This Twitter thread was pointed out to me by our director of Special Projects, Mike Kasdan, and then quickly embraced by the leaders of our #StopSexism Social Interest Group, Gretchen Kelly and Jeremy McKeen. We hope it to be a subject of conversation on our weekly #StopSexism calls, held every Monday evening (RSVP and get details HERE). You can also join our #StopSexism Facebook group here, where we are discussing this very thread.
As publisher, I want to point out the solution inherent in this Twitter thread. The solution is to grant access to men to all the intimacy in relationships that women already have. This is something we talk about at The Good Men Project a lot, and hope to continue talking about until we see real change.
Thanks for joining in the conversation.
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1/ I’ve been wondering lately if part of the reason fragile men are losing their fucking minds is because they lack access. (thread)
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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2/ By “lack access”, I don’t mean in the broader sense–men have far too much damn access–but in the micro sense.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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3/ Like… take for example the continuing controversy over Fearless Girl, this awesome statue. pic.twitter.com/ir8V4zOjwf
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad free— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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4/ Some of you may see this as an example of corporative activism run amok, and that’s fair. But it’s still important and inspires many.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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5/ But holy shit, I would not have anticipated the outcry against this statue from so many fragile men. It’s really something else.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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6/ There was the guy who originally funded the bull statue and sued NYC to get Fearless Girl removed. “Artistic integrity”, he said.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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7/ Then there was this fucking toolbag–Alex Gardena–who placed a statue of a dog urinating on Fearless Girl. Classy. pic.twitter.com/fZFW4noOjH
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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8/ And I’ve read at least one article of drunk dudebros humping the statue in front of groups of schoolgirls. Wonderful.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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9/ Meanwhile, you have other dudebros losing their fucking minds over the all-woman screenings of “Wonder Woman”.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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10/ It all makes one wonder… why is “female empowerment” so threatening to many men? I mean, in a sense, we all kinda know why.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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11/ But burrowing down deeper, I think a big part of it is feeling left out. I think many of these men legitimately feel left out.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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12/ Of course, when WOMEN were left out of everything (and still are)–from Congress to sports to the White House–these men said nothing.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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13/ But I really do think that Alex Gardena felt threatened because women are demonstrating a solidarity that men could never achieve.
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad free— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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14/ Our patriarchal system is different from “solidarity”. Men benefit from a system already in place. They profit by default.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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15/ So, for many of these assholes, they want a kind of community–a vulnerability, a warmth–they feel is inaccessible to them.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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16/ A person can have male privilege and feel incredibly, utterly lonely. Given how men are restricted from communicating with each other…
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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17/ …and expressing warmth and affection with each other without being seen as weak, it’s gotta be really jarring and irritating…
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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18/ …to see women maintain previous cultural connections like this while ALSO moving toward empowerment men have always enjoyed.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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19/ Women have a cultural bond and are gaining power. Men have power but wholly lack an intimacy that women are permitted to enjoy.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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20/ So, I have to think, aside from other reasons, that many of these men are just incredibly resentful at the perceived bond women have.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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21/ Damn, I wanna keep this thread going, but I need to head out for the day. Maybe finish it later? /thread
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) June 13, 2017
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Editor’s Note: Join the conversation by continuing Charles’ list here, in the comments.
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I don’t really agree. Let me break it down for you why. 1) Adding a little dog that pisses on the little girl is actually poetic justice and a little bit funny. Placing a little girl to stand in front of the bull alters the meaning of the bull (it figuratively pisses on the meaning of the bull). So adding a dog that pisses on her is pretty funny. An example. In Birmingham there is a statue of two women and two children (a symbol for the modern family, fantastic). Now I believe that men can raise children just as… Read more »
Very articulate and compelling counter-points there: Thank-you Chris!
He hit the nail on the head.