Yet 'more' internet sexism - Louise Mensch sexist abuse on Twitter

[Lottapianos]

here

So sorry for Daily Fail link but I felt this story needed sharing.

Now I am no fan of Louise Mensch - I think she's a muppet for all sorts of reasons and her refusal to endorse any anti-Murdoch findings by the select committee she sat on was just about laughable.

However, this is yet another example of how commonplace it is to hurl sexist abuse at women who you don't agree with or whose views you dispute. It's nowhere near as vitriolic as the vile things that were tweeted about Ched Evans' rape victim, but to me the mindset is the same - don't like something a woman says/does, use it as an excuse to ridicule her for sharing her opinions/actions in the first place.

I'm just sick and tired of all this - some people are so hateful and it's exhausting

What I mean is that Louise Mensch is (IMO) an exceptionally irritating individual.
I think that people may be irritated with her because she is annoying, but express this (wrongly) by resorting to sexist language.
On the other hand, I get the impression from your posts that you feel that people are mainly annoyed because she is female.
There is probably an element of both at play here.

The fact that sexist language is used doesnt mean that sexism is necessarily the reason for the opinion.

Um no

I don't think she would be receiving these comments if she were not a high profile politician who a lot of people don't like

I also think that if she were exactly the same person but a man she would not be receiving these comments

She is getting them because she is a high profile female and people think it is OK to say this stuff. When high profile women "step out of line" in the view of some men, they react in a way that is very different to how they would react to the same coming from a man.

What has been said on twitter to the male tories on the panel thingy who would not sign up to the piece about "fit and proper"?

Has anyone said they want to smash their faces in with a hammer, or talked about whether they would fuck them or not?

catsareevil Do you honestly think that people are merely irritated with Mensch and expressing it in sexist language because of their irritation rather than because she is female?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17936006

I'm not sure that irritation with a male would involved the worlds "bitch", "slut", "whore" etc.

Even the male Chief Constable of Cumbria (and police forces are not particularly known for their female-friendly attitudes) said: "I have read the comments made about Louise and it is sexist bigotry at its worst."

I said that I thought generally that it was both.
I know that for me personally it is because I find her annoying, not because she is female. I was initially impressed with her, but the more I have heard her speak the less impressed I have been.

Hmm yes but have you sent her a message saying you want to hit her in the face with a hammer?

That is kind of the crux, or gist, as it were.

Yes but presumably catsareevil, you have expressed your irritation with her, by mentioning how irritating she is/ what nonsense she speaks etc., rather than by commenting on her cunt or face?

So in fact you are motivated only by your irritation and not by irritation plus misogyny?

Unlike the irritated misogynists

No, I haven't.

Exactly.

How remarkably restrained you are catsevil.

They'll all be thinking you're terribly stuck up, you know.

I think it stems from the times when a woman speaking in public was almost akin to prostitution. It simply wasn't the done thing for a respectable woman to speak in the public domain and any woman that did was seen as bringing shame and dishonor on herself. This made her fair game for all kinds of sexual comments.

It's surprising how little has changed.

I'm surprised by the amount of people on this thread who are prefacing their comments with their own disdain for LM. Why? She's a right-wing Conservative with non-traditional views on certain issues (eg drugs, gay marriage, women's rights). You may not agree with her world view, but why insist you can't bear her? Are you quite sure you'd have the same level of disdain for a male Conservative with similar views? Sorry, I'm not a feminist board regular (although definitely a feminist!) but I just find that rather confusing, and the sort of thing that in other, less rarified circles, I would see as being sexism!

I thought the abuse of her was disgraceful, plain and simple. And I am pleased she's confronting it head-on because it's been done before by journalists but she has the profile to make it a real issue - which it deserves to be.

You are saying it is sexism to not like LM?
I assure you there are plenty of male politicians of all political parties that I also think are annoying and ineffective. And some other female politicains. In fact, now I come to think about it it might be just that I find most politicians irritating.

God no! But what I am saying is that you don't get the same amount of virulence "can't stand... ghastly..." etc about, say, Philip Davies - another conservative member of the Culture, Media and Sport committee who was even more outspoken than LM.

Maybe people are more disappointed because she does seem superficially bright, but then its a bit of a let down, where someone who gave a less good first impression maybe wouldnt attract the same negativity?

I think longtalljosie has a point.

also, just so say, I am relatively new to Twitter and find it quite interesting and generally useful. However, I have noticed the casual but rampant sexism. I feel that it just is not as taboo as racism, and that it should be. Why isn't there a major campaign to highlight sexism so that it becomes as taboo as racism?

actually I can't t stand lots of tory male politicians either. boris johnson is a poltroon, shiny dave makes me queasy and george osborne repels me.

I don't want to hit any of them in the face with a hammer, however.

There are lots of male politicians who are ghastly and that I can't stand. Jeremy Hunt, for example. I don't think that response is sexist at all. The vicious misogynistic bile spewed at Louise Mensch is quite different.

But does she call them 'whores', 'bitches' and 'sluts', or want to smash their faces with a hammer or strangle them, catsareevil?

Can you give us some examples of her insults?

Actually I think LM's mistake is to be female, good looking, socially liberal and a Tory. For some that is an incomprehensible combination. I don't pretend to be her equal in the looks department but I have received some truly vile comments (called a whore, an untermenschen, various speculations about diseases i may have) on fb from die hard lefties who would consider their own equality/ feminist credentials to be impeccable.

As I said earlier, I dont think so.
She has made insulting comments, which are well publicised, if you have a google you will find.

Philip Davies ISnt he the prat who reckoned disabled people should work for less than the minimum wage. Outrageous diablist attitude and yet no one was sexist towards him.

Catsareevil: OK I googled 10 or 11 pages. But I cannot finding anything remotely as insulting as the ones that she is currently enduring.

Please, help me out here. I will be the first to apologise if you can identify her using insults that rank alongside what she is having to put up with. If you say that they exist then I don't doubt you. But please - give me a google link.