Filmmaker Cassie Jaye seems to have developed a weird affinity for bigots.
First, she cozied up to some of the most hateful figures in the Men’s Rights movement during the filming of her documentary The Red Pill.
Then, when her funding for the film ran out, she happily accepted financial assistance not only from the actual subjects of the film but also from a motley assortment of far-right ideologues — among them a notorious quasi-journalist who was famously tossed off of Twitter after his fans barraged Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones with racist abuse, and a delusional Trump superfan who literally believes he gave Hillary Clinton the flu with his mind. (After a big donation to Jaye, he got himself an associate producer credit on her film.)
Now she’s trying her best to drum up interest in her film, which has barely drawn any notice at all outside the overlapping spheres of alt-right lady haters and MRAs since it premiered at a New York theater earlier this month.
While The Red Pill got a glowing, if rambling, “review” from new pal/volunteer fundraiser Milo Yiannopoulos at Breitbart, and a somewhat less-enthusiastic thumbs-up from Cathy Young at the right-wing internet tabloid Heat Street, the two real film reviewers who’ve bothered to give it a look have panned it.
Katie Walsh at the Los Angeles Times took issue with the film’s “uncritical, lopsided” argument, complaining that Jaye “twists herself in knots to justify the movement’s misogynist rhetoric.” The Village Voice’s Alan Scherstuhl dismissed Jaye as an inept “propagandist” and warned potential viewers that, as the headline to his piece put it, “You Can’t Unsee ‘The Red Pill,’ the Documentary About a Filmmaker Who Learns to Love MRAs.” (His review of what he described as an “agonizing” film caused much wailing and gnashing of teeth amongst the MRA crowd.)
With little hope of attracting positive attention from film critics, and apparently desperate for any publicity she could get, Jaye agreed to appear on the podcast of an internet-famous bigot who has been described by one critic, not without reason, as “THE MOST WARPED USELESS PEICE OF SH*T THAT I HAVE EVER HAD THE DISPLEASURE TO ENCOUNTER [on the] INTERNET OR ELSEWHERE.”
I am talking, of course, about the rape-excusing, abuse-encouraging, lady-hating, gay-baiting white supremacist Matt Forney — he’s the one on the left in the photo below.
https://twitter.com/basedmattforney/status/787198238575120384
She didn’t just give Forney a couple of minutes of her time; she sat down with him for roughly three-quarters of an hour for his podcast “This Alt-Right Life.” It’s a singularly unedifying discussion. At one point she mentions that she used to get into arguments with her boyfriend every month about nothing, something she now jokingly blames not on PMS but on her (former) feminism.
Badump-tsssh!
She also expressed sympathy when Forney mentioned that he himself had been the victim of a “false” rape accusation. (Imagine that, the author of a blog post titled “Why Girls Rarely Mean No When They Say No” being accused of rape!)
Not that long ago, Jaye was by all appearances a staunch opponent of pretty much everything Forney and his alt-right pals stand for.
In 2012, she released a documentary titled “The Right to Love,” which, according to its description on IMDb, is the portrait of a “Californian married gay couple and their two adopted children,” fighting against the forces of “discrimination, ignorance and hate” who would deny them their right to marry and raise children.
Now she’s appearing on the podcast of a guy who is a virtual embodiment of this ignorance and hate.
It’s not as if evidence of Forney’s despicable views is hard to find, and not just in the WHTM archives. The name of his podcast contains the phrase “alt-right.” In the list of “popular posts” highlighted in the sidebar of his blog one finds such lovely titles as “How to Crush a Girl’s Self-Esteem” and “Why Fat Girls Don’t Deserve to Be Loved.” (Neither title is meant ironically.)
And then there is the endless stream of racist, misogynist and homophobic abuse that is his Twitter account. Some highlights from the last several days:
https://twitter.com/basedmattforney/status/790064680907792386
https://twitter.com/basedmattforney/status/790364983171354625
https://twitter.com/basedmattforney/status/790367816360857601
https://twitter.com/basedmattforney/status/790050589598162944
https://twitter.com/basedmattforney/status/789976518596362240
https://twitter.com/basedmattforney/status/789633067791122432
That last tweet — a reference to Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet’s practice of murdering people by throwing them from helicopters — is technically a death threat, aimed at a National Review writer who has gotten many such threats from Forney’s colleagues in the alt-right, including photoshopped images of his 7-year-old daughter being gassed in a Nazi death camp.
Are these really the sorts of people Jaye wants to align herself with?
In his “review” of The Red Pill, Milo claimed, without evidence, that a virtual army of feminists was “scrambling to stop Cassie Jaye” and her film. In fact, feminists have mostly ignored The Red Pill. And the person who has done the most to damage Jaye’s credibility is, well, Jaye herself.
David, is it case-sensitive? Could be letting some slip through that way. Otherwise yeah, it’s sort of odd that it’d slip through. Perhaps it’s a unicode thing.
See what I mean?! Even when you’re just chatting you can’t help but be inspiring 🙂
Sorry for the gushery, it can be weird from a stranger I appreciate, but one thing I work on is making sure I acknowledge out loud those who I admire and appreciate instead of assuming they already know they’re fabulous.
And there are many, many on here who deserve the same acknowledgement, which is why I’m feeling really gutted by what’s been said here in this thread.
Thank you 🙂 Some things just make me so angry that I have been known to get overwhelmed with it if I indulge, but I’m super fascinated by gender issues so I have to find my balance.
Despite the content of this blog, this is a sanctuary. The place I come to find a way to laugh off the not-funny, distract myself with my ongoing quest to try to figure out the complexities of who fluttershy is (without googling) 😉 or be inspired by the heart and humanity of strangers when directly confronted with the worst of humanity.
From one little lurker to the forum, thank you. I’m not sure you fully appreciate just what you all do for people like me reading silently in the background.
@Scildfreja Unnýðnes: “Abduction’s when you see a fact or state (e.g. you see men who have been mistreated by the court system, and you see feminists talking about male privilege) and from that you “reason” a supporting conclusion (e.g. feminists oppose equal rights for men). This is wrong, and will get you the wrong conclusions every time.”
True. The real proof of whether anyone opposes equal rights for men and women would be whether they actively support equal treatment under the law, as well as in schools and in the workplace. For example, if they support women having female-only study areas, are they supportive of men having their own spaces, too? Ditto to having organizations or events catering only to a specific group.
Also, are they equally supportive of male and female students majoring in STEM fields? Do they accept individuals going into whatever field that interests them, or if certain fields are heavily male or female-dominated, do they see something sinister at play?
While it’s great to look deeper to see what factors might be attracting more men to one field or more women to another, jumping from “More men go into nuclear physics, and more women decide to take time off from work or go part-time while their kids are small” to “Sexism” would be another example of abduction.
@Scildfreja Unnýðnes: “Truth ain’t easy to follow. It requires being vicious to yourself and generous to people who oppose you. It’s soul-crushing. Good luck.”
Thanks! I especially like the part about being generous to the people who oppose me. I do try to treat everyone with respect, whether or not they return the favor. One of my favorite lines from Alexander Ebert’s song “Truth” is the one that goes: “All my enemies are turning into my teachers.”
LOL, even if what they’re teaching me is how NOT to treat others. 🙂
Ah yes, the ol’ “women’s spaces” gambit.
Susan, do you know why those women-only places exist?
Because men harass women enough that women need a protected place to get away from them.
What you’re describing is equity, not equality. You want everyone to get the same period, but what we want is for everyone to receive according to their needs.
Women need a space away from men to avoid harassment from men. Do men need the same thing? Is women harassing men such a society-wide issue that men need spaces away from women for their safety?
Yeah, if you didn’t understand that you could have asked (I may or may not have responded, but you didn’t even try) rather than leap to the oh-so-liberal assumption that madness means irrationality.
And if you don’t understand my nick, you could also ask about that instead of making assumptions about it. OMG what sorcery is this “asking” thing???????
Quoted for truth. Well put PI.
In response to the questions about Matt Forney, I hadn’t heard much about him. And no, I’m not white supremacist or misogynist
This is, of course, the fatal flaw underlaying That_Susan’s argument about reproductive/parental rights. The indisputable biological fact is that those with uteruses are the ones with the heavier burden of childbearing. So, equality is going to necessarily entail a different balance of rights and responsibilities in reproductive decision-making. Because biology. That_Susan would like to ignore this inconvenient fact, and make sure everybody gets exactly the same thing, regardless of the inherent inequality of such an arrangement. Conflating reproductive and parental rights helps her here, because it allows the perceived injustice on the reproductive side to be made up for on the parental side, child welfare be damned.
(Hi all, delurking, briefly, for a second time because That_Susan’s disingenuous argument has finally become too much.)
Edit: Would like to second Sigh’s praise of the commentariat in general and Scildfreja in particular. I learn so much lurking here!
If you hafta say it…
@PoM
I’ve actually been wondering for a long time, would you mind explaining your nym? Nothing nefarious, just curiosity 🙂
Sigh :/: “You made an assumption everyone here was a feminist and therefore would not apply what is actually basic human decency to male rape victims.”
No, what I actually said was that when someone is accused by name of being a rapist, I believe that feminists will apply more basic human decency in terms of wanting to hear both sides, and not rushing to assume that the accused is a rapist, if the accused is female than if the accused is male.
http://www.transadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Epic_Facepalm_by_RJTH25255B125255D5B15D.jpg
Saying shitty things in a civil tone while refraining from swear words is not the same as respect.
You’re a fan of a virulent racist and misogynist (JB). And you ran to a her website to tell on us for “trashing” Cassie Jaye. You are not respectful and I do not feel respected by you.
Did someone call you that? I know that is what Matt Forney is.
That_Susan, I am going to assume you didn’t read anything past the bloody headline, then, since you quoted “hits a new low” without understanding why David would write that in the first place.
I have a hunch you’re not here to interact in good faith. (Just my opinion.)
Paradoxical Intention – Mobile: “Women need a space away from men to avoid harassment from men. Do men need the same thing? Is women harassing men such a society-wide issue that men need spaces away from women for their safety?”
I have heard that some men feel a need for places where they can relax, and speak and joke around freely without having to worry about offending any women who might be listening. For the men who feel this way, isn’t their own perspective just as valid as women’s perspectives on women’s needs?
@Axecalibur
I actually should probably change it. It’s Policy because I am (was) a political scientist, but I recently moved from a terrible job into a much better one as an urban planner. I still have the polsci degree and all but I’m not really using it much anymore.
It’s Policy of Madness because I identify as mad. I have a lot to say about the shitty way we treat the mentally ill in the US and how being identified as mentally ill suddenly means that you no longer any right to autonomy. I’ll spare you the longer version of that. Identifying as mad is political and nobody with a mental illness is required to identify that way. I, however, do.
So maybe I should change my nick to something planning related. There are many options but none of them feel right. Political science is still the major lens through which I view the world, so I’ll probably stick with my current nick for at least a while.
Aww, thank you, @Sigh. I’m really no better than anyone, honest. I just know how to talk with just enough pretentiousness to sound impressive 😉 I’ve learned enormously from the others here, and have a long list of regulars who’ve had a big, positive impact on me. It isn’t about me, it’s about us.
So, welcome, and I hope you’re happy to stay and contribute! I hope that your screen name evolves to embrace a new optimism and vigor as time passes.
http://orig01.deviantart.net/026a/f/2015/218/d/1/kawaii_fluttershy_by_0mariablueswirl0-d94f35i.png
@Policy of Madness, that’s exactly what I figured your nickname was about! I like it just as it is, I don’t think you need to change it. I’m happy to learn your new one if you do want to, though.
As the quote goes:
“A man alone in a roomful of women is delighted. A woman alone in a roomful of men is terrified.”
@Scildfreja
I probably won’t change it, at least for a good while. This just feels like a good identity for me for the time being, even though urban planning is kind of fantastic and I really love it to pieces.
“As the quote goes:
“’A man alone in a roomful of women is delighted. A woman alone in a roomful of men is terrified.’”
I haven’t found that to be universally true. That said, women can feel totally safe with most men (as I do) and still like having a woman-only space from time to time. By the same token, a man can find women delightful in general and still enjoy a man-only space from time to time. It doesn’t have to be a sexist thing for either a woman or a man to feel that way.
Susan, if you’re not even going to pretend to understand the purpose of a safe space, get out.
@That_Susan,
No, that’s a terrible test. That tests a range of issues with one single issue – it’s a non-covering test, if you want to get all technical on it.
How did you get to a comment about safe spaces (one designed to start an argument, it seems) from a discussion on paths-to-truth, anyways?
Here’s what I suggest, Susan. Go back and pick one of those points that you’ve had to “think about” and repeat it here – paste it in the box, highlight it, and click the “quote” button. Then tell us what’s giving you a problem with it. If you do that, I’d be happy to point out the things you’re missing. We can highlight the issue you’re having with it, and probably dig into the truth on that issue. We can then repeat with any other topics you might want to.
Confronting a difficult issue doesn’t mean “thinking about it for a long time.” If you’re spending a long time on it, you’re trying to integrate it into your current beliefs. This is the wrong thing to do. These problems are signs that your beliefs are wrong in some way.
You need to tear open your beliefs and shred anything that’s conflicting with the new evidence. When I said that seeking truth was painful, that’s what I meant. You need to do this quickly, too, before your brain can find rationalizations that make the new evidence fit.
(Either that, or you have to be good at identifying your own rationalizations, which is much more difficult)
It’s not easy, and it hurts. But it’s worth it.
Margaret Atwood said “Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.”
I know that That_Susan will say #notallmen and #notthemenIknow, but…
This article came up when I was searching for that quote, it seems interesting.
It’s a men’s rights issue that men have a safe space to say misogynistic things about women?
Like fraternities? Because guess what? Men in fraternities are 3 times more likely to rape than college men who aren’t in one
http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/jhamlin/3925/4925HomeComputer/Rape%20myths/Prospective%20Analysis.pdf
Once again you are putting men’s feelings above women’s physical safety. See what I mean about you not actually being very respectful.
@PoM, i follow a guy named Atys on YouTube. He is a city planner who plays Cities: Skylines, and his cities are absolutely gorgeous. His videos are just calm music and gorgeous scenery, and views of him building his city. Delightfully calming and utterly serene.
Any second now I’m going to read about the evil “SJW Tumblrinas” aren’t I?
Kupo: right??