My oh my, the meninist movement has got me feeling like we’ve all taken a step back from the progress we’ve made toward equality. When I first heard of the movement, I thought it was some sort of skit or joke that Saturday Night Live had come up with. Upon realizing that it was a joke turned into a serious thing, I was in shock.
In what world is celebrating misogyny an acceptable thing to promote and support?
As I scrolled through the meninist hashtag on various social media platforms, I was appalled to see the posts that were being made. I felt as if I had delved into some sort of anti-feminist hell (which basically is what it was) and I would need a lot of rope to get out.
Most of the posts were about how men too have real curves and questioned why men must open doors and pay for dates. Some posts were even more extreme (and hard to see that they even exist), parodying anti-rape posters. It was extremely frustrating to see the work that feminists have been doing being erased by a group that had no legitimacy.
I felt like what brought about these meninists is the lack of education and understanding that men (and just people in general) have about what feminism is. I cannot stress enough that feminism is about equality between the sexes. It is about females gaining the unseen privileges that men have had for decades. It is about females being able to be whomever they want, without receiving backlash from society.
So, let’s address the meninists issue by issue. The first thing I saw was that real men have curves too and that women should date men under 6 feet. What I saw was a lot of hate from men having to accept a woman’s body and not having it be reciprocated. The most popular example that the meninists used of men being objectified was the movie “Magic Mike.”
Now, I can’t say that they’re wrong in this aspect. Yes, men can be and are objectified. But it is not to the degree and frequency that women are. I found it problematic that most of these posts regarding men’s body images were almost always directly related to their interactions with women. Their feelings were hurt by rejection, and in all honesty, it felt like an attack on women who didn’t want to date them.
As for opening doors, I’m pretty sure that anyone who has manners will open the door for someone else. Opening doors is not just done by men. Nice people everywhere do it. I think this too can apply to paying for dates. I would like to think we’ve come to a point in time where two people can discuss this issue in a civil manner without World War III erupting at the dinner table. (Side note: maybe if women weren’t paid 78 cents to every dollar a man makes, we could pick up the check more often.)
The last and most troublesome part of the meninist campaign is their parody of anti-rape posters. Male rape is a serious matter, and I’m very aware that men must endure this horrendous act. Yes, females can rape males, but much of the time, it is men who rape women.
There aren’t large statistics on this due to the fact that men rarely report sexual assault. This is a serious issue that is not to be taken lightly, and as a feminist, I am against rape, no matter what sex or gender has been harmed.
The bottom line here is that no part of me will ever support the meninist movement. In all honesty, I believe that this campaign sprung up from a place of ignorance. These meninists have a warped and inaccurate view of what feminism is and what feminists are trying to achieve.
How can equality be achieved if men and women are constantly being pitted against one another? How can we expect change to happen if we cannot fight for it together?
Instead of playing a blame game, meninists should put away their ignorance and step up to the plate to bring about some real change. Change the way that society believes men should act and feel. Change the way men act and deal with sexual assault. Change the way our world treats women because it will help and not harm men.
I’d like for any meninists out there to think about the women in their lives. Think about your moms, sisters, cousins, teachers, etc. Then really think about the things you’ve tweeted or wrote. Would they be proud to see that you’ve said such hateful things? I’m pretty sure the answer here is no.
I believe that feminists here have a responsibility as well. We’re responsible for educating these meninists and showing them what feminism is really about.