variables is begging the question.
@Tara the Antisocial Social Worker
These products exist because there is a demand for them. That’s capitalism, and if women didn’t buy them, they wouldn’t exist. Not men’s fault.
@Weirwoodtreehugger
Women manipulate men by taking advantage of men’s biological need for sex. That’s why men cave when women ask for things, and women knowingly take advantage of men in this fashion. There are inane biological differences between men and women which are responsible for the division of labor between them; I’m almost 100% sure of it. It’s feminists who keep trying to pressure women into roles which they are not designed to fill.
@Dreemr
I generally find that women who pay for their own things are unattractive; if they weren’t unattractive, they could actually get and keep a man to do it for them. Sorry, I guess that’s hard nuts for you!
Dammit, I keep hearing that mosquito whine. I hope I’m not developing tinnitus.
Dustinzeit,just because you choose to degrade your self to being nothing more then a animal who’s driven solely by instinct don’t assume that all men are like that.