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by btilly 213 days ago
Yes. It is an ad hominem attack meant to make it easy to dismiss an ideologically inconvenient lived experience.

Sadly, ad hominem attacks to reinforce group identity have become common across ideological groups.

1 comments

I honestly think you're over-intellectualizing it.

The core contention is that he's a virginal loser with no friends. Men have insinuated this about each other, independently of political division, across the ages.

I do think it's helpful to understand when interactions are really just boiling down to this. Helps with the angst.

It feels like there's almost no engagement with the actual claims I'm making.

From the original claim of, "Nobody really thinks men are the cause of most of societies problems."

My response was, "While growing up I was taught and interacted with people who definitely thought men were the cause of most of societies problems."

The counter was, "You must be a terminally online virgin with no friends then."

From my perspective I have a rich social life that includes both genders and would consider myself a feminist. But it really is radicalizing that even mentioning experiences of casual misandry is met with accusations of social ineptitude

You ever hear anybody say "toxic femininity"? Yeah, me neither.

But, anyway, it's a confused conversation. It's helpful to zoom out a bit. The top-level comment is (partially) blaming feminist discourse for a social ill (increasing gambling addiction among young men). While politely stated, the claim is pretty inflammatory.

So part of what's going on here is that people are reacting to what they perceive as you defending that initial claim (which, again, is pretty inflammatory IMO) instead of just denouncing a bunch of people as incels and moving on.

Anyway, I will validate you. You are not taking crazy pills. You're just ... saying some things that are taboo to say. I would, uh, avoid ever using the word "misandry" in a setting where it can be associated with your real name.