Miriam takes issue with the sexual assault joke in Jezebel’s ‘Sexytime Dilemmas’ column, and asserts that jokes about raping men simply aren’t funny.
Originally appeared at Brute Reason
I know Jezebel is low-hanging fruit, but I can’t resist picking apart their new “Sexytime Dilemmas” column and its endorsement of sexual assault, which apparently is okay when the target is a man.
One of the letter-writers wants to know how to get a guy to try anal play. Jezebel’s “sexpert” responds (TW for sexual assault):
If you want this to work you’re going to have to be very delicate, and take things slowly. No one wants a dry finger shoved up their butt at random. In my experience, guys are generally more open to new concepts, and trying out new things, when you have their dick in your mouth. (This is because fellatio slows their brain down to a point of temporary retardation, which means their guard is down.)
…So, while you’re sucking, start playing with his balls and then slowly move moving your fingers back in the desired direction. Be conscious of how he’s responding to your touch. If he flinches as soon as you start poking around in that area, that’s not a good sign, but don’t give up hope just yet. Wait a minute or so, then do something fancy with your tongue to distract him and try again, rubbing lightly around the outside of the hole, as not to scare it….Basically, never give up and remember that with a little perseverance you can do anything you put your mind to, Susie!
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad free
I’ll say it several times since apparently people still don’t get it:
This is sexual assault.
This is sexual assault.
This is sexual assault.
I’ll let the much-more-talented Rebecca Watson explain this further, along with the many other ways in which that Jezebel post is horrible. For now, I want to address the assertion–which I’ve seen a few self-identified feminists make–that this piece is somehow “funny” because “humor” and “satire” and “lol rape against men.”
First of all, blindly regurgitating problematic crap is not satire, and it’s not any other kind of humor, either. Just as it wasn’t funny when Daniel Tosh said, “Wouldn’t it be funny if that girl got raped by like, five guys right now?”, it’s not funny to be like, “LOLOL JUST STICK A FINGER UP HIS ASS WITHOUT CONSENT LOL.” And that’s basically what this piece is saying.
Now, if sexual assault of men were extremely rare, to the point of being unheard of, I can see how this might be funny. Sometimes, creating a satirical world–in which something that seems ludicrous in real life is commonplace–is humorous. That sort of role reversal inspired a play I saw recently, Venus Envy, which depicted a world in which men, not women, were the “weaker sex.” This type of satire points out problems in our society that are so entrenched that we take them for granted.
But this is not the case for sexual assault of men. Men are less likely than women to be raped, yes, but it’s not that rare. Men also face unique barriers in admitting and prosecuting sexual assault–from the perception that they “can’t” be raped to the victim-blamey belief that they ought to be able to defend themselves. Knowing that the hypothetical man in the article would receive very little support from others if he accused his female partner of violating him–knowing, in fact, that he may have internalized the “men can’t get raped” myth to the point that he wouldn’t even have the words to talk about what had happened–it’s just not funny to me.
As another (much better) Jezebel article once pointed out, it’s quite possible to joke about rape. Since the article was in response to the Tosh incident, it’s mostly talking about standup comedy, but it’s still relevant:
So, comics. This doesn’t mean that everyone is obligated to be the savior of mankind. You can be edgy and creepy and offensive and trivial and, yes, you can talk about rape. Doing comedy in front of a silent room is scary, and shocking people is a really easy way to get a reaction. But if you want people to not hate you (and wanting to not be hated is not the same thing as wanting to be liked), you should probably try and do it in a responsible, thoughtful way. Easy shortcut: DO NOT MAKE RAPE VICTIMS THE BUTT OF THE JOKE.
Do not make rape victims the butt of the joke.
It’s not funny when they’re female, and it’s equally not-funny when they’re male.
After I read the Sexytime Dilemmas article, I participated in a few online discussions about it and I found numerous (female) feminists who found it funny–and who openly admitted that they wouldn’t find it funny if the genders were flipped. And I felt sickened.
Yes, women are more likely than men to be sexually assaulted. But how on earth does that statistical fact make it any less tragic when a man is assaulted? Is the fact that it’s less likely supposed to make it more palatable somehow?
I don’t think so.
I am reminded of this wonderful post in which the author screams, “My feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit!”
My feminism will concern itself with all rape victims or it will be bullshit.
My feminism will care about the ways in which men are harmed by patriarchy or it will be bullshit.
My feminism may not devote equal time to men’s issues as it does to women’s issues, but it will show compassion for all genders, or it will be bullshit.
Oh, and for heaven’s sake: if you want to try something sexual with someone, communicate and get consent.
See the button saying Submit? Do not actually click that ever again. The Web thanks you.
@Lori Day I think the issue lies somewhere in the male/male piece. Men have something in common with both parties. You can’t blame all men as perpetrators, there was a male victim. You can’t paint all men as victims, it was a male perpetrator. Men, already an oftentimes silent sex, are struck even further silent by the dichotomy placed upon males by such an incident. I would presume the same happens in cases of female/female rape cases, which you hear even less about but also certainly happens (to say nothing of the over-sexualization of woman-on-woman sex). One study I read… Read more »
Adam, this makes sense. Reminds me of the situation in the Congo where there is so much rape by men (military and nonmilitary) because society has completely collapsed. The females, as young as a 3-month-old baby I heard about, to as old as women in their 80’s, have pretty much ALL been raped, many multiple times, and very violently. They formed The City of Joy as a refuge. Many are so internally damaged they have holes between their vaginas and rectums with very complex and serious medical problems for life. But men have raped other men too with bayonets to… Read more »
I realize you’re busy so it won’t bother me, I just wish I saw the comments you refer to. I think it’s mostly because personal stories don’t get many comments at all, but contraversial ones do (female on male rape is rarely talked about so it’s controversial) and also the general articles of awareness (stuff on stats, etc). “But this is male-on-male rape, and like you say, a lot of men don’t know what to say about that” Women have been far more open about ALL major topics, even mental health women are far more likely to talk about it,… Read more »
@Lori
I will share this because I believe it’s relevant & it’s how I feel deep down within my soul to be true, I personally believe that death is more merciful then then being raped as a man.
Amen brother, amen.
Death may end the suffering, but it’s far worse than rape. It denies you the chance to a life. Many rape victims go on to have somewhat decent lives, they at least have a chance to HAVE a life however being killed gives you no choice in the matter. Rape is terrible but murder is worse.
@ Lori Day 1. To some extent I think you’re right. To some extent I think you’re wrong. There are some articles written on this site that are borderline misandric. They accuse men of perpetrating violence / abusing women and portray women as solely victims. One article actually suggested that women give empathy to men while men treat women with disrespect on a daily basis. In cases like these it is more common. How many articles would you see on feminist, progressive or women centered web sites were women are portrayed only as abusers and men only as victims and… Read more »
I am trying, perhaps not very articulately, to point out a trend I have observed on this site for months/years. That trend is as follows: 1) When an article is about men raping women (the actual crime or rape jokes or whatever) many commenters derail it, and bring up men, in the what about teh menz way. They also deny rape culture, deny women’s understandable fear, and they express acceptance of rape jokes about women, often saying “feminists need to have a sense of humor.” 2) When an article is about women raping men, everyone stays focused, no one thinks… Read more »
Lori,
could you please give concrete examples (meaning citations, links) of what you are talking about? Otherwise, I fear, the discussion will not be productive.
I personally don’t find rape jokes funny in general, but I believe people are to quick to call things “rape” or “rape culture”. (I guess this makes me a rape apologist of some kind; well, I still hope for productive discussions.)
Sigh. Could I give examples? Sure. I could if I had time. I don’t. You can look backwards at posts if you want to, or watch going forwards, or dismiss me. But I have to get back to work. I think that going forward you might see what I’m talking about now that it’s in your mind. I wish I had more time for comment threads than I do. Maybe it’s not worth posting, because when I have to get back to work, it looks like I’m backing down or hiding. I should probably not comment if I don’t have… Read more »
It does sound familiar. Sometimes I think the more personal stories don’t get a lot of comments for other reasons though. Like, people read them and then just think, “yeah.” and don’t comment. The posts with comments have more of a polemic feel to them, generally.
I don’t even know how to comment on a personal life story, it feels wrong even to comment, like if I can’t say something really involved and worth it then I shouldn’t say anything. I dunno, I can be like the stereotypical male…tell me something horrible, I will get angry, you will see me feel empathy and wanna tear the abuser apart, but I’ll have no clue what I am meant to say to make someone feel better. I could say “That sucks, sorry to hear that” but it feels I dunno…useless? It’s actually an issue that bothers me, not… Read more »
Lori,
What you are trying to get at is particularly problematic because you seem to be accusing an entire community of being hypocritical, and you are attempting to do so without evidence.
Normally no one would hold you to a standard of doing “required research” in order to post a comment, but then most comments don’t seem to be direct attacks on the entire community.
It’s very hard to hear “Why do you guys have a double standard?” as something that isn’t an attack, and without any kind of evidence, it seems like a very unjustified attack.
Lori, I can see where you are coming from, but I can’t agree with your analysis.
I do think this is particularly harsh:
That GMP writer who is a survivor of male-on-male rape might get a handful of short comments, or none at all. It is not the narrative men seem to want here. It goes against their woman-as-perp lens.
Some write to create discussion – others write to tell their story. Those garner different responses and levels of response.
Lori I have to disagree with you third point a bit if for no other reason JacobTK and Eagle3x have both had articles hat have been basically buried on this site. Both have done material here on being bullied and or assaulted by women and how they have been treated as a result and they did not get this focused attention you speak of. That’s not to say you third point is entirely wrong mind you but based on your logic these two would be the most popular contributors here. I think Julie’s point about personal story vs polemics may… Read more »
I have an article myself that didn’t get a huge amount of attention and I believe it talked about abuse from both genders. I also saw the lack of attention Eagle got on his which shocked me. I don’t think every article shows up in the RSS feed either? I’ve missed some as I rely nearly solely on an RSS bookmark for new articles in firefox.
You do realize you just “whataboutthewomenz’d” this comment thread right? I find it kinda funny “1) When an article is about men raping women (the actual crime or rape jokes or whatever) many commenters derail it, and bring up men, in the what about teh menz way. They also deny rape culture, deny women’s understandable fear, and they express acceptance of rape jokes about women, often saying “feminists need to have a sense of humor.”” The whataboutthemenzing comes often because those articles about female rape often minimize n quite frankly dismiss the severity of male rape. They do the classic… Read more »
Correction: “Yes, even feminists have blame here. ” should read “Yes, even some feminists have blame here.”
Prision rape, Boy Scouts of America, Jerry Sandusky, Certain preists in the Catholic Church. They all have one thing in common. They were facilitated by the slience of those who didn’t necessarally participate, but none the less knew about it. This ,is unfortunatlly the way the world confronts the rape of men and even young boys. Bury it and move on. This is why , Lori, these articles get little response. Men feel uncomfortable discussing it (I think because they know that if they were the victim, they too would be abandoned by soceity). and women, especially feminist women, I… Read more »
@ Lori Day “They label them with trigger warnings.” I admit that I’ve labeled jokes about male rape with trigger warnings. I remember one other person doing the same. What I don’t remember is any commenter telling a joke of female rape. I guess it comes to that same argument. Are women really disadvantaged because people base their sexual availability on what they wear or are men disadvantaged because they are always expected to be sexually available regardless of what they wear? Are men advantaged because rape jokes about them have trigger warnings or are women advantaged because rape jokes… Read more »
Is my big reply to this stuck in moderation or did I forget to post it?
@Lori
I think you’re discounting an obvious fact from yourself & the discussion, Lori! !!
If you don’t think your ideology (feminism), at least in part is making you have that perception or at least clouding reality then you are so immersed in it that any honest critical look at one’s own opinions is unlikely.
@Lori
For the most part we see what we want to see in issues we are passionate about , in part due to human psychology (defensiveness & wanting to be right in our beliefs).
All of us, yours truly included.
@Lori
At the same time certain cultures men in general do approach rape happening to them slightly different? ??
It’s a matter of death in a lot of cultures??
Meaning nothing can make up for it except killing whomever was responsible & I mean at any price literally & without hesitation, since a man being raped is worse then a man being killed period.
Just curious…since there seems to be consensus that this is not funny, why do so many men defend rape jokes about women, which are wildly popular these days in comedy clubs, on tv, on “controversial humor” Facebook pages, etc., etc., etc.? Why do they argue for women to have a sense of humor? Not take it personally?
Lori – I think the consensus is that rape jokes, regardless of gender are not funny. Though there is some valuable debate about the limits of humor and free speech. I think the focus of the article, which Miriam captured well, is that there is some belief out there that male rape jokes are funny, because a segment of the population doesn’t believe it exists. Any act without consent is rape, and there is nothing funny about it. I think rape jokes are in poor taste and not funny. But I know that others feel differently about the limits of… Read more »
Jeff, I just want to point out that I disagree. I believe that Freedom of Speech is sacred and that ANY rape joke should be allowed simply because prior restraints on speech are a generally bad idea. On this site, in the Tosh.0 thread, there were several comments of like mind. Those commenters have simply not spoken here yet, but I’ll assume that their opinions have probably not changed substantially. The Tosh.0 thread is here: https://goodmenproject.com/good-feed-blog/daniel-tosh-apologizes-for-rape-jokes/ The issue here is that Lori is asking a different group of individuals why there is a “double standard.” In reality there is no… Read more »
I was directing my questions at the commenters on this site who are very quick to label women who complain about rape jokes as taking things too personally, being politically correct, not respecting free speech. and being “feminists with no sense of humor.” Not all commenters do this. But many do, and I’m talking to them, asking why is it suddenly not funny when the jokes are about men, but funny when they are about women? Yes, I notice a double standard on this site. The next time I see men on here making the above types of comments, I… Read more »
*jokes…and also references to rape culture, and articles like this saying this behavior of women towards men is wrong. When it goes the other way around, the post tends to devolve into all kinds of “Oh, there is no rape culture!” baloney mighty fast. Anything to derail an article about female rape. So let’s just be fair, shall we? Let’s ALL be respectful and stay on topic when the victim is female OR male. That is all.
Rape culture affects prisoners disproportionately, A lot of men n women make jokes about prison rape. I think that’s partly the vengeful human attribute, they want prison to make those suffer because they’re seeing prisoners as murderers, child molesters, rapists so they should get “justice” inside. The number 1 joke about rape in all forms of media is prison rape, male-male usually.
Though I’m not sure I’d call it rape culture, or if it’s simply part of violence culture? Our cultures are pretty fucking violent.
I still think you are conflating issues. I do not believe “rape culture” is real (for many reasons which I do not wish to go into because it will be derailing). I also believe that freedom of speech is a sacred right, and so rape jokes should be allowed regardless of the gender they reference.
There is no contradiction between these viewpoints, yet you seem to suggest that there would be.
You’ve obviously never heard of don’t drop the soap jokes. Here is an example from the 80s/90s.
TRIGGER WARNING
What do you give your friend who just got sentenced to jail? Soap on a rope.
“But many do, and I’m talking to them, asking why is it suddenly not funny when the jokes are about men, but funny when they are about women?” This was real advice though, not a joke. I don’t see men laughing about serious suggestions of raping a woman, so no there is no double standard. If it’s a woman making a joke about raping a guy then yeah it could be a double standard. Question, have you ever laughed at a guy being kicked in the nuts? It’s very common in movies, even kids movies. Is violence ever funny to… Read more »
Violence is never funny to me unless it’s stupid slapstick stuff like the Three Stooges, and even then it’s just stupid! I do not go to R-rated movies for the most part, unless it’s R for language or nonviolent sex. I am one of those really sensitive people who can’t handle seeing violence. Rape does seem different than other violence in some ways that have to do with power and humiliation and the unique violation of being penetrated inside your body, inside the female part of your body that tears easily and can be severely and permanently damaged. It’s hard… Read more »
#1-3 BELOW, not above.
What about men who are forced to penetrate? Is their rape not as bad as men or women forcibly penetrated? “Violence is never funny to me unless it’s stupid slapstick stuff like the Three Stooges, and even then it’s just stupid! I do not go to R-rated movies for the most part, unless it’s R for language or nonviolent sex. I am one of those really sensitive people who can’t handle seeing violence.” That’s perfectly fine. I am someone who is pretty much desensitized completely to most forms of violence that are fake, I play violent games (The game “Dishonored”… Read more »
The difference I would point out is that in comedy clubs, it’s an attempt at humour. In sex advice columns like the one this thread is about, it’s supposed to be “advice.”
In comedy clubs and TV shows, it is at least an attempt at a joke. I am on the side that rape jokes can be funny (not always funny, not always not funny).
There is also the fact that this is not a joke in so much as it is advice. This is a serious suggestion in a sex column; it isn’t part of some standup bit.
I personally do not find rape jokes funny, and I will defend to the death anyone’s right to make them. Unending, ceaseless streams of them, over and over, hundreds of times.
I see no contradiction there, and I’m curious why anyone would.
Copy – you may attempt an “Evelyn Beatrice Hall” (or is that S.G. Tallentyre), but you do fall short. P^) None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free. – Goethe I too have no issue with people having freedom of speech.The issue I have is with the IQ’s of those who keep hiding behind it and using it to justify abuse under the guise of freedom and quality of speech! Free speech does not mean freedom. It’s not what you say – it’s what your words do that counts! There is a free market to… Read more »
@ Lori Day
I don’t think the Jezebel article was intended as a joke like I don’t think Daniel Tosh’s response to the audience member was intended to be a joke either. I suspect Daniel Tosh was trying to regain control of his show, which other people also paid to see, and so I’m less critical. He could have handled it better, but his intent was better than Jezebel’s. What do you think this article was trying to accomplish? I just don’t see how this was intended as a joke. It seems it was intended as advice.
I think because men are often toughened up, burying their empathy to some degree. It’s also seen as black humor. I laugh at jokes about murder, is that really any different to jokes about rape? But I don’t find real stuff that funny, silly shit in GTA games or movies like Crank, etc make me laugh. That humor helped me get through very tough times in my life and I think laughing about it is a way to deal with some very horrible shit. The difference is I don’t think jokes about real situations are good, Tosh crossed the line… Read more »
Who says we don’t make jokes about men being raped???
The simple fact that you are a woman hides that reality from you Lori, men do make jokes about men being raped more so then making jokes about women being raped, unscientific but in all of my years of existence & in many countries that was the case as a matter of fact we are so cruel & prone to joke about it that I know for a fact it was sadistic the way some guys got teased as part of hazing on occasion, Lori.
Well that’s twice now that I’ve typed out something long and thoughtful that I posted and then it never showed up…. Maybe I’ll feel I can be bothered to type it out again later.
If there’s a different standard for men and women, then I wonder how Jezebel would handle a trans victim. Is anal rape only funny for cis-men, or is it also funny for trans-men and/or trans-women? Is it funny for everyone who’s born male, or just those who identify as male? Can a male ever transition out of being a “funny” victim, or am I just stuck with it because of my birth certificate? Maybe if Tosh made a joke about gangraping someone who had transitioned to being woman, that would be half funny and half not, but maybe it’s like… Read more »
It frightens me that anyone who can type, and possibly use spell-check, can call themselves a sex expert and give advice. It’s not about the act of penetration of any orfice on either gender. Rape is about doing something to someone without their consent because it will bring you pleasure to do it. I am apalled that Jezebel’s sex “expert” thinks she knows enough about healthy sex to put her name on a blog. Healthy and hot sex occurs between consenting adults who talk about what they want, or don’t want, and feel safe exploring with a person they trust.… Read more »
A double standard about rape will always result in an absurdity, and it should collapse under its own contradictions. It won’t really stand critical examination, and it will at some point lead to an embarrassing moment. If it’s not funny against women but is funny against men, then Jezebel is vulnerable to being pranked. Tell Jezebel someone with a feminine-sounding name was raped, see the site’s outrage, and then point out that the person raped was actually a man. Oops. Would they retract their earlier statement and make a joke about it instead? Would they really say, “oh well, since… Read more »
The thing that stands out as worst to me, is that her article makes it sound like it all comes out of one incident. For example, when she says if he flinches do a trick with your tongue (ta-da! Re-retardation?) to distract him. The problem with this is it implies shutting his brain off, enjoying something else, not actually getting him into the act she wishes to perform. Hey, why not cut the foreplay and just slip him a roofie? However, had the authour changed some of the dialogue for this to be an ongoing series of attempts, that maybe… Read more »
In that case, I’m ok with advising a woman to try again on another occassion, but to try and try and never give up during the duration of one sexual encounter, then yes, that definitely leans towards sexual assault/rape in my books.
Especially when if swapping genders (a man trying trying and trying to do an act she isn’t into) it would certainly be called something to the effect of pressure/assault/rape.
If this were about a guy trying to get a woman to do a facial under similar circumstances would there even be a question about it?
I just want to be clear, so the Tosh.0 thread on GMP doesn’t seem out of place:
There should be no limits on comedy.
A rape joke is always okay, regardless of the implied victim’s gender, because jokes are always okay. The whole point of humor is to deal with uncomfortable subjects, and there should be no limits on this.
The solution to “OMG rape jokes about women aren’t funny!” is NOT to try and label rape jokes about men as also “unfunny.” The solution is to recognize that limits should not be put on humor in the first place.
Really? A woman putting her finger, or her tongue, it her lover’s ass, while she’s blowing him and playing with his balls, is “raping” him? I assume this article isn’t intended as satire, but wanted to be sure.
Doing something without another person’s consent is sexual assault, yes. I’m not sure why this is news. Is it only news when it happens to a woman? If there is one thing I know feminists support happening, it is surprise buttsex!
Yes, doing something sexual to someone else without their consent is sexual assault. And since the man in this scenario is clearly not consenting–the article gives tips on how to “get” him to ignore his discomfort and says “never give up”–it’s sexual assault.
Miriam – you are in many ways correct that what is being advocated via Jeeeeeezebel and their latests pundit – Karley Sciortino, is sexual assault. But I’d hate to see the Jeeeeeezebel readers having to explain to the Judge that they were only pushing it in a little bit – and they had blown the guy anyway so he should have been happy and not complaining… It was not rape because he is not a woman. Of course both Jeeeeeezebel and Karley Sciortino will be running to hide behind that First Amendment and the right to say what the hell… Read more »
Miriam,
“And since the man in this scenario is clearly not consenting”
This is not clear, at all. In my experience people sometimes like to have their boundaries pushed in a sexual context. The question if the man knows how he could to stop the whole thing (without using violence). “never give up” seems indeed problematic, but this is unlikely to be understood literally. All in all I see little danger, that a person who cares about consent would see this advice as a permission to violate their partner.
You’re right that it isn’t a clear case of rape, and that if this happened the man would probably express his non-consent loudly and clearly. However some men might not speak up, just as some women don’t speak up mid-rape, (there can be a deer-in-the-headlights effect). The Jezebel article seems to be a guide on how to manipulate someone into doing what you want. Manipulating someone to do what you want is not okay. A man manipulating a woman into anal sex would be offensive to most, and this is ethically the same. Sex positive feminists want to create a… Read more »
“However some men might not speak up…” If they can’t speak up, when they don’t want something, they are not ready to have any sex. To be able to reach meaningful consent both parties must be able and in a position to say a clear no, when they don’t want something to happen. The able part is also important. In general the criticism assumes that the woman in this example is fine with harming her partner, but if this is the case there will be abuse, whether she reads this advice column or not. “Sex positive feminists want to create… Read more »
Michael – you may need to go back to basics on the legal front. There was quite a “brou·ha·ha” this time last year on the subject of Rape and then just 10 months ago the FBI finally updated the definition of rape from 1929 to 2011 – so it reads: “Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” When you reads the law it’s quite simple – Jezebel is advocating rape, advising readers how to do… Read more »
Depends on the definition but yeah it’s rape by penetration.
I am shocked ,SHOCKED, I tell you, that Jezebel would take this stand (not really). File it with their peice about how it’s quite OK to ‘smack your man around’. Or with those wonderful women of ‘The Talk’ who think it’s hysterical when a man is actually castrated! I’m NOT saying you share these views, I’m just saying that to me, and other men I talk to, this is to us the ‘Face’ of modern Feminism. When my 30 year old Daughter wonders why her friends her age can’t find husbands or even steady boyfriends, I just wonder how much… Read more »
When did Jezebel say it was okay to “smack your man around?”
http://jezebel.com/294383/have-you-ever-beat-up-a-boyfriend-cause-uh-we-have
Gives a whole new meaning to “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings….”.
It’s always so interesting to see individuals question what others say – in the full expectation that the question will not be answered ……. especially if the person being questions has a certain chromosomal nature.
Understand Jezebel’s target audience–women who feel that abuse of men is ‘justice,’ ‘payback,’ and a thousand other empowering excuses that are widely embraced and endorsed in our society. Jezebel is a shining example of why the reputation of feminism, formerly a worthy movement for equality, is now in so much trouble.
I always felt it a common misconception when people say feminism is about equal rights, it’s about WOMENS rights. Which in itself is a noble cause. I mean, I feel my daughters have benefitted from their progress and for that I’m grateful. Now, however, there seems to be an undercurrent within the feminist movement to attack (somtimes physically) and humiliate men, many time just strangers who happen to be in ‘the wrong place at the wrong time’ as some sort of ‘payback’ for past misdeeds by men, both actual and alledged.
Double standard , radical demands , ridiculous names & claims in most of the protest walks & many other things is what makes the average Jane & John look negatively on that whole ideology.
Miriam – you is preaching to the converted!
The Big Question is, how to convert those folks who think some raping is fine and dandy …. and something to snigger over. The editorial team over at Jeeeeeezebel may need some conversion and re-education on the fast track!