Tag: men’s rights

Is Rantic, the supposed viral marketing firm behind the Emma Watson nude pics hoax, still playing the internet like a fiddle?

EmmaYouAreNet.com now redirects to this site. — EmmaYouAreNext.com now redirects to this site.

So it’s official: the Emma You Are Next web site, which was threatening to release nude pictures of Harry Potter actress Emma Watson, is a hoax. The site now redirects traffic to the home page of something called Rantic, a mysterious supposed “social media marketing enterprise” with a reputation for hoaxes.

Rantic is now claiming that the real agenda behind its website was a noble one: to expose the evils of leaked celebrity nudes – and, by painting 4channers as the evil hackers behind it all, to get 4chan itself taken down.

#gamergate 4chan a new woman to hate actual activism antifeminism are these guys 12 years old? creepy doxing empathy deficit entitled babies evil sexy ladies gamebros harassment men who should not ever be with women ever misogyny MRA not-quite-explicit threats taking pleasure in women's pain your time will come zoe quinn

The "Emma You Are Next" site can't be dismissed only as a lulzy prank; it's an assault on the civil rights of women [UPDATED: Hoaxer revealed]

Emma Watson, U.N. Women Global Goodwill Ambassador

UPDATE 2: See here for my updated take on the hoax.

UPDATE: It appears the Emma You Are Next site is indeed a hoax, put online not by a 4chan hacker but by a sleazy internet “marketing” company known for similar hoaxes in the past. That said, it was a hoax designed to take advantage of two disturbing trends — not only the widespread public demand for leaked celebrity nudes but also the antifeminist backlash culture of the internet. Emma Watson was already being denounced and derided by internet misogynists even before the Emma You Are Next Site went online. I have made some changes in my original post below; strikeouts indicate the original text. I have also rewritten the conclusion, and taken down the video version of this post.

You already know the basic facts, I imagine: This past weekend, actress Emma Watson gave an eloquent speech at the United Nations about the necessity of feminism, and how the fight for gender equality can benefit both women and men.

Then some asshole or assholes apparently associated with ~~4chan~~ a sleazy internet “marketing” firm decided to ~~punish her for her opinions~~ exploit the widespread desire for stolen nudes of female celebrities and the antifeminist backlash that was already developing in the wake of Watson’s speech by threatening to release stolen nude pictures of her, setting up a page entitled Emma You Are Next featuring a photo of Watson alongside an ominous countdown clock, presumably highlighting just when she can look forward to her privacy being egregiously violated.

There’s been a lot of debate over whether or not this threat is a real one or a “hoax.” [It appears that it is a hoax.] Business Insider declares that

#gamergate a woman is always to blame antifeminism are these guys 12 years old? drama kings entitled babies evil SJWs evil women gamebros gender policing men who should not ever be with women ever misogyny MRA no games for girls no girls allowed playing the victim

Attention #GamerGaters: Gaming is not YOUR hobby

Post author By David Futrelle
Post date September 22, 2014
218 Comments on Attention #GamerGaters: Gaming is not YOUR hobby

My little game collection. Yes, I’m a terrible photographer.

Ever since the bizarre social backlash now known as #GamerGate first erupted in August, we’ve heard a lot of alarmist, entitled nonsense from self-described gamers who are pig-biting mad that so-called Social Justice Warriors and, you know, girls, are invading what is inevitably described as “our hobby.”

Thing is, guys, it’s not your hobby. At least it’s not only yours.

I don’t call myself a “gamer” – largely because so many of those who do embrace the label are such immature assholes – but, guess what, I play games too.

#gamergate advocacy of violence antifeminism are these guys 12 years old? boner rage bullying creepy empathy deficit entitled babies evil SJWs evil women harassment hate speech homophobia hundreds of upvotes internet tough guy men who should not ever be with women ever misogyny MRA rape culture rape jokes reddit sarkeesian! threats trigger warning zoe quinn

The five worst comments about outspoken women posted on Reddit's PunchchableFaces subreddit … today

Post author By David Futrelle
Post date September 22, 2014
207 Comments on The five worst comments about outspoken women posted on Reddit's PunchchableFaces subreddit … today

Reddit, what the hell is your problem?

So last night I discovered the PunchableFaces subreddit. That’s right, an entire subreddit devoted to posting pictures of people so that Redditors can fantasize about doing them bodily harm.

While most of the pictures in the subreddit are of boys and men – some targeted for being “faggots” – the recent posts (as of this writing) with the greatest number of upvotes and comments were, naturally, aimed at women. Specifically, at two outspoken feminists who’ve been singled out by Men’s Rights Activists and #GamerGaters for endless harassment: video game critic Anita Sarkeesian and Canadian feminist activist Chanty Binx, perhaps better known amongst her enemies as “Big Red.”

#gamergate antifeminism antifeminist women excusing abuse FemRAs FeMRAsplaining gamebros misogyny MRA oppressed men straw feminists

You all need to watch this music video that deftly rebuts Christina Hoff Sommers on vidya games #GamerGate #PanderingToDickheads

Christina Hoff Sommers is an old school faux-feminist who’s devoted the last several decades to trashing feminism. Lately she’s apparently decided to appeal to a younger audience — or at least a more immature one — by pandering to the #GamerGate crowd.

That’s probably worth a post or two in itself, but in the meantime you might enjoy this excellent song that deftly rebuts the, er, arguments in her recent video about sexism in video games and why she thinks that’s somehow not a real issue because, you know, dudes like to look at boobies when they play games. No, that’s really her argument — though I’m not sure it even qualifies as an argument, technically speaking.

Anyway, enjoy!

And here’s her original video, if you’re feeling masochistic and would actually enjoy sitting through six and a half very long minutes of simple-minded, patronizing, disingenuous, evidence-free pseudoarguments delivered by someone desperately pandering to terrible, terrible people.

#gamergate a voice for men advocacy of violence are these guys 12 years old? attention seeking Dean Esmay drama kings entitled babies evil SJWs evil women gamebros grandiosity men who should not ever be with women ever misogyny MRA no games for girls no girls allowed none dare call it conspiracy oppressed men playing the victim post contains jokes post contains sarcasm reddit

Men’s Rightsers take up arms against the vidya game destroyers. And Kroger supermarkets. Never give up! Never surrender!

This gif makes a lot more sense if you've seen Galaxy Quest — This gif makes a lot more sense if you’ve seen Galaxy Quest

#GamerGate and Men’s Rights: two terrible tastes that taste terribler together.

Ok, maybe that slogan needs a bit of work. But it’s true that when you combine the poor-oppressed-me-we-hate-AnitaZoe-Sarquinneesian narrative of the #GamerGaters with the poor-oppressed-me-feminazis-rule-the-world narrative of the Men’s Righsters you get some amazing outbursts of indignant self-dramatizing self-pity.

Take, for example, this melodramatic email sent by A Voice for Men’s “operations manager” Dean Esmay to … a grocery chain that advertises on the game site Kotaku, a bete noire of the #GamerGate movement. I’ve highlighted some of the Esmay-ist bits:

a voice for men advocacy of violence antifeminism evil wives evil women excusing abuse johntheother marital rape marriage strike masculinist India men who should not ever be with women ever MGTOW misogyny MRA oppressed men paul elam playing the victim rape rape culture straw feminists zed

Masculinist India: A woman-hating "Men's Rights" group even more extreme than its Western inspirations

Post author By David Futrelle
Post date September 17, 2014
239 Comments on Masculinist India: A woman-hating "Men's Rights" group even more extreme than its Western inspirations

Feminists made me a misogynist: from Masculinist India

Congratulations, A Voice for Men. You are having an impact upon the world.

Or at least upon one organization in India, a truly reprehensible group called Masculinist India, which has adopted the histrionic rhetorical style, and even some of the specific arguments, advanced by AVFM and other North American Men’s Rights groups for a series of graphically challenged “masculinist” memes posted on Facebook and on the group’s web page. Masculinist India has even adopted AVFM’s preferred nomenclature, describing its members as “Men’s Human Rights Activists.” They are of course the complete opposite of “human rights” activists, campaigning instead against basic rights for women.

The influence of AVFM and other Western Men’s Rightsers can been seen again and again in Masculinist India’s posts and memes, which have all the sophistication and subtlety of Chick Tracts.

The “feminists made me a misogynist” logic of the meme above, for example, echoes the argument made in “Hate Bounces,” an influential MRA screed by MRA/MGTOW elder “Zed,” and by countless other MRAs including former AVFM Number Two John Hembling.

Other memes borrow not only the arguments of Western MRAs but recycle the same tired stock photos, like the angry woman in this meme, a favorite amongst Western MRAs.

a woman is always to blame antifeminism citation needed evil working women girl germs kitties lazy women eating bon bons mansplaining men who should not ever be with women ever misogyny MRA no girls allowed oppressed men post contains sarcasm princesses reactionary bullshit the tech sector whaaaaa? women in tech women shouldn't work women's jobs aren't real

We cannot let women take over the tech industry. Because cats.

Post author By David Futrelle
Post date September 16, 2014
217 Comments on We cannot let women take over the tech industry. Because cats.

So here’s a new perspective on the whole “should we allow women to take over the tech industry or any other industry” question, courtesy of the Pro-Male/Anti-Feminist Technology blog. Yes, women, if you want to run a business or an industry you apparently have to check with the dudes at the Pro-Male/Anti-Feminist Technology blog first.

In a post titled “Why We Don’t Want Women Taking Over Tech Or Any Other Industry,” the ironically named “Reality forever” explains that women shouldn’t be allowed to run anything because, well, women are terrible and apparently love making everyone go to meetings:

#gamergate a voice for men antifeminism are these guys 12 years old? bad boys creepy dark enlightenment drama kings men who should not ever be with women ever misogyny MRA no games for girls

MRAs and #GamerGaters: Maybe you're the baddies?

Post author By David Futrelle
Post date September 15, 2014
374 Comments on MRAs and #GamerGaters: Maybe you're the baddies?

bane666auimage — Screencap from a video by Banne666au

A little realization hit me while I was watching videos about #GamerGate recently. MRAs and #GamerGaters really seem to enjoy depicting themselves as cartoon villains. Above, the skull-in-a-Koolaid-pitcher mascot of MRA videoblogger Bane666au.

Below, a screencap from a video by Mundane Matt, one of the movers and shakers behind the whole #GamerGate thing.

a voice for men antifeminism artistry imaginary oppression men who should not ever be with women ever MGTOW misogyny MRA MRA comics cavalcade oppressed men

Baffling MRA Meme of the Day: "Feminism creates equality like McDonald’s solves world hunger."

Post author By David Futrelle
Post date September 14, 2014
105 Comments on Baffling MRA Meme of the Day: "Feminism creates equality like McDonald’s solves world hunger."

Actual "meme" found on the A Voice for Men Forums — Actual “meme” found on the A Voice for Men Forums

I found this “meme” on the A Voice for Men Forums, and it was too special not to share.

The AVFM “Graphics and Art” forum is kind of a gold mine for baffling and terrible “memes,” terribly drawn comics, and “graphics” that aren’t really graphics at all — like, for example, these graphically challenged entries: