So
Anita Sarkeesian at Feminist Frequency has released a wonderful video
on sexist tropes in videogames.
I
recommend you watch her videos (there will be 4 more tropes vs. women
vids) as she is genuinely awesome.
It
opened my eyes to the tedious "Rescue the Damsel" plotline
that is so reliably trotted out. How depressing that all is - more
misogyist rubbish from the great garbage tip of Patriarchy. It's
worth looking at the central plots of games before we buy them and
boycotting those who perpetuate this sexist "damsel" trope.
It's sad because video games have the potential to be a massive
positive force for women. For me, some of the best games are those
where women are (at least potentially) the protagonists, for example,
role-playing games such as Skyrim, and the Mass Effect and Tomb
Raider series. Sarkeesian has, predictably and unfairly, received
criticism from the rational supporters of Mens Rights Activists
(MRAs).
In
one such YouTube video,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfkS9YS_T0k&feature=youtu.be
although the author has no problem with the content of the damsel
tropes video, he criticizes the fact that comments were blocked from
it . Well hey, big surprise there! It may arguably be the ideal thing
to do, but allowing comments would just lead to an instant slew of
profane misogyny we are better off without. Can we blame Sarkeesian
for not wanting this? I don't think so. Seeing some of the sick,
disgusting and hateful bile which is flung daily at women on the
internet, whether they be bloggers or activists, I am constantly
shocked.
It
adds no value to anything to let such rubbish be aired on the
comments. So the author of the video criticisng Sarkeesian for this
admits there is little to argue with in her video, but insists that
criticism be allowed, even when he knows it will be mostly uninformed
and unhelpful. But genuine comments to the video could be posted
anywhere else - no one is stopping that. It just seems like that old
chestnut of "free speech". Yes, you're free to say what you
want and we're free to ignore it. Except, it must be hard to ignore
rampant, personal abuse. We've heard of it all before and I have no
further need for it. Spare a thought for the poor recipients!
To
me, this shows why Mens Rights Activists just don't "get it".
To compare the abuse they receive from feminists (which is
essentially name-calling) to the vile rape and murder threats they
dish out in return is pretty unbalanced. They are not in the same
order of magnitude. Statistically, there is more of a risk that these
latter threats may actually come to pass, and understandably that
causes genuine distress and fear. Also, as a further point, there is
an appalling article on, you guessed it, the Reddit site, Men's
Rights section. That shining paragon of fairness and tolerance. I
shudder to post the link. Don't read it if easily offended.
The article has
the blind arrogance to try and redefine feminism so that "people
of all genders should have an equal say about what 'treated equally'
means,"
and then attacks feminism because it doesn't do that.
Two
points. Firstly, massive straw man. MRAs don't understand feminism,
and won't unless they change the mindset. Secondly, well, that would
be convenient for men, having an equal say, wouldn't it? How can
people can be so emotionally stunted as to be incapable of a moment's
empathy? I would suggest that the point may be, that *men can't be
trusted* to have an equal say in what feminism means, or what it
should try and achieve. The past few thousand years of subjugation
should be proof enough of that. Letting men define equality would be
like letting a criminal determine his own sentence.
Look,
I'm no expert in feminism. I have never claimed to be. I've not
read any books on it. I've only started a few months ago. But I
guess my point is you don't need to be, to see how wrong MRAs are, on
nearly everything. And this trend of atheists jumping on the MRA
bandwagon really disgusts me. As an atheist myself I rely on
humanism to help guide my moral principles. The argument that laws
are the main guiding light of the godless and are sufficient to
prevent violence against women, is often used. I'm not convinced
laws are enough on their own. They are certainly starting from an
imperfect position. I won't abandon the principles of humanism (which
includes feminism to some extent at least) just because some
emotionless automaton claiming to be the ultimate logical, scientific
and rational exemplar says we should.
I
see the equality problem on a sliding scale. Equality in the middle,
total mens rights on one side, women's on the other. The current
position of the slider is undoubtedly some way over to the men's
side. To me, we have an iterative process. The first attempt at
correction of the slider's position will possibly take it too far
over the other direction. This is to be expected. We can only make
subsequent adjustments once we're actually reached the iterated
position, or are at least close to it. This notion is nicely summed
up in one of my favourite responses to concerns that "equality"
is going too far: "Let's get there first".
And
what have us men got to be so concerned about? Well I'm a man and I
don't need MRAs. If we're supposed to be so tough, just suck it up.
And if men are so wonderful as MRAs claim then surely we'll rapidly
be able to claw back any lost ground if, shock horror, we feel things
have gone too far. I have my own feelings about certain types of
radical feminism. Should certain demonstrably untrustworthy men in
positions of power be supplanted with suitable women? I think so. The
same goes for the problem of minority representation in politics,
business leadership etc. But I feel uncomfortable at the thought of
men only being seen as part of the problem, and not being able to be
part of the solution. That is difficult to live with. But the
behaviour of some MRAs only serves to make such radicalism more
extreme.
So
here's my message to men everywhere: If you see or hear about sexism
anywhere in going about your daily life, do something about it. Call
it out, Challenge it, Report it. If you know men who actively abuse
women, physically, emotionally, verbally, or on the net: tell them to
“JUST STOP IT”. They should quit. Cease and desist, to use legal
parlance. They are damaging the world and giving men everywhere a bad
name.
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