This is a ridiculous debate. The other day I went out with Mark, a friend of mine. I wasn't planning to stay out long; just go to a nice bar, have a drink, chat a bit and call it a night. So, I give him a call;
"Hey mate, got plans for tonight?"
"Uhhm... Not much, going to a comedy show in a bar nearby with Cindy, you know her? It's Connor's friend. Come along if you want."
"Is it a date?"
"No mate, it's cool. We'll meet at Agata Bar around 8 PM."
"Alright, see you there."
So yeah, I'm always a bit skeptical about comedy shows because the standard is somewhat low, and I just don't like recycled jokes. Most comedians keep their set for months; no wonder they're depresed. Anyway. So, fast forward, I go there, meet my buddy Mark and this chick, and yeah, she kinda made me raise an eyebrow with her looks. Her hair was a mess. Shaved on one side, then the remaining part was all over the place, and in the back, a few dreadlocks were hanging. I couldn't tell if that was her natural hair or if she borrowed those dreadlocks from someone else. It wasn't looking very appealing. She seemed young and okayish, a bit chubby but fine. I understand she's a punk or whatever she is; I don't give a fuck.
But then she started expressing her views regarding men and toxic masculinity. The conversation started with Greta Thumberd, sliding to Andrew Tate, and then she carried on saying that Tate is "polluting young boy's minds" with his ideas.
"What ideas, I ask?"
"The whole attitude, look at the guy he got arrested for human traffiking."
"Well, he's under investigation; we don't know."
"He talks about it all over the internet."
"Maybe he's just bragging."
"I don't know, and I don't care. Frankly, it's his business."
"You see, that's the problem, nobody cares, the world suffers, and women are being treated like shit! I hope he stays in jail for a long time."
"Probably one year max."
"He should go for life; he is toxic" by this time, she seemed a bit pissed and carried on saying that men make war, and the world is falling apart because of men like him with an oversized ego and that women are being raped and get pregnant and have to raise kids alone, and there is no justice done. And women in Iran and Afghanistan are abused daily and denied basic human rights to education, work, and self-expression.
By this time, my head is spinning. I continue listening to her monologue, and I don't feel like starting a debate. I'm perplexed at how such a young woman developed such radical views. Was there any time in history when we had this ongoing ideological warfare between men and women? Extreme feminists on one side and toxic males on the other. The entire rhetoric on either side is ridiculous. It seems like both parties are overdoing and faking it at the same time. Why would a young woman, whom I barely know, hold so many preconceptions about the opposite sex? She sees every man through her feminist filter, and every move one may make toward her will be understood from this perspective. She chose a skewed lens to look at the world, I'm not going to try to "mansplain" to her how the situations are complex, and if she wants to effect any change, she must pick a particular issue and understand it thoroughly.
Yes, women are abused in all domains of life, but you must start by understanding the causes and complexities of the cultural, religious, and political environment. It's a pity because all this indignation leads nowhere. Moreover, I tend to believe it often obscures the real issues. It is not men vs. women. It is PEOPLE being abused based on gender. Yea, and extreme feminism will create extreme toxic masculinity, which is equally pathetic.
That's my rant for today, fellas.
"Hey mate, got plans for tonight?"
"Uhhm... Not much, going to a comedy show in a bar nearby with Cindy, you know her? It's Connor's friend. Come along if you want."
"Is it a date?"
"No mate, it's cool. We'll meet at Agata Bar around 8 PM."
"Alright, see you there."
So yeah, I'm always a bit skeptical about comedy shows because the standard is somewhat low, and I just don't like recycled jokes. Most comedians keep their set for months; no wonder they're depresed. Anyway. So, fast forward, I go there, meet my buddy Mark and this chick, and yeah, she kinda made me raise an eyebrow with her looks. Her hair was a mess. Shaved on one side, then the remaining part was all over the place, and in the back, a few dreadlocks were hanging. I couldn't tell if that was her natural hair or if she borrowed those dreadlocks from someone else. It wasn't looking very appealing. She seemed young and okayish, a bit chubby but fine. I understand she's a punk or whatever she is; I don't give a fuck.
But then she started expressing her views regarding men and toxic masculinity. The conversation started with Greta Thumberd, sliding to Andrew Tate, and then she carried on saying that Tate is "polluting young boy's minds" with his ideas.
"What ideas, I ask?"
"The whole attitude, look at the guy he got arrested for human traffiking."
"Well, he's under investigation; we don't know."
"He talks about it all over the internet."
"Maybe he's just bragging."
"I don't know, and I don't care. Frankly, it's his business."
"You see, that's the problem, nobody cares, the world suffers, and women are being treated like shit! I hope he stays in jail for a long time."
"Probably one year max."
"He should go for life; he is toxic" by this time, she seemed a bit pissed and carried on saying that men make war, and the world is falling apart because of men like him with an oversized ego and that women are being raped and get pregnant and have to raise kids alone, and there is no justice done. And women in Iran and Afghanistan are abused daily and denied basic human rights to education, work, and self-expression.
By this time, my head is spinning. I continue listening to her monologue, and I don't feel like starting a debate. I'm perplexed at how such a young woman developed such radical views. Was there any time in history when we had this ongoing ideological warfare between men and women? Extreme feminists on one side and toxic males on the other. The entire rhetoric on either side is ridiculous. It seems like both parties are overdoing and faking it at the same time. Why would a young woman, whom I barely know, hold so many preconceptions about the opposite sex? She sees every man through her feminist filter, and every move one may make toward her will be understood from this perspective. She chose a skewed lens to look at the world, I'm not going to try to "mansplain" to her how the situations are complex, and if she wants to effect any change, she must pick a particular issue and understand it thoroughly.
Yes, women are abused in all domains of life, but you must start by understanding the causes and complexities of the cultural, religious, and political environment. It's a pity because all this indignation leads nowhere. Moreover, I tend to believe it often obscures the real issues. It is not men vs. women. It is PEOPLE being abused based on gender. Yea, and extreme feminism will create extreme toxic masculinity, which is equally pathetic.
That's my rant for today, fellas.
