Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

We Hunted The Mammoth: How a good feminist site got corrupted

34 replies

NotTerfNorCis · 24/02/2020 23:33

A few years ago, We Hunted the Mammoth was a great resource against MRAs. Its founder, David Futrelle, was fearless in 'exposing the new online misogyny' - the world of men's rights activists, incels, MGTOWs (men going their own way) and PUAs (pick-up artists). Personally I'd go there several times a day for info and support.

Sure, the MRAs claimed Futrelle was a misogynist, and I did wonder if he wallowed too much in the filth he uncovered, but I liked the guy. He took a lot of flack for his beliefs.

Fast forward three and a half years. The site is now rancid. MRAs are yesterday's news - there's nothing much to say about them, beyond 'exposing' incels who sound like unhappy kids. The new target is gender critical feminists. I've just spent all day there before being banned. It's insane. A weird, twisted cult.

Did anyone else ever use We Hunted the Mammoth? What do you think of it now? Am I overreacting? Or was Futrelle always a bit dubious?

OP posts:
TheProdigalKittensReturn · 25/02/2020 07:03

(Shrugs)

He invited the vampire into his house and now he has to live with the consequences. It's not like multiple people didn't try to warn him.

Every formerly feminist site that allowed that to happen is pretty much just tumbleweeds and screeches of "TERF" and "bigot" now. In the case of those run by "feminist" men, well, radfems have been pointing out that this is one of many reasons why men don't belong in feminism for a long time.

Original poster
NotTerfNorCis · 25/02/2020 06:30

merely a grift for the man running it

Futrelle used to do regular fundraising drives, together with pictures of cats. I didn't see that when I went back but I can't imagine he's stopped doing it. It's his livelihood.

the TRA's (and other posters) are so vocal, threatening, rude and blinkered

Yes in the few hours I was there I got called Nazi, terf, scum, evil, and told to go fuck myself. I was totally polite and suggested they were being aggressive... after my banning they were talking about me and seemed genuinely upset I'd thought they were aggressive. Anywhere else, I might've thought they were trolling, but on WHTM it seems genuine.

might be a rejection of substantial differences between the sexes.

It's more like gender stereotypes is everything now. Biological sex is irrelevant. You are how you identify.

I used to think Futrelle was doing a good thing by finding these examples of misogyny but it did go too far. It was like he and his readers got a kick out of reading all this grim sexist stuff, it went beyond 'exposing' it. A lot of this obscene misogyny came from just a handful of obviously unhappy people buried on some obscure talkboard. I used to wonder what the point was in airing it.

My feeling is that Futrelle is not fully on board with TWAW because it doesn't fit logically with what he was fighting before. The anti-woman sentiment on MRA/PUA websites is clearly directed at sex, not gender. MRAs think women are only good for breeding. PUAs aren't plotting to rape transwomen. That kind of site is obsessed with the female body. I reckon Futrelle knows that misogyny is rooted in sex, but his site has been taken over by TRAs and others with a certain mentality, and in order to make money he has to go along with it.

OP posts:
PlantainMountain · 25/02/2020 03:33

Maybe it's still 'feminist', but just the other type. Woke uni students etc.

Goosefoot · 25/02/2020 01:39

I haven't ever looked at these sites, but I find that usually there is some reason that a person or group would have an interest in exposing something like misogynistic groups, and then support something like gender ideology. There is some link, or fact they see as relevant to both.

If I were to take a stab in the dark in this case it might be a rejection of substantial differences between the sexes.

Agrona · 25/02/2020 01:30

That site opened my eyes to how TRAs operate and put me on the path to Gender Critical Feminism. The 'Thread of Doom', which was a few years ago, was an eyeopener when a group of TW suddenly started commenting on posts and calling many of the regular posters 'TERFs' after one person asked politely that the word 'TERF' not be used. It degenerated quickly with many accusations made, name calling etc.

The Bewilderness used to post there but she and many others left the site after that thread. I occasionally look at it but the TRA's (and other posters) are so vocal, threatening, rude and blinkered there is little point trying to have a reasonable discussion with any of them.

Coyoacan · 25/02/2020 01:18

I like men and their support is important but a few of the GC men on twitter seem to think that this is an unimportant issue and some threaten to abandon the fight because a couple of women were rude them.

OvaHere · 25/02/2020 00:22

i've never visited that site before but if the new game in town on there is TWAW that suggests to me the site was never about feminism or tackling misogyny but merely a grift for the man running it.

Original poster
NotTerfNorCis · 25/02/2020 00:00

Yes same! Take Down MRAs is also run by men. I think there was a split in mainstream feminism in about 2016, with some going TWAW and some going TWATW, and the male-run sites were more likely to go TWAW.

OP posts:
theflushedzebra · 24/02/2020 23:56

Yeah I remember that site - I guess this is another mark in the "beware your allies" book!

I used to follow someone called "take down MRAs" on twitter - quite a small account - also gone totally "TWAW you bitches". Weird.

Swipe left for the next trending thread