8/18/2013

Re: If You're A Dude On The Internet, You NEED To See This Video

http://www.upworthy.com/nailed-it-if-youre-a-dude-on-the-internet-you-need-to-see-this-video

I'm going to only criticize the video itself, because the video itself and the "ill doctrine" this guy spews out is the topic and not "feminism/MRM is/isn't..." or "men/women are/aren't" etc.  Again, I'm going to be using the list of prejudices from the "What Is Prejudice?" reference page which can be found on the right up there.

Let's break this down from a non gender-fanatical perspective:

Page Title:
If You're A Dude On The Internet, You NEED To See This Video
Assuming "dude" is being used as the slang label for "male" (also supported by the context provided by the video) this is clearly separation of and targeting people by gender.

Blatant prejudice - Right in the title of the page.
UT-1,2

From the video:
Recently, she set up a kickstarter page for a new project looking at the representation of women in video games...
a whole bunch of gamer dudes decided, even though they haven't heard what her opinion is yet, that the mere idea of this woman presuming to form an opinion about them...
Well, which is it?  Is this a judgement about the representation of women in video games, or a generalization about men who play video games? (which would be UPJ-1,2,3,4,5 and UGJ-1,3,4,5 by the way)

Those are two different subjects.  A representation of a demographic and an actual demographic are not the same thing.  One of them is a generalization - a stereotypical facade, while one is made up of actual living, breathing, individual people.  One of them is frequently possible to judge as a whole, while one simply can not be without turning it into the other.  So, is she attempting to judge the representation of women in video games, or make a generalization about male gamers?  Apparently, the answer to this question is unclear at the moment.
...the private army of sexist dudes...
Gendered cooperative sexism!
Yeah, I've heard the "conspiracy" claim before and I'm still not convinced that either gender is conspiring to keep the other down, regardless of how many times it's suggested.  There is most likely some individuals from all genders involved in such things, but I have yet to see any actual evidence that there is a mass organizational effort behind any of it.
UPJ-1,2,4,5, UPR-1,2,4,5, UGJ-1,4,5 and UGR-1,3,4,5
...has only succeeded in proving her right...
Quoted again from previous:
...even though they haven't heard what her opinion is yet...
Wait - can they prove something right that hasn't been said yet, or is the ultimate conclusion this woman will reach predictable enough that they might have figured out what it will likely be, as you apparently have, and they are reacting to that?

You can't criticize others for making assumptions and then make the same assumptions yourself to criticize them again.  The rules don't change depending on which side you argue for.
UT-1,2
...raises a whole bunch of questions about why this happens so often and why so many dudes think it's OK to persecute and harass and abuse women online.
I would assume, for the same reasons that so many men think it's OK to persecute and harass and abuse other men online so often, or for the same reasons that so many women think it's OK to persecute and harass and abuse men online so often, or for the same reasons that so many women think it's OK to persecute and harass and abuse other women online so often.  Sexism doesn't exist in only one direction and bullying in general is a rainbow of different colors of hate.  Even though this incident is possibly statistically gender-weighted in this regard, he is broadening the scope to include everything by referencing how often and online in general, so it's very sexist of him to suggest that "dudes" in general are the problem, instead of certain people.
UGJ-1,2,4,5 and UGR-1,2,3,5
A lot of these dudes...will tell you...that they don't really hate women - that they just think it's funny to treat women as if they hate them...first of all, you're lying to yourself...
I'm not familiar with his psychological credentials.  Is he adequately qualified to make an assessment about the inner workings of the minds of internet bullies?
UPJ-1,2,4,5 and UGJ-1,2,4,5
Only somebody who hates women and sees them as less than human would think that's a meaningful distinction.
Again, I'm not familiar with his psychological credentials.  Is he adequately qualified to make an assessment about the inner workings of the minds of internet bullies?
UPJ-1,2,4,5 and UGJ-1,2,4,5

Also, did he observe this reaction from people actually involved in this incident, or is he projecting this reaction on to them based on different experiences he has had and his own emotional reaction to this particular incident?
UPJ-1,2,4,5 and UGJ-2,4
And I don't know what I could say that would get through to someone that is so invested in detaching from their own humanity...
The person who is dehumanizing "dudes" with condescending labels and blatantly prejudicial accusations is also claiming that those people having the same type of view of women is actually them being "invested in detaching from their own humanity?"
UT-1 and UAS-4
...so I'm just going to think about that and come back to it.
Yeah...me too.
But for now I'm just going to say to everyone else and especially my fellow dudes that when you see something like that going on, you and by "you" I mean "we" have an obligation to speak out against it more often.
UPR-1,2, UGR-1,2,3, UT-1,2 and UAS-4

However, I agree that people should call out bullshit, which is why I make statements like this as well as this.
It's really not cool for us to just shrug our shoulders...
I agree.  Apathy about prejudice is "really not cool."  That includes the blatant prejudice this guy displays, which is why I'm "speaking out against it."
And it's really not OK for you to jump into somebody's discussion of this harassment and derail it with a bunch of comments about (mocking voice ->) "well sure, harassment is bad, but men are discriminated against too. Feminists are always makin' somethin' out of nothing and bababababa."
In the case of discussing a single instance of harassment without prejudicial themes, it would be very impolite to jump in and start discussing gender issues, yes.  However, if the tone of the "harassment" discussion is as prejudiced and offensive as the accusations and mocking present in this video, you can not fault people for attempting to defend themselves against the dehumanizing and belittling intent behind it, because
...when you see something like that going on, you and by "you" I mean "we" have an obligation to speak out against it more often.
Right?
...if you need to show off your debating skills and make fetch happen with the misandry thing...
"The misandry thing?"  You mean, like, suggesting men are ignorant about gender issues, as with the title of the page?  Like, making negative generalizations about specifically male gamers, as the kickstarter project may or may not have been intended to do?  Like, suggesting that when debating possible negative generalizations about themselves, men are not allowed to use the same reasoning as the people putting them down?  Like, suggesting men are exclusively responsible for bullying?  Like, suggesting men are conspiring with each other to keep women down?  Like, suggesting that dehumanizing men with insults, prejudicial accusations and mocking is simply respecting women and that same prejudice against women is men actually dehumanizing themselves?  Like, suggesting that especially men should be responsible for protecting specifically women from exclusively male bullies?

That "misandry thing?"

Fuck referencing each one individually, just read them all:
http://jeenyusatwerk.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-is-prejudice.html
...But none of that stuff is the issue right now.  The issue right now is the bullying and abuse and harassment that she's facing...
That depends on what kind of history her statements have had so far, actually.  If she's a reasonable person, who makes rational judgments of things instead of simply throwing blame at demographics, she certainly doesn't deserve such treatment.  However, if she is as sexist as this guy, attempting to fault people for things based on what gender they are, I can totally understand why she might be harassed when asking for money to do presumably the same thing again.
...regardless of your political position on (funny face and mocking finger quotes ->) "misandry and men's rights and blablablablabla."
Condescending, much?  Men have just as much right to have rights as any other demographic.  You may not agree with some people about what those specific rights should or shouldn't be for each demographic, but the very issue of a human being having rights is not one worthy of mockery, regardless of what their genitals may look like.
This kind of abuse and harassment matters and when it happens in our corner of the internet we need to treat it like it matters.
I agree, even though you just contradicted your mocking stance on the subject of misandry.  Misandry is the same kind of abuse as misogyny, in case you weren't aware.
We need to speak up and let them know we're not impressed by how edgy and fearless they are.
Again, I agree.  Which is why I post things like this.  I know I'm likely to get harassed for it, but unless somebody can point out where I'm making prejudicial comments in response to your prejudicial comments, the haters can just fuck off.
If you are a dude on the internet and you see other dudes in your scene harassing women (or transgender people, or anyone else who's outside of our privileged little corner of the gender spectrum) we need to speak up!
Again, blatant sexism.  Those poor women (and trans and blablablablabla) need our protection!  They need to be able to say what they want without some mean ol' men being mean to them!  Seriously, The level of benevolent misogyny this guy is displaying is as disgusting as the hostile misandry.  And I hope I don't need to revisit the subject of gender privilege again for you. 
We need to add some extra humanity into our scene to counteract their detachment from their humanity.
You mean, after dehumanizing other people in online discussions, you find the "humanity" coming from others to be lacking in online discussions?  I'd never have guessed! /sarcasm



So really, if any of my commentary makes any prejudicial statements about any demographic, be it gender, gamer, etc. feel free to point it out.  You have a whole list of offenses to choose from.  Feel free to suggest improvements to that list there as well, as long as they're constructive and aren't simply petty attempts to be difficult, because you're pissed off, but lack the ability to argue intelligently.

However, I suspect that in order to be legitimately accused of prejudicial statements about a demographic, I would first have to make a statement about a demographic and since I believe I have debated this entire piece of crap video without making a single judgement about any person or group based on any demographic feature (including voluntary demographics, such as chosen ideology labels) this may simply prove that you can debate prejudice and piss people off plenty without also being a bigot like that guy.



Is this the type of "bullying" he's talking about, I wonder?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJeX6F-Q63I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGAvjwQPCHE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_O1R7Zq9EI

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