Megan Murphy speaks out in new article

[kesstrel]

A quote from the article:

For a long time, I thought there were two different movements: the third wave — the mainstream faux-feminists who fought not for women, but for the Instagrammable, superficial status quo; and the real, radical, grassroots women’s movement, fighting against actual oppression and violence, fighting for real women’s lives. I still think this is true to a certain extent. The women I know and work with in the real world are doing just that. But I now think there is a third faction: the internet feminists. The ones who profess radical politics, while refusing to go public, who refuse to speak out under their own names and faces, whose feminism only exists on social media, and who guard feminism from outsiders. It is a “feminism” that speaks about women’s lives, but fails to understand women’s lives. It supports diversity in concept, but not in practice. It is puritanical, judgemental, and not only ineffective, but destructive. It offers the illusion of action, minus the action. It tricks the individual into believing she is working at something — that she is part of an (in)group and community that is doing something important. But what is accomplished, most often, is a never ending series of internet wars and drawing of lines: good/bad, right/wrong, black/white. The world is grey. Women are nuanced. We are human. If I cannot be nuanced, honest, and human, I do not want this movement. Does this movement want me? Or does it want an illusion of perfection?

www.feministcurrent.com/2020/05/12/heterodox-women-feminism-needs-independent-thinkers-or-we-lose/

[Floisme]

I can't see a previous post from you, Eloi2020 Which one are you referring to?

[Weezol]

A woman with no children and a job which relies on and thrives on publicity hasn't the first idea what other women must do to stay safe, keep their families safe and keep their jobs. And she has absolutely zero idea what anonymous online women do in their real lives anyway. If this is still her stance she is being incredibly disrespectful, privileged (yes I am tired of that word but it is indeed clueless privilege she is displaying) and utterly illogical.

I absolutely agree. Murphy is 'punching down' with this stance.

[Goosefoot]

I wonder a bit if it's an age thing.

I don't really worry much about being known now, although I used to have a job where that wasn't appropriate, I had to be politically neutral.

But I did not grow up in the online era, and I don't really trust the infrastructure of the internet either and - I don't mean in a personal security sense (though that is a real concern.) Rather, I think it's important to remember that with infrastructure, those who control it, and the physical part of it, in the end have the power. They may not assert that, but dependence on infrastructure is always going to mean an increase in power to the owner/controller rather than the users.

And beyond that, it's not real life. It's nice to chat about ideas in places like this, and learn. There can be a kind of fellowship. But it is missing really important elements of a community. I don't do "online activism" and that is connected to why I prefer to be anonymous online. My real life and community is where I work for the betterment of others - where I live, and people know my name and interact with me, in person.

I don't want to get caught up in an online world. If I were working in something like journalism, or politics etc, it would be necessary and that's a different thing. But that doesn't apply to most people.

[Goosefoot]

Hmm - I forgot to say - Murphy is of an age where people almost grew up online - they seem to see the online world as something more than many older people do.

[Henryloveseatinglego]

Watched a recent interview he did and looks like he's lost loads of weight . his confidence has gone and he looks so down trodden and repressed compared to his former self .
He's been isolated from his family taken to the other side of the planet completely different social circles .

I would say boarding on a very controlling abusive relationship

[Imnobody4]

Live stream debate yesterday 'Heterodoxx, women on cancel culture'. Starts with Meghan Murphy and includes Nina Paley and others. Perhaps gives a better idea of what she's saying.