At the risk of splitting the “misogynist dickbaggery in the atheist movement” discussion in two, I really need to mention the amazingly well-timed Reddit meltdown of TheAmazingAtheist. It’s already been covered pretty well by PZ Myers and by Jen McCreight of BlagHag but, what the heck, I’ll throw in my two cents as well.
TheAmazingAtheist, for those who don’t follow these things, is (or was?) a popular atheist podcaster well-known, and beloved by some, for being something of a misogynist dickbag. He’s been on a anti-feminist kick for the last couple of months, winning himself many plaudits on Reddit’s Men’s Rights subreddit, though even the MR regulars couldn’t help but notice that he’s a bit of an ass.
Well, now he’s pretty much revealed, with a series of horrendous comments on Reddit, what a complete and utter asshole he is. Let me put a second TRIGGER WARNING here (for violent talk about rape), on top of the default TRIGGER WARNING I put on all my blog posts.
The context : a discussion (which he started) about the propriety of one feminist Redditor calling themself ICumWhenIKillMen. I’m not going to defend that nickname, which obviously makes light of violence in an obnoxious way. But AmazingAthiest was apparently so troubled by this sort of language that he felt compelled to spew forth a succession of violent rape threats.
Let me draw your attention to some of the highlights. (Click here to see his whole comment history on Reddit, where he comments as terroja).
Things started going south about 19 hours ago, when he told one detractor:
I’m going to rape you with my fist.
He followed this with:
I will make you a rape victim if you don’t fuck off.
It got worse:
I’m tired of being treated like shit by you mean little cunts and then you using your rape as an excuse. Fuck you. I think we should give the guy who raped you a medal. I hope you fucking drown in rape semen, you ugly, mean-spirited cow. Actually, I don’t believe you were ever raped! What man would be tasteless enough to stick his dick into a human cesspool like you? Nice gif of a turd going into my mouth. Is that kind of like the way that rapists dick went in your pussy? Or did he use your asshole? Or was it both? Maybe you should think about it really hard for the next few hours. Relive it as much as possible. You know? Try to recall: was it my pussy or my ass?
He continued in this fashion for some time, mocking those who pointed out that rape threats can be triggering, and regularly referring to his opponents as “cunts.” (Each of the following paragraphs is from a separate comment of his; click the quotes to see the full comments in question in their original context.)
BTW, you have to admit, when I told you that I hope you drown in rape semen, you got a little wet, didn’t you? It’s okay. We’re friends now. You can share.
Yes, you read that right: he was saying this shit to a rape victim.
Eventually, theAmazingAtheist found himself stopped short by this scathing critique, from the Redditor called veerserif.
I now know that, apart from being misguided, intentionally ignorant, and quick to resort to pathetic excuses, you are also a purposefully hurtful person with no sense of empathy, and no sense of remorse. You’re not just unintentionally uninformed, you actively turn what you know against people who should be deserving of your sympathy.
I was mistaken before. I thought, maybe, just maybe, after the circlejerking and the giggling, I could try showing you the stuff you said I didn’t highlight. I could show you what feminism has done for men, or maybe tell you about the existence of sex-positive feminism.
But this… this is a whole new level.
Your reputation, in my eyes, has fallen so far that dragging it back up to “mild disgust” would require nothing short of a miracle. You pretend to care about other people, but you really don’t. You like to think that you’re a decent human being, but you fall so far short of that you’re practically on separate planes of existence.
Deliberately triggering a rape victim? Equating being called out on your bullshit to the trauma of rape?
You know what you deserve? You don’t deserve death. You don’t deserve rape. You don’t even deserve some cosmically mandated, hilarious schadenfreude which would not only be brilliant, but just.
What you deserve is for everyone to know this side of you. You deserve for anyone who thought you were a good person to know what you’ve just done. You deserve your fans’ adoration turning to hatred, you deserve the judging stares and looks that people will give you. You deserve to be reminded, every day, of what you do and what you’ve done. You deserve to remember every day that there are people who suffer more than you, that there are people who are stronger and smarter, braver, more principled and better than you, in every way, until the day you realise exactly how wrong your actions have been.
I don’t want to see bodily harm visited on you, because I don’t want to see bodily harm visited on anyone. What I do want is for you – and, for that matter, every shitposter I’ve ever seen – to learn that anonymity is not an excuse.
At this point, theAmazingAtheist backed off, offered a whiny, petulant non-apology apology for, as he put it, “SOME of the statements I made,” and wondered aloud why people were still so mad at him.
He went on to make, yep, a little video about his experience, and to offer a weird and unconvincing “rebuttal” to PZ Myers’ comments on his meltdown. See PZ Myers’ post for links to the video, as well as the rebuttal itself (which is effectively re-rebutted by Myers). See here and here for a transcript of the video.
Naturally, there’s a discussion of the meltdown on ShitRedditSays as well.
One heartening sign in all this: the massive numbers of downvotes theAmazingAtheist got for his worst comments. I hope that a significant number of them were from actual Men’s Rights Redditors, and not only from people who came into the discussion from elsewhere on Reddit, but of course there is no way of knowing.
Will atheists and MRAs drop theAmazingAtheist like a hot rape-threatening potato? Or will they start rallying around him as some sort of heroic truth teller and rape threatener? Somehow I suspect there will be a bit of both.
I think it’s an insult generating bot.
And it’s insults are weak. Is it malfunctioning?
All our trolls are malfunctioning. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.
Someone had to do it. I bring you MACK ZAYNE MAD LIBS!!!
Part 1:
[Name], you seem more [adjective] then a [gerund] [noun].
[Adjective].
Yet here you are, [length of time] later as well, [verg, gerund] to me. And where, pray tell, did you get the [noun] that I underwent a [adjective] “[noun]”? Grasping for [plural noun], are you? Well, I can’t feign [emotional state], it’s every [member of a social movement]’s [noun], you’re [adverb] [verb, gerund] the [noun] you were [verb, past-tense], [term of endearment]. Could it possibly be because of the [adjective] [punctuation marks], [verb, gerund], and [plural noun]? Oh wait, that’d be you. As to [verb, gerund] what a “[adjective modifying noun], sorry, it’s not my [noun] to [verb] the [plural noun] of your [adjective] [verb, past-tense] [noun]. If you don’t know, you have the [noun] to [verb] (it serves more purpose than [verg, gerund] yourself and your [adjective] pals on the [noun] in your [adjective] [noun]).
And as to [somewhat famous person] and his [noun]; true about the amount of [plural noun] not being an [adjective beginning with a vowel] [noun] of [adjective] [noun], BUT, the [noun +verb] for itself. And even despite the [word for groups of animals] of [verb, gerund] [plural noun] on this page and their [adjective] attempts to [verb] his [plural noun], you can see that it hasn’t really [verb, past-tense] the [noun] of [plural noun “vs.” another plural noun]. Nice attempt though.
[Verb, gerund] to the so-called [member of a social movement] attempt at [repeat previous member of a social movement] [verb, gerund] [noun] against [plural noun], well [term of endearment], you’d really have to [verb] that, from a [italicized adjective] source, not a [member of a social movement]-tumblr-[noun] quasi [noun] of this kind. From what I’ve seen, just about all their [plural noun] are [verb, past tense] [adverb] in [plural noun]’s aid and [noun] prevention–they’ve been [adverb] [adject] about [noun] involving [plural noun]!
Madlibs part 2:
I [verb] you for [verb, gerund] every [noun] I made spot-on merely by [one of the seven graces] of your [adjective] [noun], [verb, past participle] [adjective] ego, and [adverb] [adjective] [noun]. You have [adverb] done my [noun] [noun] by [verb, gerund] the [noun] of the archetype [member of a social movement] I have focused on and challenged. Your [plural noun] [verb] for themselves, and not a damn thing, including your [collective noun] of [plural noun] [verb, gerund] your (for want of a better word) [noun] can [verb] that.
Enjoy your [adjective] little [noun] of pseudo-[adjective], [noun]-fetishizing, [adjective] [generic location]-dwelling [plural noun], for it is surely the only venue for you to [verb] the [noun] and [noun] you so [adverb] [verb], and shields you from the [verb, gerund] [noun] you so [adverb] [verb].
[verb, past participle].
Argenti: Yeah, I seem to be invisible to so many trolls.
It’s odd, considering your lovely red skirt with the little white spots should be rather enticing. Maybe it’s just the time span between their consumption of your posts and their deathly silence?
(Ok, I just stretched that metaphor beyond reason, that was bad)
Not only stretched it, you had me thinking “Red with white spots? Hang on, isn’t Pecunium’s kilt black? WTF polka-dots?” before I realised what you meant (and realised it before reading the bit about poison!)
Darnit, I spent a lot of time making a madlib and no one’s paying attention. 😉
Good night, all!
Niters!
@cloudiah
I hope this formats correctly because it way longer than expected.
Nigel, you seem more knackered then a shagging tosser
Dodgy.
Yet here you are, fortnight later as well, busking to me. And where, pray tell, did you get the rubbish that I underwent a barmy “collywobbbles”? Grasping for barmpots, are you? Well, I can’t feign gobsmacked, it’s every Leveler’s bimble you’re balls up beavering the fanny you were burgled, Guv’nor. Could it possibly be because of the cheeky semi-colons, cottaging, and crumpets? Oh wait, that’d be you. As to diddling what a “gormless punter”, sorry, it’s not my car boot sale to cock upthe nosey parkers of your molly-coddled copping off big girl’s blouse. If you don’t know, you have the duffer to enplane (it serves more purpose than blagging yourself and your chuffed pals on the cooler box in your blooming divvy).
And as to Scary Spice and her clanger; true about the amount of anoraks not being an argy-bargy bog roll of giddy kippers, BUT, the nutter arsed for itself. And even despite the squadron of bonking tarts on this page and their plonker attempts to chivvy off his conkers, you can see that it hasn’t really bunked off the vinegar strokes of bangers“vs.” mash. Nice attempt though.
Tossing to the so-called Leveler attempt at Leveler taking the piss against queues, well Bob’s your uncle, you’d really have to bagsie that, from a naff source, not a Levelertumblr-dog’s breakfast quasi shufflebutt of this kind. From what I’ve seen, just about all their scotch eggs are
chuffed exclusively in fizzy drinks’ aid and codswallop prevention–they’ve been characteristically bonny about wellies involving wazzocks!
Ha ha, Brooked I missed this until now. This is perfect. 😉
I was going to give you a head-up about it, if only because it a lot longer to finish than I thought it would. I ran out of British slang I knew early and, even with research, it was hard to come up with verbs. I gave up on trying to find British slang adverbs at the end.
This did lead to me learning the word “collywobbbles”, so it was all worthwhile in the end.
I wish Americans understood the term “anorak”, it’s so useful.
I know from anoraks. It is a useful term.
Hahaha look at that white knight go. Atheist guy is hilarious too. His lack of empathy is inspiring…a sleeping monster. If only he could control it. Isn’t it scary when men lose their minds? Almost makes you want to be really careful. It’s great warrior spirit being totally misdirected. I think if we are truly empathic and enlightened…femminin even…we can forgive aetheist guy. Maybe be encouraging of a different path…encouragement is a female trait right? Anger is a male trait. So the enlightened thing to do would be to let it slide.
another citation needed. Assfact bio-troofs don’t cut it here.
What is going on with all these gutless necro trolls? Morons.
They think their opinion is just so valuable that they’d be depriving us if they didn’t share it ASAP without reading anything anyone else has written.
So, delusions of competence.
Why did I not get the memo about today being Necro Day?
I would maybe be offended at this necro troll if I knew what the hell they’re on about.
Every day seems to be Necro Day in troll land, lately.
Between that and the glitch that takes you back to a previous page of comments in some threads it’s been a bit Good Omens-ish.
Ableism and a veiled threat. Classy.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. No.
Someone’s never heard of Kali.
“Anger is a male trait.”
Like grumpiness? 🙂
Oh, man, it’s like they’re almost ninety percent of the way to figuring out how poisonous gender roles are. “Anger is treated like a male trait, something inherent to all men.” Yes, yes, and your conclusion? “So shut up.”
…
Wow, misandry much?
😛
Encouragement is something one does. It isn’t a trait. Anger is an emotion, not a trait. Word salad trolls are so annoying.
I think you’ve confused us with a table-top role-playing site.
Great warrior spirit is pulled over at a gas station. “I thought I wanted the 210 north but the signs only say east and west! Man, that guy at the 7-11 totally misdirected me!”
Great warrior spirit has found an adventrue playground and wants to have a go on the slide? Shall we let it?
Necroing again to mention I recently read that message from Reeva Steenkamp to Oscar Pistorius where she’s desperately trying to placate him while pointing out his scary behaviour. Being “femminin” (sic), careful and forgiving did her no bloody favours but I suppose our latest trolly guest doesn’t see anything wrong with shooting your girlfriend dead when she pisses you off.
Um wow, this is fucking horrible, you know i was just watching a video in which he made some very good points and was being very reasonable.. but this!? jesus christ, i mean i get that he was probably angry after being ‘ as he put it’ shit on all night, but THIS is just going WAY WAY WAY WAY too far. However not to put more wood on the fire, but something like this does not automatically invalidate all his previous statements as long as they were reasonable and logic. He went WAY too far, true, and he is a horrible person, most likely also true. but its a fallacy to then disregard anything he said previously because he did this