Young, Male and Anti-Feminist – The Gen Z Boys Who Hate Women

[MondayYogurt]

Sorry it's Vice, but possibly worth discussing: www.vice.com/en/article/dyv7by/anti-feminist-gen-z-boys-who-hate-women

Half of young men in the UK now believe that feminism has “gone too far and makes it harder for men to succeed”. These are the results of a significant study published in July 2020 by anti-extremism charity HOPE not Hate. The study, Young People in the Time of COVID-19, surveyed 2,076 16- to 24-year-olds on their ideological beliefs.

“But I doubt these boys' concerns are about things like transphobia etc so much as they are about things like the feminists that campaign against IMD and get it banned at universities. I'd wager it's the latter type that they have issues with.”

One university cancelled plans to formally mark IMD 5 years ago.

Yes, that’s why young men hate feminists.

@NiceGerbil

'In 2018, #MeToo provided women with an opportunity to talk about sex, dating and rape culture. Arguably, it also provided men in their 20s and 30s at the time to reconcile their own behaviour and review their encounters with women. It suggested a symbiotic relationship: Women speak, and men listen and are able to understand their masculinity through this outpouring. '

Come off it. That's not how any of the men in my workplace reacted!

They went very quickly through these steps

Oh no that's terrible why didn't anyone tell us (!!?? Been doing little else for decades)

Hmm that's an awful lot of stuff. Some of it must be made up or exaggerated.

We can't even look at a woman any more!!!!

Exactly this.

But honestly I don't see many feminists putting the same effort into trying to understand issues like male suicide for example, and there aren't the same number of women claiming to support men's rights as there are male feminist allies.

You've just lost all your credibility - o was with you and now....
Feminist don't centre men so that's why they are bad!!!
DFOD

But honestly I don't see many feminists putting the same effort into trying to understand issues like male suicide for example, and there aren't the same number of women claiming to support men's rights as there are male feminist allies.

Sorry, why is it down to feminists to sort out issues such as male suicide?

There has been some discussion around how attempted suicide in women is often dismissed as 'just a cry for help', which may not be accurate.

However, I think it is fair enough for a women's discussion board to focus on issues that affect women rather than men. Or do you disagree?

FWIW, I have no problem with International Men's Day and think it should be marked to address issues that specifically affect men.

I do find it extremely tedious when men ask 'when is it International Men's Day' every time IWD rolls around.

I simply do not have time in my life for men who think feminism has “gone too far”.
There are so many different types of feminist activism and thought that anyone who is throwing the baby out with the bathwater with nonsense like “feminism has gone too far” is clearly either not arguing in good faith or too darn stupid to worth bothering with, in my opinion.

Behold

Well I found your comments interesting tritemale, thanks for your contribution.

Feminism just IS about centring female needs, though, TriteMale. Its special interest and purpose is women rather than male suicide support.

You wouldn’t ask the RSPB to support a seal sanctuary, or indeed criticise a male suicide charity for not campaigning against FGM. Different emphasis is perfectly acceptable.

I think I'd probably feel the same way if a bloke told a story about his sister's blue haired feminist friend who 'screamed at men for holding the door open' and then immediately followed that story with statistics around what most annoyed feminists about men - some of these could be extremely valid points but still one cannot shake the image of the blue haired misandrist screaming about microaggressions.

Another factor is that lots (possibly even more) young women seem to have concerns about modern feminism too. The last two studies I read found that feminists are now a minority in the UK/US. I can't remember the statistics for the first but the second study found that the majority of women believed in gender equality but 93% still didn't want to identify as feminist. Amongst the most common reasons quoted were that feminism had 'gone too far' and also that it was perceived as misandrist, which is pretty much along the same lines as what young men seem to think.

Do you not think that the reason in so few women publicly identify as feminists, in your second paragraph, is because of the image of the blue haired screaming misandrist you describe in your first paragraph?

Anti-feminists have done such a good job of portraying feminists as man-hating that it’s hardly surprising that young women don’t want to take that by label.

Yup, I have a fair sample of young grumpy males in my household, TriteMale - and actually I do think it’s useful to have pointers about how they may be thinking, though I don’t see it as part of feminism but part of parenting.

Also what Nice Gerbil said about MeToo. There was no reckoning on men’s behalf. In fact I don’t think I met a single man who took it on board.

It went straight to “well those actresses got something out of it didn’t they?”, “why didn’t they say something at the time?” and “you can’t even say anything to a woman these days”.

People call it a backlash but that implies that somehow men have taken it on board then reacted and resisted. The reaction and resistance has been from the start.

@TriteMale Sorry to batter you with responses (I’ve only just woken up) but I also just wanted to respond to your comment about male suicide.

Feminism does care about male suicide in the sense that the stereotypes that hurt women also hurt men but one thing that has always stuck with me is an article I read by a woman (a feminist) who ran two charities: one female centred, one male-centred ( and specifically for male mental health)

She said that whilst no-one challenged her work on the male-centred charity, men constantly challenged her work on the female-centred one, constantly saying “what about men”. I thought this was telling.

I think you have a pretty accurate analysis of the situation, Tritemale. It's for the same reason that these young men hate feminists that GC feminists distance themselves from the analysis (lack of) and tactics of liberal feminists. However, for a lot of these men they are relieved at the unreasonable antics of libfems as it gives them an excuse to openly hate women. In other words, some of their criticisms will be valid, others will be just an excuse for their misogyny.

[quote Lessthanaballpark]@TriteMale Sorry to batter you with responses (I’ve only just woken up) but I also just wanted to respond to your comment about male suicide.

Feminism does care about male suicide in the sense that the stereotypes that hurt women also hurt men but one thing that has always stuck with me is an article I read by a woman (a feminist) who ran two charities: one female centred, one male-centred ( and specifically for male mental health)

She said that whilst no-one challenged her work on the male-centred charity, men constantly challenged her work on the female-centred one, constantly saying “what about men”. I thought this was telling.[/quote]
That, and this is the FEMINISM board.

There are beloved males in my life.I care passionately about men's mental health.

But I don't bring it up here in the same way I don't ask for handbag recommendations on The Doghouse or 'which puppy' in Style and Beauty.