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The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Feminists respond to meninism

Do we even have to?

Meninism started as a joke. It should end as one too.

To suggest that the Meninist “movement” is a legitimate and positive thing is ridiculous. They are not revolting against a power structure designed against them. There are not healthcare issues they must fight for. No laws that govern their bodies. There is, quite literally, nothing for men alone to have a movement of their own.

The term “meninist” in itself is an attempted play on feminist. The term first popped up in an article in 2001 on feminist.com. The article links meninsts to just being men who support feminists. Then it quickly became an internet troll move for boys masked as a social critique.

“Meninist’s” do bring up some interesting critiques, its true. However, these are all points discussed with feminism. Female identifying feminists don’t seek to pull anyone down to our level, we simply wish to reside at the same societal level as our male counterpart would.

As a matter of a fact, we want to raise everyone’s quality of life.

Feminism has become such a nasty word for no reason. Feminism is not some exclusive club for women between the ages of 15 and 65. This is a movement that fights for everyone.

Now, it is true that the majority of issues discussed by those in the modern day movement are related to topics centered around women. This is because there are far more things women are fighting against than men.

Feminism has a rich history, it has gone through many changes. Feminism started long before women were fighting for the rights to vote in the U.S. It has been an organized thought since the Enlightenment period. Women had better access to the mighty pen. They quickly used it to critique the hypocrisy of the society around them.

The problem arises where people in power (specifically men) feel as though they can write off women and other minority groups voices. Their hope is that we will fade into the background and just be a small voice they can ignore.

The easiest way to make something bearable is to laugh at it.

Humor details a group’s anxieties. Since television was introduced to second-wave feminism, men have been creating jokes about their anxieties, about women having the same place that they occupy.

Now, one large critique that feminists hear frequently is the draft. “Well if you want to be the same as men, you better be willing to step off your pedestal.” You are quite right sir, I absolutely want this “pedestal” of objectification, discrimination, sexual assault and kitchen comments to go away.

I will gladly serve next to you if our nation ever deems a draft necessary. Despite not believing in a draft system at all. If there was one in place, I would have no problem being sent, just like anyone else.

The second largest critique is violence. “Well that whole men can’t hit women thing should go away then, huh.” Violence should not be accepted. There should be no goal to get rid of stigmas against hitting women. Instead, there should just be a goal of trying not to be violent towards anyone.

Protecting yourself is a necessary thing, however, thinking reasonably, instead of pridefully, is so important. If someone slaps you at a party and then proceeds to walk away, there is no need to prove a point. This goes no matter what they identify as.

The general distaste for feminism seems to come from a place of privilege. It reiterates the idea that the “feminine” is a bad thing. The supposed problem is just that it is called feminism, which is why some people choose to attack it.

“But they would feel more comfortable if it was just called something else.” We aren’t here to make you comfortable. We are here to fight for rights and respect that, in the year 2018, shouldn’t even need to be debated.

Meninism attempts to equate women and minority suffering to casual complaints and ramblings. Yet, the joke is really in the unmasking of the “movement.” The reality is that the immature internet rambling of a small group of privileged males is sad at best.

Rachael Bayuk can be reached at [email protected] or @BayukRachael on Twitter.

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  • S

    Someon // Apr 17, 2021 at 2:01 am

    Are you being serious?

    Reply
  • A

    A man // Mar 22, 2021 at 8:37 am

    Sounds like you’re Womansplaning.

    Reply
  • J

    Javier // Mar 16, 2021 at 7:22 pm

    The only joke here is you. And Also a clamdigger

    Reply
  • M

    Mehhhh // Dec 6, 2020 at 4:31 am

    I as a young woman aged 15. I do not understand why this post has taken men’s issues as a joke. Yes their are stereo types set for woman but their are also stereo types set for men.

    We want to be treated exactly equal and be treated the same but we weren’t created the same nor was our stereo types.
    Their are a lot of issues when it comes to feminism and meninism and I’m only going to go through a few.

    During the process of a child being created, although women are the ones carrying the child in their womb for long months. Without men there is no sperm to fertilize the egg. Which means both parents are needed to create one, meaning both are responsible for the child. When it comes to something which I know is sensitive. Abortion, I believe if both the male and female gave full consent to engage in intercourse. They Both also have a say in Abortion and custody. especially if the mother is seen as an unfit to raise the child where as the father is fully capable.

    when it comes to period necessities we often say do you think I choose to do this monthly no its medical necessity. I think that just as we pay for toilet paper to wipe our butts after we poop I would argue that buying tampons and pads is exactly like buying toilet paper, We did not ask to get our periods no. But we also did not ask to get poop.

    I myself do not believe all men’s rights activists/ Men included in meninism are women haters. Exactly like I do don’t believe all woman apart of the woman rights movements/feminist are men haters.

    The majority of time women’s needs are ALWAYS put before men’s .
    We value men work more than we value female work. But in return we value women’s lives more than we value men’s.
    For example There was a post of a photo with a guy and a girl walking on the sidewalk, In this photo the girl was closer to the sidewalk. The caption of this post/photo was do yall see what’s wrong with this picture . They were insinuating that the guy should of been standing closer to the road than the girl why? Because she’s a girl and the guy should be the one PROTECTING THE GIRL. why shouldn’t the girl be protecting the guy? Second example a plane went down in New York city they saved all the women first and that was not because a man can swim halfway across the ocean. It’s because men’s lives are seen as expandable.

    And after all we are the ones who built our social norms “Society” and yes I know that the society that we live in has also been affected by the ones who came before us but that doesn’t give us the right to fully blame it on the past generation. Us as a Generation still have the power to come together and change the social norm. Nothing is stopping us except our pride.

    Reply
  • Y

    Yourdad // Jan 4, 2019 at 10:30 am

    You are writing as if you are GOD and you know just what a MAN is. You yourself know that you females just target men. If that is not so, then why is meninism making you pee in your pants?
    You people are just hypocrites, that is why people just choose to ignore dumbos like you.

    Reply
  • F

    Frans // Jan 2, 2019 at 3:23 am

    Its true that meninism started as a joke but to state that there are no power structures designed against men, or health issues, or laws that govern their bodies is equally rediculous. Men are disproportionally more likely to be incarcerated or sentenced for longer terms then females for the same crime. Also it is a fact that men are disproportionally more likely to get injured or killed or suffer from longterm illnesses that are work related then women, and last but not least men are shipped out to fight wars against their will by laws what results in military cemetaries that for 99.8% are filled with men, row after row, after row….. ( not touching suicide rates between men/women as its even more dissturbing) I am for equallity for all, but not at the expense of a gender by the use of popular trending misandry like this post is doing. And soooo many other articles.

    Reply