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History of Feminism
Showing Original Post only (View all)‘Men’s Rights’ and ‘Revenge Porn’ Sites Seethe With Anger Over Women’s Autonomy [View all]
In many ways, the argument that women should be fully equal to men has won in the public discourse. Sure, a lot of people still fight against equality, but they often pretend that its about something elsefetal life, religious liberty, womens choice to make less moneybecause even they know openly stating the belief that women are a subclass of people put here to serve men tends not to go over very well with a general audience. Womens education rates and income are going up. Violence against women is going down. The attacks on reproductive rights are escalating, but thats in part in response to the fact that women themselves, especially younger women, are increasingly comfortable with the belief that they are the decider when it comes to what happens to their uterus.
However, theres one growing trend that, while its hard to really get an idea of its size, should be a cause for concern: The number of men online creating communities dedicated to advancing the plain old, unvarnished misogynist belief that men deserve to control women. On mens rights forums and revenge porn sites, groups of men are gathering together to find reinforcement for the plain old abusive belief that women who make their own choices about who to sleep with and who to marry are evil, and that allowing women this most basic of freedom is somehow oppressive to men. That there are many men who feel this way is no big surprise, particularly to anyone who knows the extent of domestic violence in this country, violence that is usually rooted in just this belief about male entitlement over womens bodies. But the fact that they have found each other online and are pumping each other up and feeling more and more empowered by the minute in their ludicrous beliefs should be a major cause for concern.
Two stories from this week show exactly how true it is that these communities are about crafting the belief that women oppress men by wanting to be the masters of our own bodies instead of ceding that control over to men. In California, Attorney General Kamala Harris announced the arrest of Kevin Bollaert, who is being hit with 31 charges of conspiracy, identity theft, and extortion for running a revenge porn site. Revenge porn is a nasty little subset of the Internet where men take naked pictures they usually obtained during the course of a consensual relationship, and they post them against a womans will in order to humiliate and harass her. Often, as was the case with Bollaerts site, the womans name, location, and social media information is also provided so that the men who use the site can more effectively harass her.
The name revenge porn really points to the fact that this is about establishing the claim that men own women, and women do not get to say no. The men justify putting up the pictures as a form of revenge. Revenge for what? Well, usually for something as simple as dumping him. In some cases, the men try to beef up their claim of a right to vengeance by citing cheating or some other relationship infraction. It doesnt really matter. You have a right to dump someone if they cheat on you, but the belief that you are owed the right to revenge by stalking and humiliating them is rooted in the belief that you own them and their bodies, and what they choose to do with their bodies somehow is a violation of your rights. While there are (reportedly) a few revenge porn pictures of men floating out there, by and large this is a violation enacted by men on women, and reinforced by an Internet community that assures these men they deserve to hurt and abuse women because those women are making choices with their own lives of which the men do not approve.
However, theres one growing trend that, while its hard to really get an idea of its size, should be a cause for concern: The number of men online creating communities dedicated to advancing the plain old, unvarnished misogynist belief that men deserve to control women. On mens rights forums and revenge porn sites, groups of men are gathering together to find reinforcement for the plain old abusive belief that women who make their own choices about who to sleep with and who to marry are evil, and that allowing women this most basic of freedom is somehow oppressive to men. That there are many men who feel this way is no big surprise, particularly to anyone who knows the extent of domestic violence in this country, violence that is usually rooted in just this belief about male entitlement over womens bodies. But the fact that they have found each other online and are pumping each other up and feeling more and more empowered by the minute in their ludicrous beliefs should be a major cause for concern.
Two stories from this week show exactly how true it is that these communities are about crafting the belief that women oppress men by wanting to be the masters of our own bodies instead of ceding that control over to men. In California, Attorney General Kamala Harris announced the arrest of Kevin Bollaert, who is being hit with 31 charges of conspiracy, identity theft, and extortion for running a revenge porn site. Revenge porn is a nasty little subset of the Internet where men take naked pictures they usually obtained during the course of a consensual relationship, and they post them against a womans will in order to humiliate and harass her. Often, as was the case with Bollaerts site, the womans name, location, and social media information is also provided so that the men who use the site can more effectively harass her.
The name revenge porn really points to the fact that this is about establishing the claim that men own women, and women do not get to say no. The men justify putting up the pictures as a form of revenge. Revenge for what? Well, usually for something as simple as dumping him. In some cases, the men try to beef up their claim of a right to vengeance by citing cheating or some other relationship infraction. It doesnt really matter. You have a right to dump someone if they cheat on you, but the belief that you are owed the right to revenge by stalking and humiliating them is rooted in the belief that you own them and their bodies, and what they choose to do with their bodies somehow is a violation of your rights. While there are (reportedly) a few revenge porn pictures of men floating out there, by and large this is a violation enacted by men on women, and reinforced by an Internet community that assures these men they deserve to hurt and abuse women because those women are making choices with their own lives of which the men do not approve.
http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2013/12/16/mens-rights-and-revenge-porn-sites-seethe-with-anger-over-womens-autonomy/
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‘Men’s Rights’ and ‘Revenge Porn’ Sites Seethe With Anger Over Women’s Autonomy [View all]
ismnotwasm
Dec 2013
OP
I've never seen any estimates of how prevalent this attitude is, have you? I kind if always assume
Squinch
Dec 2013
#1
Yes, it is happening here, but as Bains Bane said, in the larger scheme, over the longer term,
Squinch
Dec 2013
#18
Well Savannah Dietrich was enraged enough at the gag order imposed on her to act.
redqueen
Dec 2013
#19
they did a misstep and finally getting negative attention. also meet the needs of a lot of pathetic
seabeyond
Dec 2013
#34
there is always hope. hence why women continue to speak out day after day after day. regardless
seabeyond
Dec 2013
#37
k and r--bookmarking for later, because I don't feel like throwing things right now.
niyad
Dec 2013
#3
on levels, different degrees. i was in a thread, you too. all about women doing what it takes to
seabeyond
Dec 2013
#12
Sea, taking a moment to say happy banishment, and I'm looking forward to when you come back!
Squinch
Dec 2013
#15
exactly. it is not liek we are stupid and do not notice. and ignored when making the point.
seabeyond
Dec 2013
#29
to some men, the worst thing about rape is that it causes star athletes to miss games.
geek tragedy
Dec 2013
#30