I honestly thought this was a piss take.

[Cavanchezmode]

Menfest. I shit you not.

menfest.org/

I quite agree Ursula! They will be a self selecting group.

And yes, male suicide is a thing, a terrible thing but there are already millions of male only echelons without having to create a festival about it.

Yes, but the point is that in those 'male only echelons' you can't talk about certain issues which affect males, because of toxic masculinity. Hence the creation of this festival for a fairly specific purpose.

How exactly does this festival affect you?

Men are more likely to die by suicide but women are still more likely to attempt suicide. It's just men tend to be more successful due to methods used.

Or alternatively men might choose more violent and instant methods (e.g. hanging) because they have a higher desire to be successful.

Women might use less effective and violent methods because they want to get help, rather than to actually die.

The fact is that 75% of people who commit suicide are men. And suicide is the biggest killer of young men in the UK. So let's not minimise that or blame it on male violence.

It doesn’t. Black lives matter doesn’t affect me. Or Syria. Or Trump.

And the point I stand by is that it’s bloody extraordinary that the most privileged section of society feels the need to do this.

This weird attitude, as expressed in the OP, is a great example of a syllogism:

Sometimes, groups of men get together to plan harmful actions and behaviours, often targeted at hurting women.
Therefore, no males should ever be allowed to arrange to meet together in groups as this will then prevent all oppression and abuse of females.

Here's another one:

Some people who identify as Muslims commit horrendous terrorist atrocities and kill and devastate sometimes thousands of innocent people.
Therefore, we need to ban anybody from being a Muslim. This is a measured response and will guarantee perfect peace and security among humankind.

One final one:

People with the surnames Sutcliffe, West, Brady, Hindley, Bundy, Shipman and Allitt have been found guilty of the killings of multiple people.
Therefore, we need to force anybody else with these surnames to change their names immediately. This will be guaranteed to severely reduce any future risk of serial killings.

Pearl-clutchers often like syllogisms as it's much simpler than taking the time to think things through logically.

Cavanchezmode

Why are you so against an event which seems to want to address to issue of toxic masculinity, which hurts women as well as men?

What do you think should be done instead of this festival?

No it isn’t a syllogism. This is THE most privileged section of society getting together because they feel in some way lacking or badly done to. Instead of sitting around whining, they’d be better targeting the group of men who really DO need support in society, socially and mentally, and I suggest that that group, who have a high correlation with social deprivation, learning difficulties and disability, are unlikely to be the same group who sit stone cold sober in a field, with their heads up their own backsides.

@SleepingSloth

I don't think this thread has quite turned into what OP was hoping for.

Definitely not.

Probably hoping for a man-bashing hour.

Not all women resent men, or resent them doing things that they enjoy doing, and not all women get morbidly offended when men want to do stuff without women. The OP's snidiness and saracm showed through very early on, with her putting 'the menz.''

And the point I stand by is that it’s bloody extraordinary that the most privileged section of society feels the need to do this.

Do what though?? What is it about this event that annoys you so much? They are trying to do something positive.

Cross posted Barbie. This festival comes off as self congratulatory and unlikely to meet the needs of the people mentioned on this thread - the young, suicide risk men. But that’s because that isn’t what this festival is about, clearly. It’s about men, with all their unacknowldged advantages, navel gazing.

@Cananchezmode

No it isn’t a syllogism. This is THE most privileged section of society getting together because they feel in some way lacking or badly done to. Instead of sitting around whining, they’d be better targeting the group of men who really DO need support in society, socially and mentally, and I suggest that that group, who have a high correlation with social deprivation, learning difficulties and disability, are unlikely to be the same group who sit stone cold sober in a field, with their heads up their own backsides.

Oh FFS, get a life. What a stinky little killjoy you sound. Have you nothing better to do?! Bet you complain about EVERYthing.

You're an embarrassment to feminism; seriously!

Yabu.
It’s views like this why feminism gets a bad rep.

OP. Seriously. Your post isn't really a question. It's just bait, you were hoping for people to agree with you, that didn't happen. Instead you were presented with some very eloquent counters to your implied bias.

If this little get together prevents just one parent from having to organise their own childs funeral then it gets my full support.

For what it's worth, I work in a hugely male dominated industry. Aviation. I can say without hesitation that while I would love more women to come on board (no pun intended) it will never happen. Not because of the "patriarchy" or "toxic masculinity", but because women are just not interested. And of the small numbers who do show any affinity, over half drop out within five years. That's not men's fault either. Some industries are just not appealing to women.

But stop the irrelevant tangent of belittling any man who attempts to do anything without youre express permission.

It's embarrassing.

How did you come across this festival OP?

And the point I stand by is that it’s bloody extraordinary that the most privileged section of society feels the need to do this.

The need to do what - arrange to meet together for joint leisure time and to share experiences? What use is any privilege if it doesn't even allow you to live your life freely, learn new skills and interests and maybe make new friends?

It looks quite a boring festival to me, but it all seems very peaceful and well-intentioned. Do you somehow assume that, as 'man' = 'bad person', this must therefore be a rallying crusade to discuss how to most successfully foment hatred and violence against womankind?

Do you have any sons, brothers, nephews, male friends a husband or male partner? If so, I trust you never let more than one of them arrange to do anything together without at least one female chaperone. Do you suppose that all male gay couples spend their every waking moment discussing their hatred of women and conspiring how to do evil to them?

You sound ridiculously entitled and very self-absorbed if something as mundane as this personally offends and upsets you so much.

No, I don't think it has gone how OP intended either. What's ironic, is that on the whole I do wonder if MRA groups are growing in part because of the responses of women to situations like this; belittling and dismissing men's fears, emotions etc and perpetuation of toxic masculinity by making it bad for things like menfest to exist.

Struggle to froth at the mouth about an event like this if I’m honest.

There's also 'Blokefest' where men get together to sing. Disgusting.

This festival comes off as self congratulatory and unlikely to meet the needs of the people mentioned on this thread - the young, suicide risk men.

Male suicides cross all demographics. I live in a vair naice area, and I have heard about so many men killing themselves recently, most of them fathers with good jobs and seemingly happy families.

Plus there is a scheme for people to buy another ticket for someone who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford one.

You sound so weirdly bitter, and I agree with others that imagine this thread hasn't gone as you had hoped it would.

How did you come across this festival OP?

Very good question indeed.

Do they only advertise it at Davos and in Forbes Magazine - or might they be publicising it particularly amongst certain more vulnerable groups who could really benefit from it?

It's not the type of thing any man I know would go to, but I think it's harmless, in a New-Age kind of way.

I don't understand why OP is so offended.

@SparklingBrook

There's also 'Blokefest' where men get together to sing. Disgusting.

Those fucking bastards. Controlling, misogynistic, exclusive, women-hating twunts! How DARE they sing without uz wimmin?

cavanchez Which is it? Whining or self-congratulatory?
I'm surprised you feel that there are no issues which men need to address. I think there are loads, though.
That doesn't mean whining about things that are bad to us. It means fixing aspects of masculinity which hurt other people.
Get your head out your arse.

I know springbreak I am furious, I really am.

Because sending men down the pub has been working so well at addressing toxic masculinity over the last century...

If this pisses you off then I dread to think what you'll make of the Men's Shed movement.