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Confused MRAs charge conspiracy after Village Voice pans “agonizing” Red Pill documentary

This fictional character from The Office probably wouldn't like the film either
This fictional character probably wouldn’t like the film either

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The reviews are in! Well, technically speaking, a review is in.

The Village Voice’s Alan Scherstuhl has posted his review of Cassie Jaye’s The Red Pill, her totally objective documentary about the Men’s Rights Movement that was funded in part by some of the people featured in it and that will be opening in theaters a theater Friday

Let’s just say he didn’t like it:

[F]or two agonizing hours, Jaye tumbles slowly down America’s stupidest rabbit hole, discovering that Men’s Rights Activists are actually just dudes who have been dicked over by a culture that punishes masculinity. …

Jaye acknowledges in the opening and closing minutes that MRAs sometimes spew nasty garbage online, but she never presses them on this in her many interviews. Instead, she lets them moan about how hard it is to be a dude in 2016, endorsing their anecdotal complaints about unfair family courts, incidents of men being tricked into being fathers and — I didn’t quite follow this one — one father’s conviction that the women who had custody of his son were systematically trying to make the boy fat.

One can only assume that they are fattening him up before they EAT HIM.

Confused MRAs, apparently unable to understand how anyone could possibly hate a film they’re pretty sure they’re going to just love, have responded to Scherstuhl’s review by crying “conspiracy.”

In a comment on the Village Voice, MRA David King (presumably the same David King who is the “Chief Information Officer” for A Voice for Men) suggests that “[s]omething definitely stinks, and it’s not the film under review.”

He submits these, er, facts to a candid world:

• September 29, Cassie Jaye tweeted “Events surrounding The Red Pill documentary are getting curiouser and curiouser”, the same day Scherstuhl tweeted that he’d “agreed to review” TRP, the same day Scherstuhl invited a well-known anti-male MRA antagonist to DM him via Twitter.

Just FYI, the “well-known anti-male MRA antagonist” in question is apparently little old me, though I’m pretty sure I am not actually anti-male. I didn’t DM Scherstuhl, though I think I retweeted a couple of his Tweets. 

King continues:

• October 4, HP and Village Voice publish this hit piece using present-tense language (“this movie is playing in two American theaters”) strongly implying that the author has seen a film which doesn’t debut for another 3 days on October 7,

HOW ON EARTH DID A FILM REVIEWER SEE A FILM BEFORE IT WAS EVEN OUT oh wait that’s how film reviewing works.

• so Scherstuhl has not seen it at a theatre and cannot have seen it anywhere else unless either a) invited to by CJ (in which case HP and Village Voice, at which Scherstuhl is an editor, have violated the embargo such previews usually carry) or b) he has acquired a copy illegally.

Since both HP and VV have published this review already, since embargoes on unreleased films are the norm, and barring decent evidence of mismanagement on the part of CJ and her team, that rather heavily points at the latter. Whichever the case, violation of contract (best case) or breaking the law (worst case) doesn’t look good for either HP or Village Voice.

Yes, because films are NEVER reviewed before they hit theaters oh wait.

• If the author has not seen it, then he’s lying through his teeth both in the article’s content and about its provenance. He misrepresents the review as being based on an alleged viewing post public release but, owing to an editorial screw-up, the copy got released days before it should have been, proving that his article is a premeditated and contrived attack motivated by political animus.

• There are numerous tells in the language used in this article that strongly hint at an agenda and a prior conclusion (read: closed mind) so it almost doesn’t matter whether Scherstuhl did see it or not because the actual content of the film would make no difference to the content of the article.

King blathers on for a while along these lines, and even mentions me by name once! It’s good to be noticed.

Meanwhile, on Twitter, the lovable Dan Perrins seems to suggest that I might have actually paid Scherstuhl for his review.

Apparently Dan lives in an alternate universe in which men are oppressed and I am filthy rich.

Speaking of films, here is a short documentary about a capybara who jumps into a pool and plays with a pool noodle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=291Bry2FlsU

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nparker
nparker
8 years ago

Ooooh! I haven’t seen news about this film for a while, and now I find out it is soon to be released? Yes!

The MRA comments are so funny. They literally don’t know anything about how the modern (well, modern’ has been around for a long time now) world works. I wonder if this really is the line they’re going for? oh dear.

So it is going to be out on Friday. I wonder what it will be like. Will it be as terrible, pointless, uninformed and bad as everyone knows it almost certainly will be? I’ll be really very interested to see what it is like, and what reactions will be.

Somehow I don’t think it will be the roaring success MRAs think it will be.

Any word on what Jaye is doing now? Is there any word on what she’s been saying, or any insight on Twitter at all?

SpecialFFrog
SpecialFFrog
8 years ago

I gather many video game companies have embargoes around releasing game reviews too much before launch. Would it be entirely shocking if many MRA’s thought everything worked like video games?

Kat
Kat
8 years ago

Oh, I see what the issue is here.

This is the first film review that MRAs have read.

Like GamerGaters. They had never read a game review until Anita Sarkeesian came along.

So until very recently, they weren’t aware that film critics are all in the pocket of the matriarchy. Or that they wield unlimited power. A word from these corrupt people can ruin an individual.

That’s what happened to Joseph McCarthy, noted male senator from mid-twentieth century USA.

And Richard Nixon, another noted mid-twentieth-century man who actually became president of the USA.

And Adolf Hitler, male leader of Germany in the 1930s and part of the 1940s — and for a few years the potential ruler of the entire effin’ world.

It wasn’t easy for these guys to scramble to the top, what with powerful women constantly trying to drag them down. But through a combination of their own male genius, other men supporting them, and the Universe smiling on them, they made it!

Then — one movie review. That was all it took to destroy these guys.

What ever will the MRM do now?!

DMW
DMW
8 years ago

Ahh, the MRM, where it’s apparently acceptable to accuse another man of being a pedophile when you disagree with his take on gender politics.

Kit Fowley
Kit Fowley
8 years ago

@weirwoodtreehugger

Male genital mutilation is THE LAWs OF THE LAND!

iknklast
iknklast
8 years ago

Here are more men’s issues in case the author, in a rush to judgement, didn’t have time to research: male genital mutilation, gynocentrism in family court, male-only draft and selective service, reproductive rights. Remember, these aren’t social or cultural issues, although they may be, THEY ARE THE LAWs OF THE LAND. Unequal laws of the land. Do your research.

Seriously? These guys think circumcision is the law of the land? (Forgive me, I meant LAW OF THE LAND). I thought circumcision was a choice parents made, and that the law allowed them to do it; I never realized parents were forced to do it.

No matter how much one might hate circumcision, we need to concede that it is not, in fact, required under penalty of law. All non-circumcised males? Prison? Nope.

Edit: Maybe I should have refreshed before I posted?

calmdown
calmdown
8 years ago

opening in a theater Friday

STRONG BAD: Once finished, Strong Sad’s independent film will enjoy a small, art house opening.

STRONG SAD: You forgot the apostrophe-“s”! This film is opening at this guy called Art’s house! He’s got like three couches! Ou-tta-sight!

STRONG BAD: And, best of luck to you.

Grogepi
Grogepi
8 years ago

FYI everyone should read that review in full, if you haven’t already.

SPOILER FOR GREAT JUSTICE

I do cherish one flourish: an animated sequence of falling snowflakes, each with a different MRA complaint printed on it, meant to illustrate the movement’s diversity of grievances.

They literally choose to portray MRAs as special snowflakes

via GIPHY

Freemage
Freemage
8 years ago

I work at a newspaper. Sometimes I get to pick some of the books that come in for review for my personal collection. When I do, after I finish reading them, I have to be careful not to take them to 1/2-Price Books (yes, I am a biblioholic) too soon, because… they came to us MONTHS before the publishing date. Sometimes almost a year, if we’re talking galley proofs.

And review movies and music come in on about the same schedule. They often send multiple copies out, over several weeks, just to have a chance of standing out in the deluge of crap that flows forth from publishers, moviehouses and record labels. (As the article’s author notes, often the point is to get some sort, ANY sort of review, on the grounds that it’s publicity.)

And yeah, the embargo letters (they’re form letters sent with the review copy, by the way, which are probably LESS legally binding than a verbal contract, since the materials are invariably unsolicited in the first place–reviewers respect the embargoes because not doing so would be bad PR with the companies involved, not because of a legal obligation) usually set a date the week of release as the cut-off point, precisely to accommodate the news org’s schedule in terms of getting a review out just in time for the release.

Patricia Kayden
Patricia Kayden
8 years ago

One can only assume that they are fattening him up before they EAT HIM.

It would be irresponsible not to speculate.

P.S. That “Dramatic Alpaca” video is too hilarious.

Moocow
Moocow
8 years ago

This is probably my favorite part of the review:

Like many amateurish Kickstarter docs, The Red Pill doesn’t always have visuals worth regarding on a screen, but I do cherish one flourish: an animated sequence of falling snowflakes, each with a different MRA complaint printed on it, meant to illustrate the movement’s diversity of grievances. There’s “Misandry”! There’s “Restraining Orders”! Even the metaphor is hilariously white.

Reminds me of the “DRAMATIC PINS ON A CORKBOARD” animation that apparently cost Beavis and Butthe- I mean Davis and Jordan a ton of money.

Also, restraining orders are a men’s rights issue? I would love to hear the tortured logic behind that one (though I’m guessing it’s “I’m not allowed to harass my ex, that makes me oppressed!”)

EDIT TO ADD: oh my god, how many times have MRAs belittled feminists by calling them “special snowflakes”? The irony is killing me!

Bazia
Bazia
8 years ago

Yar, the review is as expected in your open letter, David. AVFM has put so much into this: not just funding the
movie”, but also funding Paul, Karen, Steve and other to go and clap at the opening — well it breaks my heart that it turnes out to be a piece of shit. And by God if they have put Chanty Binx into this I will mortgage my house to help her sue their asses.

Kat
Kat
8 years ago

@iknklast

No matter how much one might hate circumcision, we need to concede that it is not, in fact, required under penalty of law. All non-circumcised males? Prison? Nope.

Facts are MISANDRY!!!!!!!!!!!!111111!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

vox
vox
8 years ago

@WWTH:

Close, but the witch lives alone. That’s what makes her a feminist. Having a cat means she’s also a lesbian. It’s true!

Bina
8 years ago

…one father’s conviction that the women who had custody of his son were systematically trying to make the boy fat.

Aaaand now I kind of want to see this shitshow, just so I can see the anatomical prize specimen that worries about such ludicrous things.

Thanks a lot, Reviewer Dude!

Fabe
Fabe
8 years ago

STRONG BAD: Once finished, Strong Sad’s independent film will enjoy a small, art house opening.

STRONG SAD: You forgot the apostrophe-“s”! This film is opening at this guy called Art’s house! He’s got like three couches! Ou-tta-sight!

STRONG BAD: And, best of luck to you.

Ehh rather then go all the way to art’s house I’ll just buy a boot-leg copy from Bub’s store.

Schnookums Von Fancypants, Social Justice Wario
Schnookums Von Fancypants, Social Justice Wario
8 years ago

You know what makes me laugh? Imagine a clown being punched in the face….forever.

You know what also makes me laugh? That these folks, who supposedly worship manly logic, which is of course superior to weak female emotions, are responding with such illogical emotion. Sheesh, at least apply a little Occam’s Razor, will you?

BGHilton
8 years ago

Ok, this is getting weird. Every awful ideology in history has been able to field at least a couple of talented artists. They need someone to leave some decaying statues around for Shelley to find, I guess. How come none, not one, of these guys can write, draw, or make films? Does the MRA ideology kill talent, or does it somehow only attract the untalented to its ranks?

Diptych
Diptych
8 years ago

Maybe we only remember the awful ideologies that managed to attract competent graphic designers. Maybe history is littered with abhorrent movements, completely forgotten ’cause their logos sucked.

JSun
JSun
8 years ago

Maybe history is littered with abhorrent movements, completely forgotten ’cause their logos sucked.

I can absolutely confirm that there are lots of movements and groups throughout history who are completely unremembered by pretty much everyone but like three or four people who pass the stories on to their kids. A basic guestimate (as an armchair historian, so take it with a grain of salt) would put the number of mostly unremembered groups at about 5 or 6 every generation worldwide.

Axecalibur: Middle Name Danger
Axecalibur: Middle Name Danger
8 years ago

OT
Well, the VP debate just finished… Not good. I’m pretty sure Pence won. Kaine was smarter and more prepared, but he’s a little shit. Smarmy, kept interrupting, kinda wooden somehow. Pence had this squinty, Eastwood deal going on. He’s cool and witty. The fuckin one liners, yo! Brilliant comebacks. Of course, he’s also Darth Pence, the dark lord of the shit, so fuck him. Except voters don’t tend to care too much about all that. Hope I’m wrong and that, if I’m right, this doesn’t stop the bleeding for Trump

And 1 more thing. Fuck you, Quijano! ‘We expect too much of the police, don’t you agree?’ My ass! What kinda… Aaargh!!!

Snowberry
Snowberry
8 years ago

Upon reading “trying to make his son fat” the first thing which came to mind was the kid having to skip PE due to health problems, and he was all “man up and take it, stupid boy”.

Snowberry
Snowberry
8 years ago

Kaine vs. Pence came off as sort of half Trump debating the other half. With Kaine being the aggressive bully, and Pence being the evil-by-ignorance.

Cooper
Cooper
8 years ago

October 7 is my birthday.
Crappiest birthday present EVAR

GiJoel
GiJoel
8 years ago

I’m disappointed you haven’t featured this capybara-itlan.