Last night the BBC broadcast a programme, in the course of which there was a five-minute-long piece on myself, Ryan Barry, and Josh O’Brien. We’ll publish the segment on our YouTube channel in the next day of two, but I wanted to publish an offer of help from a feminist teenager, who emailed me at 2:15 this morning:
Hello,
My name is <name redacted> and i’m 19 years old from Preston, England.
First of all I just wanted to start off by saying I’m not a crazy feminist that is against men however, after reading your manifesto and all the context on your website [Reading all that material would probably take weeks, but she seemingly managed it in four hours.] i have to say your idea of feminism is wrong. But not untrue, feminism has be (sic) associated with men hating woman who are overpowering in their opinions.
I believe in equality not entitlements and supremacy. As a feminist I want to raise awareness about issues concerning men and I want have (sic) an equal representation for both sexes. I want to raise issues such as male rape, domestic abuses towards men, male suicides, and the high standards forced on men by society along with much more.
I recently watched a program in which your party was apart (sic) of, on BB3 and i watched the hate thrown your way. I believe that, with my help, you maybe able to put forward your ideas in a less ‘woman bashing’ way. And be able to affectively (sic) voice your opinions. If you allow me to help you I think I can be a great addition to your team, as a woman I will be able to productively talk to other woman with issues involving men.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Kind Regards,
I politely declined the young lady’s offer.
Not long after the programme was broadcast, I received a somewhat more pithy response, from another feminist:
You are an absolute twat. Fuck off.
“You are an absolute twat.”
This in itself is a good sign. Notice how they are associating FEMALE genitals as being a bad thing. Usually such an epithet would invoke MALE genitals. I’d say that we’re making some progress here!
Reblogged this on World4Justice : NOW! Lobby Forum..
“These actions are the product of a viral ideology possessed of self-righteousness, resentment and a sense of victimhood: the heady ingredients for a hideous mindset that is beyond reason and material considerations,” Mr. West writing in this weeks “Spiked” , about the ideologues of IS but somehow ……..
Any feminist with any understanding of feminist theory should actually do exactly as your young corresepondent says. For the main strands of academic feminist theory all agree that “Patriarchy” as an impersonal false ideological consciousness , which can indeed be very damaging to men in the social roles they are constrained to fulfill. If they took their own theory seriously feminists would welcome a debate about boys and men. Their own theory would “predict” males will suffer due to high expectations, undertaking risk, suppressing emotional life, separation from children, migration for work, press ganging into military services and so on.
Though personally I do not subscribe to such “conspiracy ” theories. However I have some time for feminists who at least understand their own theory rather than use it as a cover for prejudice and self interest.
I’m sure that her motives are genuine. But I’m also sure that she doesn’t understand anything about us or the men’s movement. I laughed when I read the “less ‘woman bashing’ way” part in her letter. But it does perhaps show the message is getting across.
That means you were too close to the truth for (her) comfort!