The psychological distress these drama-lords experience at the mere suggestion that we listen to women’s stories and perspective and stop making everything about men for a second has been eye-opening to me.
“Wow, every woman I know reports at least one story of harassment or assault or rape, coupled with societal indifference that’s kept them silent until now...”
“OH SO I GUESS IT’S TIME TO THROW EVERY SINGLE MAN IN PRISON.”
“What? No. It’s just every wo—“
“WHAT ABOUT MALE RAPE?”
“OH SO I GUESS IT’S TIME TO THROW EVERY SINGLE MAN IN PRISON.”
“What? No. It’s just every wo—“
“WHAT ABOUT MALE RAPE?”
“Listen, every single woman can tell stories of—“
“FINE I’M NOT GONNA DATE ANYMORE THEN”
“Okaaay? That’s not th—”
“GONNA WEAR A BODY CAMERA.”
“*Every* wom—“
“A WOMAN HIT ME ONCE.”
“That *is* awful. But what I’m saying is that every single—“
“NOW I CANT GO OUTSIDE.”
“FINE I’M NOT GONNA DATE ANYMORE THEN”
“Okaaay? That’s not th—”
“GONNA WEAR A BODY CAMERA.”
“*Every* wom—“
“A WOMAN HIT ME ONCE.”
“That *is* awful. But what I’m saying is that every single—“
“NOW I CANT GO OUTSIDE.”
Abuse of men, including sexual abuse, is a very real thing, it really does happen, and it really is abuse.
But just mentioning the problem of social normalization of abuse of women, and the misogyny that drives it, doesn’t negate abuse of men. Acting as if it does is telling.
But just mentioning the problem of social normalization of abuse of women, and the misogyny that drives it, doesn’t negate abuse of men. Acting as if it does is telling.
I’m hardly the first person to point out that the best way to make men and boys less vulnerable to physical abuse is to combat misogyny and toxic masculinity, but man is it obvious.
