Reddit is an online forum covering a near infinite number of topics with millions of daily visitors. The user base is known to be largely male and the many negative posts about feminism alludes to this. In my time on the site, perceptions of feminists are often hostile and misguided.
Here are some examples of feminist themed memes.
These memes account for additional perceptions and misconceptions of feminist beliefs and the identity of feminists. When viewing, understand these as representative of a larger attitude as memes only spread on popularity. The attitudes expressed in the memes are barriers to a larger conversation about the way varying oppressions affect everyone's lives.
It is important to note that while these memes are misguided in representing the entirety of feminism, they may be grounded in real experiences. Feminists are not invulnerable to faults in arguments or lapses of judgement in action. Feminists should be mindful of the implications of their actions in a gendered society and know that their behavior may be viewed as representative of the whole.
Change the conversation by being a part of it. Check out and join some of these communities!
/r/feminism
/r/feminisms
/r/askfeminists
College Liberal meme:
The Hypocrite Feminist Meme:
The Feminist Nazi Meme
For fun:
Critical Feminist Corgi
Though I've never seen these memes before, I am very familiar with the sentiments that they express. While I'm sure that there are so-called "feminists" out there that alienate men to what should be a universal movement towards equality, I think that their numbers are largely exaggerated and manipulated to ridicule feminism as a whole.
ReplyDeleteAh, these memes are really frustrating for many different reasons. I think above all, it is the consistent use of blanket generalizations on both sides of the argument that causes conflict. It is extremely difficult to have constructive discussions about any topic-but especially gender relations-when both sides have lofty and extreme assumptions about the other.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Caroline in that those 'feminists' who belittle or make generalizations of men are few among the many, but unfortunately are some of the most vocal and have become the face of a movement.
To me, this represents a widespread stereotype which isn't all that different from racial profiling and joking. Those who are against a school of thought take the few, most extreme examples and conflate them to a point which makes those who would agree with them afterwords feel ridiculous. I also wonder if this points to a predominantly male presence on internet communities (not that I think all men think this way, like these memes would hint I do).
ReplyDelete