Bronies, We Need to Talk · 7:15pm May 26th, 2014
I know I haven't posted anything in over a year and a half, and while I am working on a new story (if anyone wants to be a pre-reader for me, let me know!), that's not what I'm here to talk about today.
As I'm sure many of you know, on Friday evening, a 22 year-old man named Elliot Rodger murdered six people and wounded thirteen others before killing himself. Shortly after Rodger killed himself, police discovered a manuscript he had written detailing his violent hatred for women. This has led to the explosion of #YesAllWomen, which both women and men worldwide are now using as a tool to express the harassment, violence, and fear that women must deal with every day. Things like, "Because every single woman I know has a story about a man feeling entitled to her body. Every. Single. One." and "'I have a boyfriend' is the easiest way to get a man to leave you alone. Because he respects another man more than you."
These words are NOT, I repeat, NOT forms of misandry. Feminists do not believe that men are inherently evil, violent, beastly creatures. The hashtag means that #YesAllWomen have experienced these things, not #YesAllMen do these things. Feminists believe in total gender equality, not the subjugation of men in favor of women. Feminists believe that all persons are equal, and that no gender or sexual preference is better than another.
Unfortunately, many seem to sympathize with Rodger, claiming that men wouldn't feel hateful towards women if women would simply stop rejecting them. While scrolling through the #YesAllWomen tweets, I came across the following: https://twitter.com/goldiewhoopberg/status/470985867411357696/photo/1
Notice the first user who commented in the picture. I was shocked and disgusted to see a brony defending Rodger. I personally have never experienced misogyny within the brony community, and could hardly believe my eyes when I saw that tweet. We claim that our fandom is one of love and tolerance, and yet there are individuals within this community who believe that women who reject men deserve the sort of hatred that men like Rodger have towards them.
Again, please note that I am not claiming that all bronies think or behave this way. As I said, I personally have never felt harassed or stigmatized because of my self-identification as female in the brony community. I know from experience that most bronies are kind, compassionate individuals who would never dehumanize or devalue someone else based on gender or sexuality. But the fact that there are bronies in our community who do sympathize with Rodger is cause for concern. We watch and love a show with an almost exclusively female cast that depicts a world in which females are in positions of power and authority. Our beloved ponies are intelligent and opinionated, and that's WHY we love them. If you have a problem with strong-willed females, you're in the wrong fandom.
The brony's comment in particular brought to mind "Simple Ways," and how firmly and unapologetically Applejack rejects Trenderhoof's advances. What if, after Applejack's rejection, Trenderhoof had decided he was going to enact revenge? I doubt very much that any of you would think that Applejack would have "deserved it" because she "friend zoned" him.
If you find yourself reading this and growing uncomfortable or angry at me, perhaps it's time to reevaluate what love and tolerance means to you. I did not post this in order to direct wrath at that particular brony, or any one individual, but rather because I feel this needed to be said. I encourage everyone to read through the #YesAllWomen tweets in order to better understand the issue. I leave you with the words of Dale Spender:
"Feminism has fought no wars. It has killed no opponents. It has set up no concentration camps, starved no enemies, practiced no cruelties. Its battles have been for education, for the vote, for better working conditions, for safety in the streets, for child care, for social welfare, for rape crisis centers, women's refuges, reforms in the law. If someone says, 'Oh, I'm not a feminist,' I ask, 'Why? What's your problem?'"
I feel like the hashtag #YesallMen is pushing it. Not all men have ever treated a women unfairly. Allwomen can have had bad experiences with man, but that doesn't mean every man's a scumbag as long as I can speak for myself.
2147290 "The hashtag means that #YesAllWomen have experienced these things, not #YesAllMen do these things."
Just wanted to clarify that point.
2147354 Oh, okay then
We live in such a time of entitlement, that I was not surprised to see someone enact violence against the innocent because he felt he simply didn't get his way. If a woman rejects you, she is either not attracted to you or you simply didn't make a good impression. That happens a lot, you simply need to accept that and move on. Men aren't taught humility or honor anymore, so they don't know how to deal with rejection. (That is to say if Roger even "tried" to talk to any girl! The world isn't going to simply place what you want in your lap for you.)