Rape Threats on Twitter

[BitBewildered]

I've just seen this story on the BBC news app. I've not been on Twitter very much lately and am off to have a look now, but at first glance, what the actual fuck?!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23477130

[Moistenedbint1]

Sounds more like wishful thinking Doctrine.

[TheDoctrineOfAllan]

Wishful thinking on the part of the shouter, MB?

[BitBewildered]

So, these threats are still continuing. And men like our very own MoistenedBint1 are still trotting out the pro-rapey-bastard guff (as amply demonstrated here).

It is a sad state of affairs.

[Moistenedbint1]

Men like our very own Moistened...

You really are clueless... About to start rolling out the trite, hackneyed, oh so predicable pejorative crap are we.. Ooh it's an "mra", "rape apologist", "hand-maiden colluding with the patriarchy" .. "Completely unaware of her own subjugation" blah blah fucking blah.

Heard it all before. Countless times.

Oh and I'd like an example of that "pro-Rapey" stance please.

Pro-Rapey.. Christ what age are you? Are your parents even aware you're using the computer unsupervised?

[AnyFucker]

Only just watched the Newsnight clip. Stella Creasey, MP was very good wasn't she

[BitBewildered]

Yes, AF, I thought she was good. Very patient with Toby Young, too.

[AnyFucker]

Is it just my PC that automatically defaults to that post with the clip in it, even if I click on another ? Just out of interest.

[BitBewildered]

No, it happens on my phone and laptop. I have reported it, to see if they'll put a link on instead, but nothing so far.

[AnyFucker]

Thought it was just me

[DuelingFanjo]

I agree that Cat calls are on the same continuum. My point was that there are people out there who believe that women should just shut up and accept that they are either being complimented or that the threats are not serious and if they can't just shut up and accept that then they should stop going out/dressing a certain way/using social media and so on.

People shouting uninvited stuff at me in the streets is something I find threatening. People touching me up on public transport is something I feel like I want to confront as it is happening but in reality I know that I would actually feel frightened if I attempted to draw attention to acts like this. Frightened because if I grabbed their hand and held it in the air and shouted 'who does this hand belong to? I just found it on my arse. Would any filthy disgusting pervert like to claim it" then I couldn't be sure of their reactions and I couldn't be sure of the actions of those around me.

These kinds of things start happening to women from a very early age, while still in school. Most women I know (if not all) could give examples of this kind of attention being paid to them from an early age. Some of those women may shrug it off but that is most probably because, like stated earlier, they have been socialized into a fear of making a fuss and just accepting that it's better not to make a fuss.

The Twitter rape threats are the same as these cat calls and street groping. They make women feel scared and invaded. Why is it OK to invade my space with unwanted negative attention and comments like this?

[BitBewildered]

MB1 I said you, like some of the charmers on twitter, are spouting pro-rapey-bastard guff. You are using the same (lame) arguments about how men get abuse too, and how clearly misogynist behaviour has nothing to do with the clearly misogynist society we live in. You seem to me to be quite keen on defending the pro-rapey-bastards. Perhaps if many other people have said this to you, we have a point?

This is a thread about rape threats and why such things exist. Do you have ANYTHING AT ALL to say on that subject? You have said nothing pertinent to that discussion so far.

[Moistenedbint1]

So, give me an example of this "pro-Rapey bastard guff"?

You appear to be laboring here Bewildered.

Actually, you know what? If you can't provide evidence to support your histrionic insults don't make them. It's counterproductive and generally only regurgitated by people who have no other valid contributions to make.

If you want to spew forth caustic bile, i believe the cesspit, that is the youtube comments section would be a wonderful outlet for you.

[Moistenedbint1]

Btw, highlighting discrimination against men is not synonymous with pro-rape mentality and to be frank, I'm deeply troubled that I need to even explain this to you.

Most intelligent feminists these days don't indiscriminately espouse the trite, hackneyed insults. No, pejorative shite, tends to generally emanate from women who are novices to feminism.

[TheDoctrineOfAllan]

Would your DD not feel threatened by a man shouting "I'd like to get you in the back of my van" at her, MB?

[scallopsrgreat]

"highlighting discrimination against men" Where? Where is there discrimination against men???

You still haven't explained why you think rape threats don't come from the same "machismo" root. Also your explanation of machismo is weak to say the least. Yes there is a hierarchy of men which they are trying to get to the top of but by cat-calling/threatening women they are immediately putting themselves (i.e. men) above women.

Why aren't men shouting at other men in the street, because they are men? Or threatening other men on twitter, because they are men. That is what is happening here to women. It is purely because they are women they get cat-called and rape threats. That just doesn't happen to men.

Misogyny, male domination over women and a sense of entitlement. It all comes back to that (and that is what machismo is ).

[Moistenedbint1]

Difficult to ascertain Doctrine. They're still young and I haven't delved into the topic of rape with them. But to summarize, I see no automatic continuum between cat calling and threats of a violent/sexual nature. Cat calling is often little more than crude, gratuitous sexual observations said to enhance the macho credentials of the individual in question. Threats of a sexual/violent nature often run contrary to this because they're motivated by the need to intimidate, manipulate, break the will of another or are simply espoused by inadequates desperate for attention (even negative attention)

[Moistenedbint1]

Scallops why do you immediately equate cat calling with intimidation. I find that completely nonsensical.

why aren't men shouting at other men in the street....

If you've ever roamed the streets at night, tapped into current affairs, read a newspaper, it becomes acingly apparent that young males are the group most associated with violent street crime.. Gbh, murder etc. Ironically men usually constitute both victim and perpetrator. So your assertion that it doesn't "happen to men" is utter nonsense.

[Moistenedbint1]

Think gang culture..

[BitBewildered]

Perhaps you should start your own thread. Your comments have fuck all to do with this one. I stand by my post above. And I've not insulted you. Perhaps learn to read.

[scallopsrgreat]

"Scallops why do you immediately equate cat calling with intimidation" Because it is intimidating. However in my post of 09:29 which you were responding to I wasn't actually doing that. But hey ho.

They aren't shouting at men because they are men. Why are you making straw man arguments? We aren't talking about GBH, murder, violent street crime. This thread is about making rape threats to women because they are women.

Why don't you answer the questions asked MB?

[Moistenedbint1]

They aren't shouting at men because they are men. Why are you making straw man arguments? We aren't talking about GBH, murder, violent street crime. This thread is about making rape threats to women because they are women.

I've highlighted (ooooh many times now) why sexual/violent threats are espoused. You've not elaborated at all, other than to counter that "it's "because they are women" or that its borne out of misogyny which is over simplistic in the extreme. And much street violence is preceded by verbal abuse borne out of machismo much like cat calling.

Rape threats (unlike cat calls) aren't rooted in machismo because of the difference in motivation. As I said above - "Cat calling is often little more than crude, gratuitous sexual observations said to enhance the macho credentials of the individual in question. Threats of a sexual/violent nature often run contrary to this because they're motivated by the need to intimidate, manipulate, break the will of another or are simply espoused by inadequates desperate for attention (even negative attention)"

Perhaps misogyny does play a part occassionally but to argue its always the driving factor is both oversimplistic and decidedly erroneous.

[Moistenedbint1]

Many, many men are driven by machismo but very very few would even contemplate directing sexual threats at a woman..

[Moistenedbint1]

In fact, men (and I use that term loosely) who make sexual threats are usually regarded with absolute disdain by their peers.. And rightly so.

[scallopsrgreat]

"I've highlighted (ooooh many times now) why sexual/violent threats are espoused. You've not elaborated at all..." No you have given your opinion as to why they are espoused i.e. machismo. I have elaborated. See my post of Sun 04-Aug-13 12:17:22. I have also defined machismo.

The fact that you don't think cat calling is intimidating or based in intimidation speaks volumes. However, no-one has suggested that men who cat call will necessarily escalate to threaten women with rape. They are saying it is on a scale with cat calling towards the bottom (although of course it depends on the cat call!) and rape threats towards the top. They may do though. There is another thread currently in FWR where a woman was cat called and retorted back and was subject to abuse. Men who demonstrate this type of behaviour can and do escalate it if their m"machismo" is threatened by a woman.

This is what women experience. It is intimidating. And you are denying that which is gaslighting.

[scallopsrgreat]

Some of the men on Twitter started off just challenging Caroline Criado-Perez (and others) with perhaps a sexist remark. They were then challenged on it and escalated to rape threats.