Meninism...just no.

Ugh. Sit down, guys. We need to talk.

It's this whole meninism/Men's Rights Activists thing. How can I put it? At the very least, I'll say it's silly and embarrassing.
 
Stupid as it is, it seems like the whole MRA movement in general is growing. I recently read a good (if slightly lengthy) article challenging some of the preconceptions and ideas held by meninists, and it served to remind me just how much this sort of mentality needs to be challenged. 




It's a commonly held position these days, which I like to call 'False Victimhood'. It's basically when powerful groups see their position challenged (directly or indirectly), and overreact to an extent where they portray themselves as the real victims. You'll often find it in the right-wing media, or the less enlightened corners of the internet; when people attack affirmative action programs enabling more black kids to go to college, or when racist groups like Britain First receive criticism for their despicable language/behaviour, or when somebody says that "hey, maybe we should look at the way women are portrayed in video games". And these people from the dominant groups lose their shit. They'll go off on how it's "political correctness gone mad" and say that it's a sign of the inevitable decay of Western culture.

That, I can deal with. Because they're fucking stupid. But when they assert their point, or reaffirm their toxic ideals as something to be celebrated? That's when it becomes something more dangerous. MRA are particularly bad, but even more dangerous is the effect it has on the wider social debate. Consider these "humorous" memes:

I mean, of course these are stupid. Did the people making them or liking them truly believe in the message? Maybe not. I'd like to think they don't. But the fact is that it contributes to general societal beliefs and perceptions on the value of women. Of course this stupidity soon reaches a crescendo in this unfathomably dense meme, which I've seen shared around on more than one occassion and liked thousands of times:

 I mean, there's so much wrong with this that I can't even think about it for too long without mashing my face on the keyboard, but briefly:

1. Rape isn't a joke.
2. Feminists aren't obsessed with rape. They're rightfully outrage that it's generally ignored in society despite happening so regularly to so many people.
3. Belittling feminism damages social cohesion and reasserts the dominance of an oppressive patriarchy.

So what is my point in all this? Basically, meninists and Men's Rights Activists need to stop. Because you know what, men have rights already. Yes, there are some issues in which men are at a disadvantage (custodial rights, suicide prevention), but what these men need to realise is that feminism helps them too (yes, really!), by breaking down preconceived gender roles and attempting to bring about a fairer, more egalitarian society. And yes, this may mean that you meninists have to accommodate women, in ways which you might feel are inhibiting you. But they're not; raising others up does not diminish yourself. If you feel that it does then it speaks more of your own individual feelings of self-worth rather than a social problem.
 
As always, we need to consider the why- why is this necessary, why is change happening, why is it being resisted? I'm a pessimist by nature, but I'd like to think that with a little introspection and reflection, these Men's Rights Activists will realise the necessity of feminism in our present-day societies.