When digging through the digital world about the misandry I found about a T-shirt that said “Boys are stupid, throw rocks at them!” that had raised huge controversy somewhere in America. First it seemed rather insignificant, because I remember my self telling people that boys are stupid in certain age very young age. Yet throwing stones at them would never even occurred to me.
The boys are stupid maybe innocent, but adding the ending somehow makes the t-shirt a hate-shirt. Yet it is true that t’s that have similar messages about women and girls are probably more widespread and probably only slightly less controversial. And does anybody pay any attention on them? Not at least in this scale.
I don’t support those t-shirts and I think it was unfeeling to make them, but why are people making so much noise, because it is nothing that is not happening in much larger scale for women and girls every where. The misogyny is so much more widespread that for example the spellchecker does not even know the word misandry or misandrist. (And I am happy that is not more common than it is, but so should also misogyny be.)
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It did not also take much work to find t-shirt like this – just had to add “sexist t-shirt” in Google.
“I thought that shirt was very offensive, and I’m sure people who made that shirt thought it was cute,” District Attorney Evert Fowle said: “But when you prosecute 728 domestic violence cases a year, it’s not cute.”
There was discussion about this t-shirt and it’s message was considered insignificant. The reason given was that it was cartoon kind of violence, while the other was not? And the world is fully of similar and worst sexist t’s.
So why make a fuss only about the single one that reverses the roles?
Filed under: Children, men, Thoughts, women | Tagged: calling names, cartoon violence, discrimination, domestic violence, funny t-shirts, misandry, misogyny, sexism, t-shirts |
The Spinster Chronicles 
There are numerous feminist sites that address issues related to women and girls, very few serious “men’s rights” groups that aren’t “over the top.”
One of the problems is that we line up in camps (men’s rights, women’s rights) when the issues are really the same — gender stereotyping and treating people unfairly because of their gender. From your perspective you see the woman’s point of view and it’s up to you to point that out. The objectification of women is a major problem in this cournty, and most women seem to promote it. via the fashion industry, etc. On the men’s side, a lot of men (and women) who work in family law will tell you quite candidly that the system is heavily biased against men — fathers being torn from the children and forced to pay several times what the child needs, and the threat of jail time if he doesn’t.
But it’s up to ALL of us, to speak out against all instances of gender stereotyping, and treating people unfairly because of their gender.
It is also major problem in my country that mothers seem to be getting custodial rights far too easily and there have been several cases, where this has led to serious tragedies in the childrens life. I agree that this way most societies are biased. Also childrens right to get to know their father is not well enough guardeed by the system. I my self am strongly against the idea that you only need woman to bring up well-balanced kids. Fathers involvement is as important and for the girls too.
My point here was only to say that if women protest against sexist t-shirts or other sexist jokes that is seen as being too serious – and in the case of the discussion I mentioned above hysterical or even paranoid – but in the case when somebody makes something similar of the male sex, there are huge amount of people on the barricades making case about it and it is taken death serious. It gives a message that treating women badly is OK, while treating men is not, When it should be no-no for both. They should have protested against the whole phenomenon of the insulting t’s not just the only one that was against male sex.
And it is still the case that women are much more likely to be victims of serious home violence than men are. It is not necessary due to men being more violent just that men are stronger. It is not so easy to seriously hurt person that is stronger than you, if you don’t intend to kill them. And even cases of the intentional killings made inside the family the men are leading, at least in my country. Yet I am not expert in this in US. Anyway women need to be very careful when picking the partner. It is not so easy to identify good men from bad apples.
I want to be clear here that I don’t think men are born more violent than women, just that our (western) culture promotes male violence yet discrases female violence widely (the later which is not such a bad thing). It has long been a custom that men have had right to treat their women as they please. This case of t-shirts shows the bias very well. It is just funny and even cute to present male mistreating female in cartoon way, while men being mistreated is not funny at all any more. And in many families boys still grow up exposed to idea that women are inferior to men and should be treated that way. This does not mean that majority of men would be brought up this way only that it is still accepted way to bring up your kids.
Well, First of all i’m from Europe. and i am 21….Well its quite obvious that every sex observe the things from a different point of view…Well my opinion its true that (we) men lose control sometimes…But i don’t hear any woman saying about the psychological violence that many men suffer from their wives-girlfriends etc..Sometimens it’s even worse than body violence…As far as the media…i totally disagree with you..watch any film you want..always females are stronger than us(!!!!!!!)…(if a man beat up a woman in films it’s pure violence isnt it?..) It’s weird how women are 10 times stronger than men in films , video clips etc…Should we talk about the rights of divorced fathers? Or about some hillarious laws (espacially in my country) ? As the years go by we understand who is the stronger sex…definitely you!
I’d just like to say, that my husband has almost all of the Game over shirts and also a better version of the “Problem solved” shirt.
He in nowhere hits me and respects women. It’s only for a joke.
Domestic violence it isn’t funny, any kind of sexist violence wether it be rape or what not. no it’s not funny.
I don’t think a T-shirt should make someone want to think it’s alright though, if they do they are obviously stupid and didn’t get the joke at all that people who are in their right mind laugh at the stupid pun and also at the stupid men or women who do such things. (throwing rocks at boys) or (pushing women out of a box)
I’ll agree some jokes should be never said. I’ve heard some nasty ones that would make you want to shoot the person but there again you just have to ignore.
The more you make a big issue out of gender, and gender roles, the more serious things become. It’s time people just let the petty things go, (like a few T-shirts that are not serious) and focus on more alarming matters such as gendercide (Sex selection abortion) and woman’s/people’s rights perhaps in the middle-east or elsewhere.
For now, a T-shirt isn’t going to make my day sad. There’s far things worse out there than a game over shirt.
Yes there are worst things than the a stupid t-shirt, but I also think there are things you should not joke about. I don’t think that kind of joke is funny, I only think it is sad. I mean, if there would not be woman, but an african american or jewish person there, nobody would publicly agree it to be funny. Violence is not funny.
all women are useful for is for fucking and making babies!!!!!!!screw em till the drop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“The misogyny is so much more widespread that for example the spellchecker does not even know the word misandry or misandrist.” Another interpretation is that female hatred of men is so acceptable that most people don’t even know there is a word that describes female hatred of men or don’t care that female hatred of men occurs every day in very public ways.
I would love to see anyone attempt to prove that misogynist conduct is more common than misandrist conduct using any semblance of scientific inquire.
Sounds a bit far fetching – look the comment by Willard. It shows, how many men see women merely as objects not as subjects. There are even brain studies showing this fact happening (made by male researchers). Yet there is no proof of women acting similarly. I would expect that potential women disliking or more like distrusting men is due to her own bad experiences of male sex (generalising is bad – I know), unlike the male attitudes, that usually don’t ground on experiences so much than to prejudice or unwillingness to see women as equal human beings with feelings and opinions.
But I am not going to write more about that any more.
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I am goint to close this discussion. I don’t want to comment on it any more – nor shall I publish any more comments on it. I would not write this post anymore and it has been beside the point of my blog.
Yet this discussion has been an eye opener. I am going to listen wery carefully my future dates the opinions of women. Opinions posted here, have show how bad choices lady could make while choosing man (man choosing a lady as well, I suppose). You cannot be too carefull, it seems.