Anti-Feminist Internet Meme + Privacy Invasion = Let's discuss the Internet.

[A Time for Wolves]

I don't know how many of you waste time on the Internet, but a few days ago a wonderfully sexist new meme started making the rounds. A nice woman (and xojane writer) posted a picture to Facebook where she holds a sign saying, "This is what a feminist looks like." Because she is overweight and dares to be photographed with that sign, she becomes a hateful meme. Facebook doesn't consider this an invasion of privacy, which is another reason why I rarely post pics on Facebook.

This is also why I've always been uncomfortable with Internet memes that use photos of actual people, instead of cartoon characters or whatever.

My feminist rage is raging right now. Especially because the dicks who did it are 1) female and 2) smug about it. Apparently they think feminists are ugly man-haters and deserve to be shamed, which is a whole different set of bullshit.

[Guest Raidne]

This is pretty problematic, because it's only insulting if you see what they see - you have to reduce the woman to "overweight woman" to even get the joke. I think the best response is to not get it. What other response is there? Hold a "This Is What a Feminist Looks Like" wet t-shirt contest, on trampolines?

Naturally, it's also why it's infuriating.

Can't wait to hear the response from the "egalitarian," "we don't need feminism" peanut gallery.

[mankytoes]

This is pretty problematic, because it's only insulting if you see what they see - you have to reduce the woman to "overweight woman" to even get the joke. I think the best response is to not get it. What other response is there? Hold a "This Is What a Feminist Looks Like" wet t-shirt contest, on trampolines?

Naturally, it's also why it's infuriating.

Can't wait to hear the response from the "egalitarian," "we don't need feminism" peanut gallery.

Is egalitarian an insult on here!?

Nasty stuff, I'm glad she sounds more defiant than upset.

[I know I know]

Do nothing:

0

Post a mean GIF:

-10

Get angry at a GIF that treats feminists no different than they treat accidental chinese hipsters and silly looking republicans/democrats and everybody else on the internet:

-80

[MinDonner]

Yeah, cos being a sexist fat-shaming dick is not NEARLY as bad as actually pointing it out when someone is a sexist fat-shaming dick, amirite?

FFS.

[karaddin]

8 times less worse in fact Min.

[Guest Raidne]

How about complaining to Facebook on the grounds that it's a violation of their community standards prohibiting bullying and harassment or hate speech?

It's not a privacy violation, but that doesn't mean it isn't objectionable for other reasons.

[polishgenius]

How about complaining to Facebook on the grounds that it's a violation of their community standards prohibiting bullying and harassment or hate speech?

It's not a privacy violation, but that doesn't mean it isn't objectionable for other reasons.

It's worth a try, but given the amount of different things that comes up if you stick 'facebook refuses to take down' into google, I wouldn't hold out too much hope.

Seriously, facebook are wankers.

It's difficult to respond to this because, like Raidne says, you have to pretty much subscribe to their point of view to say anything back. I mean, part of their justification is 'because she harms feminism blah blah blah' - apart from 'how the shit did you draw that conclusion from that picture' there's really no response to it, it's so mindblowingly stupid.

[MinDonner]

'because she harms feminism blah blah blah'

That argument reminds me a lot of this incident from 2010 (took a bit of tracking down!), where an article ostensibly celebrating gay men also included some nasty contempt for the more effeminate chaps who dared to "confirm the stereotype". And Stephen Fry got very angry about that.

By singling out Louie Spence for lofty disapproval, by sneering at his "mincing" they are turning their back on, dissociating themselves from, insulting and demeaning a fine man and whole way of being... Do they want people like him not to count, do they see him as being guilty of a choice in his manner and his demeanour, just as homophobes everywhere accuse all gay people of choosing their sexuality and preferences? How dare they of all people dismiss a gay man in a few contemptuous, bigoted phrases because he doesn't fit the "type" that they think a gay man should exemplify?

This seems more of the same. How dare a feminist be anything other than a media-friendly hot thin chick?! She's just confirming the stereotype!!

Fuck that noise. Feminism is a broad tent, but if anyone's giving us a bad name, it's those hypocrites who persist in condemning their allies for their appearance, not the women who dare to be - ZOMG! - overweight or hairy-legged or anything else "stereotypical".

[Littlefingers In The Air]

I find comfort in being able to factually tell myself that:

The meme says feminists look like a red headed white woman

I am a black man who is also a feminist

The meme is therefore wrong

[Sixshells]

I thought the point of the meme was to say that feminism was a movement of ugly women, not that only hot women were allowed to be feminists? That's the point about having to think like the people who put up this meme in order to" get the joke". The justification about how she harms feminism is a false one anyway, because that kind of people are NOT feminists or in favour of it, nor do they pretend to be.

[Castel]

That argument reminds me a lot of this incident from 2010 (took a bit of tracking down!), where an article ostensibly celebrating gay men also included some nasty contempt for the more effeminate chaps who dared to "confirm the stereotype". And Stephen Fry got very angry about that.

This seems more of the same. How dare a feminist be anything other than a media-friendly hot thin chick?! She's just confirming the stereotype!!

Fuck that noise. Feminism is a broad tent, but if anyone's giving us a bad name, it's those hypocrites who persist in condemning their allies for their appearance, not the women who dare to be - ZOMG! - overweight or hairy-legged or anything else "stereotypical".

There is a silver lining Min: This probably wasn't done by an ally. This doesn't seem to be a case of internal conflict. The stereotype belongs to misogynists.

[MinDonner]

Yeah, I think I got a bit confused by the OP saying it was all done by women and then polishgenius's follow-up. Though for serious, I'm a little dubious about the whole "this is what a feminist looks like" campaign in general, which seems DESIGNED to contain the message that "we're not all fat chicks with hairy legs, honest". Can I have a T-shirt that says "who the fuck cares what a feminist looks like?" plz?

[Littlefingers In The Air]

I'd buy a thinking cap and wear the this is what a feminist looks like t-shirt.

[Robin Of House Hill]

Let me see if I understand all this. If appearance is the sole validator, Indira Gandhi and Golda Meir were not influential and Albert Einstein, was just a goofy looking old guy. Got it.

[Prosesskrift]

I'm not sure I understand the campaign. Would the implication not be that there are people whom, because of their looks, cannot be considered feminists?

At any rate, shaming the woman for her looks is no less disgusting if the original campaign seems a little strange.

[Every]

This is pretty problematic, because it's only insulting if you see what they see - you have to reduce the woman to "overweight woman" to even get the joke. I think the best response is to not get it. What other response is there? Hold a "This Is What a Feminist Looks Like" wet t-shirt contest, on trampolines?

Isn't that like saying that, in order to understand why (for example) throwing a banana at a black person is offensive, you'd have to personally see a resemblance between a black person and a monkey? I don't think I agree with that argument - it's possible to recognise the implication they're making without accepting it or in any way reducing the victim.

[Fragile Bird]

I think in some parts of the world, especially in the USA, (or, at least, we seem to hear more from US sources) feminists have been painted as braless, frizzy haired, fist pumping, jack booted, mannish looking broads who became feminists because they couldn't get a man.

The point of the campaign, as I see it, is that anyone and everyone can be a feminist, man or woman, because the goals of feminism will help everyone. :)

[MinDonner]

Sure. But if you actually happen to be a braless, frizzy haired, fist pumping, jack booted, mannish looking broad, then I'm not sure you'd feel that inclined to join in with that particular campaign. So while I can see the reasoning behind it, it still gets my hackles up a bit.

[Sci-2]

I agree with Min - the campaign itself isn't necessarily conducive to the goals.

I'm actually surprised by Facebook not caring. Seems odd for them to accept violations of people's personal photos.

But then I suppose without stalkers and creeps they'd lost 20-50% of their business?