Seriously sick.
I just saw the "cuttin up hookers" post on Feministe and I'm just boggled. Do men really think this type of violence doesn't really happen? I want to believe that if they knew the frequency that pregnant women are abused and killed because a man didn't want to be a father, this shit wouldn't be funny, it would be frightening. I mean just google murdered pregnant girlfriend and you get 1.3 million hits.

What an asshole.

OH MY GOD.

Seriously, it could have been funny if *she* had called abortion man or had at least been in on it. Still sexist because superheroes always have to be men, but at least it wouldn't be like, haha, it's great to give your girlfriend an abortion against her will. Like that guy who put the abortion pill in his girlfriend's yogurt or whatever that was a while back. And the way the woman is the "fiend" and has to get beaten up to have the abortion...they must not realize (I guess I'm just hoping) that there are men who do that for real.

uh- gross.

That's really sick. Something like that happened in the Twin Cities last year, where a guy paid his friend to go over to his pregnant girlfriend's apartment and hit her in the stomach. Just the image of a man sucker-punching a woman is disturbing enough... but knowing that there are people who actually DO that kind of thing makes it all the more disturbing.

Notice also how she's hesitant as what to do, but he says that he's "ecstatic" and that either A. gives her permission to want the child or B. socially forces her to "want" the child because "her man" wants the child.

Then, he hires "abortion man" to beat her up and cause her to miscarry--miscarry is important here because abortions do not cause harm to the woman (they can be rough on the body, but they don't cause the kind of damage a forced miscarriage would via blunt force trauma to the abdominals strong enough to cause a miscarriage would.

So, he's not "abortion man" he's a hired thug, beating women.

To my earlier point, he LIED TO HER and that was at the root of even calling on "abortion man"--she might have had an abortion if he said that was his preference. So, I think that it is important to point out that the lack of communication, perhaps about how to prevent pregnancy as well as how to deal with an unwanted pregnancy really needs to be addressed among men who find this "funny."

peace

can I get a trigger warning! I'm a little bit speechless after having watched that. And sickened.

Disgusting. I shuddered went he stamped on her.

"Thanks abortions man, you saved my life" by brutally attacking my girlfriend....

I appreciate that no laugh track was inserted, at least. I cringe that anyone would relate to this or find it amusing.

I am horrified that a group of people came up with this idea, wrote a script, memorized it, shot it, and then shared it online.

I'm getting really tired of having my misanthropy reinforced day in and day out.

Disgusting.

Is there any contact info? I went to the website, and it looked like you'd have to sign up to do anything. I do NOT want to give them any of my information.

I've been fighting an influx of trolls over at FG who are declaring that my assertion that misogyny and dismissiveness of domestic violence is a systemic cultural problem is just me being a hypersensitive feminist. I'm sure this is just more proof of me being a hypersensitive feminist who can't laugh at a little violence against women.

I almost didn't watch this, because I was already in a bad mood today. It was worse than I thought it could possibly be. I fail to understand how anyone can find this funny.

I want to make a video now called vasectomywoman. I'll star in it. A woman gets pregnant because her boyfriend refuses to use a condom, so she calls out the window for help. I'll fly up in a spandex suit with a pair of scissors on the front and say "this looks like a job for vasectomywoman!" Then I ambush him in a club and beat his balls with a baseball bat so they won't produce sperm anymore.

Cmon, violence against men and forceds sterilization of them is HILARIOUS! Don't you think?

omg

pinkpicnic:

I have a dummy email account for things like this. And just give them false information. I have an alter ego that is a student making $150,000 as a student in Idaho

My jaw seriously dropped. How. Fucking. Sick.

I can't even imagine the letter I'd write. I hope the anti-choicers give them HELL!

gross.

i'm not usually easily disturbed by stuff like this, but wow. seriously, wow. i don't think i know anyone who would actually find that funny.

Holy shit. That was horrifying. I cannot get over how someone even agreed to participate in making that video.

Thank you thank you thank you, MLEmac

"I want to believe that if they knew the frequency that pregnant women are abused and killed because a man didn't want to be a father, this shit wouldn't be funny, it would be frightening."

Yes. Maybe they have seen too much guys being hurt down there humor and don't see any difference applying violence "humor" to women. Not everyone sees violence as a gender issue and I think most people are terribly unaware of how much partner violence etc happens to women. Nevertheless, this was nauseating.

This video just reinforces the idea that violence against a woman when she's pregnant is the right way to get out of a situation you don't want to be in.

Also, I love how he asks, "why would I be mad at you?" as if he has a right to be angry at her for a problem they got into together...

WHY do you hate men, MLEmac? Whyyyy?!

i am so disturbed by this.
i'm seriously going to go and throw up now.

That was disgusting! Eugh! It made my uterus hurt! I dunno what I thought Abortion Man was gonna do but I did not think he was going to punch her in the baby until it flew across the parking lot. That was disgusting.

Eugh... how is that funny! It's just gross!

Even from one of the Wayans brothers I would have never expected something so tasteless.

I cannot say anything about this except STOMACH-TURNING. I'm one for dark humor, but blatantly sexist tripe like this is a completely different story. How about Castrationgirl?

Oh My God. I can't even believe that someone would think that is funny.

I understand satirizing reality and all, but are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?
That was disgusting.

I long for the day when groups that are disadvantaged in society work together instead of helping promote the separation between the women's movement/black movement/Indigenous movement/gay and lesbian movement etc etc etc.

As always, violence against women is just so hilarious and your lady stepping out of line and daring to get pregnant is definitely grounds for abusing her. I know when Laci Peterson was found dead I fell on the floor hysterically laughing. *rolls eyes*

"WHY do you hate men, MLEmac? Whyyyy?!"

idunno, just seems to come with the territory. I mean, maybe if they weren't so stupid I could stand them.

Funnily enough, that was actually how one of the first conversations with my boyfriends started. A friend made a joke about how I allowed him to open a door for me and he said,
"What, are you a feminist?"
"Yup"
"Cool, I hate men too!"
I coolly explained that that's not what feminism is about. And he hung out with me all night listening. We started dated after he had his "click" moment.

Upon watching it again, I'm really, really amazed at how anyone could have seen this as humorous. Not only is it horribly, disgustingly sexist, it also continues with the stereotype that black men are deadbeat fathers. I can think of a million superhero gags that could still fit this kind of humor without pissing off a bunch of people.

OK, that is just sick and wrong. Violence isn't cool, people.

This is made even worse by the fact that he's the one to convince his girlfriend that having the child is a good idea. As if we need more men who can't be honest or responsible with their partners...

Minor quibble here, but...I doubt a woman who had just found out she was pregnant and was still not 'showing' it at all would have a fetus that big inside of her. Minor compared to the rest of it, but once again goes to show exactly how dumb the people who made this are.

But I thought - according to MRA logic - that the vast majority of expectant fathers desperately wanted their little unborn fetuses?!

Except no one actually discusses the frequency with which expectant fathers coerce or otherwise persuade their partners to have abortions, even when the woman might personally want otherwise.

Ugh.

LMAO @ Vasectomy Woman and Castration Girl. Oh, that kind of stuff - violence against or the controlling of men's reproductive capacities - isn't funny at all, not half as funny as the (violent) controlling of women's reproductive capacities.

You know, I just had to click on it because of the posting title, and I was not expecting that at. all. That is so sick, and I agree with someone above, one of the things that hit me first is, hold up - what you mean you ain't mad at her? For what?!

It's a messed up clip on so many levels.

Why would she even say, "i thought you'd be mad" what?!? why would he have a right to be mad??? That's ridiculous. The whole video was sick and disturbing.

Not only is the video disgusting, but it also implies abortions involve beating up a child. Thanks for once again showing how twisted messages about abortion get started.

OMG that was awful! When I read your entry about it I wasn't imagining it to be that violent! That was REALLY disturbing. Who airs this stuff??

Okay, wow. That was just unbelievably disturbing. Just . . . wow. I'm speechless.

Uhm. Wow.

I've been appalled by anti-choice shit online before, but I don't think I can recall a time when even their ridiculous YouTube videos made my jaw drop and stomach turn like it just did.

I was hoping that abortion man would be some guy who goes to talk to the girlfriend about all of the fiscal responsibilities and emotional hardships that come with raising a child at a young age, or maybe talked about the burden of trying to finish high school or college with a baby, but no, he punched her in the stomach.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go bang my head on my desk repeatedly.

Oh, and I also love how all of the commenters on youtube don't find this video wrong because of the violent act committed against the woman, but because "abortion is wrong" even though it's not technically abortion, but a violently induced miscarriage. And my family wonders why I hate most people...

I want to make a video now called vasectomywoman. I'll star in it. A woman gets pregnant because her boyfriend refuses to use a condom, so she calls out the window for help. I'll fly up in a spandex suit with a pair of scissors on the front and say "this looks like a job for vasectomywoman!" Then I ambush him in a club and beat his balls with a baseball bat so they won't produce sperm anymore.
---------------------------

Lucky for you MELmac violence against men is already funny. You can watch America's Funniest Videos or just about any "family" prime-time show where a man gets whacked in the balls and you're supposed to laugh until you're out of breath (and many many people do).

I'm kinda weird in that (oh I don't know) maybe both genders should be protected and all violence shamed? Not just violence against women.

Vasectomy woman? Really? You're very nice. My thoughts were going more towards June Meat Cleaver ...

Is there a way the makers of this could be prosecuted because it's clearly hate speech inciting violence?

Vasectomy woman? Really? You're very nice. My thoughts were going more towards June Meat Cleaver ...

Is there a way the makers of this could be prosecuted because it's clearly hate speech inciting violence?

o...m...g
I don't know how anyone could find that even remotely amusing. That was incredibly sick and disturbing. I actually wish I had never watched it.

Vasectomy Woman ... you are my Shero!

Persephone, I just HAD to post your idea on YouTube.

Go Gurrrrrrrlz!

Jabes1966,
I don't think violence against men is funny either. I was just trying to make the point that these guys might not find the premise of this video so funny if the tables were turned.

And, wrongsideofthetracks
No, I do not know what it's like to grow up in black america, but I'm not going to excuse the beating of a woman and deliberately inducing a miscarriage as just being a cultural thing. That is fucked up no matter where a person grew up.

And I hate the N word just as much as bitch and cunt, and that inclusion in the video did bother me, but the use of it was much in the same way that my girlfriends and I call each other "bitch" and "cunt". We're taking the sting out of it so that it can't be used against us. So I didn't see the point of commenting on it.

I'm at such a loss for what to say. This is utterly disgusting. Has there been any attempt to contact the show, and have the producers had anything to say in response?

Jabes1966,
I don't think violence against men is funny either. I was just trying to make the point that these guys might not find the premise of this video so funny if the tables were turned.
---------------------------
Fair enough MELmac. I commend you for your perspective that everybody should be protected from violence. But I think in the popular culture today violence against men is treated as invisible or comical. I remember seeing one jewelry commercial around valentine's day where all these guys who had bought the "wrong" present were in hospital rooms. One with a nail in his head, and another with a vacuum hose shoved up his ass.

Additionally I would like to bring your attention to a movie (which is okay even with this scene) The Mummy.

I don't know how well you remember it but near the beginning Brendan Frasier is about to be hanged. Phoebe finds out brendan frasier knows the way to Hamunaptra. And barters for a favorable cash split, before she tells the jailor to cut him down. In other words Frasier is choking while she's making sure she gets a juicy cut of money before ending his misery.

Now, what if the genders had been reversed? Wouldn't the guy be a blackhearted scoundrel if he hadn't yelled "OKay whatever you want just cut her down!"

Once again we're presented with this view that violence against men is at worst funny, and at best invisible.

Lastly as another exhibit of violence against males being funny, I'd like to mention the creeping into slapstick comedies the concept of male rape as funny:
Road-trip 2: Where a guy goes to a place of prostitution in sweden and ends up ass-raped by a huge oily muscled guy with some kind of giant twirling dildo gun.

Also, in another movie I think it was called Without A Paddle a guy hits on two women in a pool bar talking about earning his "brown belt" meaning he wants to have anal sex with the women.
They lead him to believe they are going to have wild sex-games with him and tie him up. Then the joke is revealed that they're going to earn their brown belt by raping him in the ass with a giant 10" (or whatever) dildo.

I thought rape could never ever be funny? Unless the target is a man apparently.
Activists of STOP PRISON RAPE NOW loosely estimate that male on male rape in (U.S.) prisons is roughly equal to rape of women in general society. HOW CAN THIS BE? Because these guys are raped dozens or hundreds of times a year. And the first time (to set a tone of making sure the 'target' doesn't resist in the future) objects like broomsticks are used. Many times first-time raped inmates require emergency colastomies.

Like I said, I commend your point of view that all violence should be shamed. But are you going to think about this the next time you watch some stupid sitcom?

I do. I protest openly to friends and families movies that have violence against anybody women or men or children(this doesn't make me very popular).

You know I used to watch a lot of horror movies in my teens and early twenties. But now they seem really drab dull and boring. I haven't watched any of the SAW series, it looks stupid.

I guess maybe it's a maturity thing. I guess a lot of people around me are immature.

I just think if we're going to try to raise the maturity of people around us, we need to protest violence against ALL, or what's the point?

That was absolutely disgusting. I couldn't breathe for like 10 minutes... First of all its absolutely unforgivable that someone came up with this idea and wrote a little play for it, and what makes me even more mad is what woman would go along with playing this role? So fucked up!

Jabes1966:
I agree whole heartedly that violence is not funny, period. I think it's really sad how slapstick comedy involving men is "hilarious" (Home Alone, anyone?). I think a lot of it goes with the idea that men are "tougher" and can handle pain better. Also, obviously only sissy's get beaten up by their girlfriends. So again, the fact that this is acceptable in society is really sad, and is just another symptom of patriachy.

I rather disliked "The Mummy" for it's massive historical innacuracy, and have blocked most of it from my memory. But the scene you decribed sounds pretty awful.

And rape *period* is horrendous. I absolutely cannot watch movies that make light of any kind of rape or violence, and I also argue with many friends about the stupidity of it.

Also, I'm a very strong opponent to capital punishment, and I can't tell you how many people go "I agree, I think it'd be a much worse punishment to make them have a life sentence and get raped all the time." People seriously say this, and it just makes me want to hit something. People have this really sad need for revenge, that I think only makes us more angry than actually helping us heal from violent crimes. Also, much of society just doesn't seem to think of convicts as human beings anymore. I try to at least argue with them logically. I say "think about it, if these guys don't have a life sentence, they will eventually be released back into society. Do you really want to make them worse?" I see locking a person up as being as much of a punishment in itself and as a means of keeping them out of society. So anyone who thinks prison rape is "A-OK!" is someone I'm going to have an issue with.

I don't think you can totally explain this away with "patriarchy" whatever that means.

I think the feminist movement is going to start hitting major roadblocks until it fesses up to the fact that society is both matriarchal AND patriarchal.
1.2million men died in wars the last century doesn't sound particularly patriarchal to me, neither does the fact that 85% of the homeless are men, or 80% of the suicides are men(especially after divorce fathers are 13 times more likely to commit suicide then mothers), or the fact that men are 80% of the victims of homicide (and 70% of all crime), or the fact that men are 95% of the on-the-job deaths, or the tens of thousands of men who have died in mines, or carving highways or rail through majestic mountains, or building suspension bridges. If this same disposability was inflicted by society upon any other segment of society: jews, blacks, or women it would be seen as the powerlessness and victim status it is.

But since men have no formal group or forum to air out legitimate health/safety concerns their disposability will continue until they realize they have to turn to activism just as women did with their legitimate greivances regarding freedom of job choices (i.e. doctor/lawyer/astronaut) and other issues.

The simple fact is that men's deaths (and victimhood) is INVISIBLE or even worse FUNNY to the vast majority of Americans.

Until feminists acknowledge that men are victims too OF SOCIETY (i.e. the cultural and legal norms men AND WOMEN select) they are going to face greater and greater resistance.

In other words do YOU think it's a coincidence that 95% of the on-the-job deaths are men (120k in the last 20year), and (in many states) if a prosecutor pursues a CRIMINAL case of subjecting workers to unsafe working standards the highest charge possible the prosecutor can lay (if even successful) is a misdemeanor.
A wrongful death suit payout would probably be much less than the cost of making the work area safe, and doesn't provide the kind of incentive to fix things that a felony charge would.

If it was 95% women dying in on-the-job work deaths do YOU REALLY THINK that this would continue? Do you really think mine safety legislation would be stalled out in congress if that had been a dozen women who died in that accident?

When challenger blew up, did any OTHER peeps pics make it into the news other than the teacher Christa McAuliffe?

You can (in your mind likely) make this vanish by saying "yeah but this is male politicians doing this to men." But these men (while being a select group of movers and shakers) are raised from the SAME GENERAL society (with the same views) as the rest of America. The fact that male politicians casually throw away male lives like used tissues isn't the point, it's who is the victim.

Feminists have no problem with looking at incidents of mothers killing daughters in muslim countries (because she's no longer pure i.e. a virgin) as mysoginistic behavior--EVEN THOUGH IT COMES FROM A WOMEN.

Is it really so hard to believe that male politicians can be misandric in their views? Any politician is going to toady up to their "boss" (the voter). Women vote in substantial number more than men (especially when you look at the biggest voting block seniors 6 women to every man), more women watch TV in every time-slot, and women control the greater majority of discretionary purchasing power in almost all households.
Is society ready to accept male victimhood? Probably not, but they're going to start hearing about it, starting with me.

Also, much of society just doesn't seem to think of convicts as human beings anymore. I try to at least argue with them logically. I say "think about it, if these guys don't have a life sentence, they will eventually be released back into society.
----------------------------
I agree. The out-of-control "prison industry" is a pet peeve of mine. We now incarcerate more of our citizens than any other country. We passed the USSR quite a few years back.
AND the system is setup to facilitate recidivism.
Have you seen the rules convicts are subjected to? They can't work in hospitals or clinics, they can't get STUDENT LOANS, and their was 2 or more other big ones too but I don't remember them anymore I read the article a long time ago.

Consider this, society cares so little about male victimhood that they will ALLOW men to be raped in prison (because it really IS being ALLOWED to happen) placing a greater chance that more women will be raped. What?
Think about it: if a heterosexual man is raped repeatedly in prison what's he gong to do when he gets out? Maybe PROVE his manhood? And this guy will be such a truly lost sole I wouldn't be surprised if he rapes a women in the first two weeks of being released.

Society actually ANTI-CARES more strongly about male rape than it cares about female rape. How else can you explain this bizarre prison structure that is (probably) placing women in harm's way when these guys get released?

Perhaps because society (men included) cares more about the average woman, than men (note female convicts are also abused by fellow inmates and prison staff) convicted of crime and incarcerated now? "Dumond (1995) described men and women who have been sexually coerced in prison as “ignominious victims”—persons deemed unworthy trapped behind walls with their sexual assailants. In past decades, it was often assumed that prison rape was an unavoidable and perhaps an appropriate part of prison life. There was no societal outcry for its victims."

From "A Comparison of Sexual Coercion Experiences Reported by Men and Women in Prison," (J Interpers Violence 2006; 21; 1591).

http://jiv.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/21/12/1591

From the abstract:

"Men reported that their perpetrators in worst-case incidents were inmates (72%), staff (8%), or inmates and staff collaborating (12%). Women reported that their perpetrators were inmates (47%) and staff (41%). Greater percentages of men (70%) than women (29%) reported that their incident resulted in oral, vaginal, or anal sex. More men (54%) than women (28%) reported an incident that was classified as rape. Men and women were similar in feeling depression; however, more men (37%) than women (11%) reported suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts (19% for men, 4% for women)."

"Staff collaborating," hmmm. This is probably the report on which the sometimes cited claim that 70% of male inmates report being raped (and compared to female incidence of rape), is based.

Personally, if I committed such a serious crime, I'd prefer a quick death to a life sentence where my relatively petite Asian self will risk violence racial and otherwise, and sexual assault on a constant basis. And no, prison life is not quite comparable to what the average woman faces in society, because in prison, one actually is surrounded by near 100% convicted criminals, with a higher level of sexual assault and rape, reported or otherwise. Does this invalidate the experience of female sexual assault victims? No.

I watched the abortion man video for the first time. Oh shit.

Jabes1966?

http://synecdochic.livejournal.com/214607.html

Rule #6. Learn it, live it, preach it!

Until feminists acknowledge that men are victims too OF SOCIETY (i.e. the cultural and legal norms men AND WOMEN select) they are going to face greater and greater resistance.

You mean... patriarchy

Yeah, patriarchy hurts men too. And feminists do talk about it.