"All you are is an inconsiderate male chauvinistic pig"
"Down with your patriarchal ideologies"
"Shatter the glass ceiling misogynist"
"I don't need a man for anything but children"
"All men are dogs! How dare you call a woman bitch"
The list is quite long and this is just a sneak peek of a few comments that I came across on different social media platforms. You might have read a few of them on the internet, certainly.
Don't look at these comments as mere opinions of random users expressing themselves strongly over the internet. In fact, these are true embodiments of pseudo-feminist ideologies within contemporary Indian intellectuals.
While scrolling through my Facebook timeline, I found a comment saying "All men are trash! Patriarchy is real cancer." This caught my attention and compelled me to think, is this really feminism? Is the real idea of this noble movement displacing and turning into something else? So I decided to be the Brazilian slutwalk flasher (if you know, you know) for all pseudo feminists with my blog.
What is Feminism?
By definition, feminism is the belief and advocacy for equal rights of sexes. Originating in the west, the movement has come a long way and managed to manifest itself in different forms worldwide.
The Changing Face of Feminism: Birth of
Pseudo Feminism
The glorious revolution that began in the early 19th century to fight for equality has now shrunken to misandry, bashing men, and lame comment wars on social media. The current face of feminism that we often witness on social media has deviated dramatically from the original classical notion- the fight for the rights of women on the ground of gender equality.
Feminism asserts that the social structure is dominated by men and women are placed in lower strata of the same society.
Yes! equality in rights between men and women is vital.
Yes! women have faced oppression in all aspects of life.
Yes! women should get all opportunities that are accessible to men.
Yes! women should get an education, healthcare, and professional opportunities.
But the only way to reach this is by bashing men on the internet? Misandry? Hatred towards men? Abusing men? Is it actually possible to achieve equality for all oppressed women by being a pseudo-feminist or a radical feminist? Ask yourself!
Misandry and Feminism on Social Media
Ironically, feminism that began as a movement to achieve equality, today has turned into a movement of pseudo feminists fighting not for equality but for a higher status than men. These pseudo feminists that play instrumental roles in promoting this loathing consider men as their greatest enemies and look up to them with utter hatred.
In contemporary India, a man is not allowed to look at a woman who has a social media handle with 500 followers, let alone speak to her. Her independence is defined by the number of followers she has on her Instagram. The more halfwit followers she has (who come to her profile to look at the half-naked pictures that she flaunts proudly in the name of freedom and choice) the more independent she is.
Young women and girls get influenced by this detestation and start following the paths of their favorite social media stars that promote these ideas. As a result, the notion of the movement deviates from a noble to a vicious cause. Misandry is being normalized and promoted by these pseudo feminists.
More and more female social media users get brainwashed and start believing that all the oppression that women have faced is because of men. They develop harsh feelings and think men need to be punished, hated, and treated with abhorrence. They start believing all men are misogynists, rapists, and an intrusion in their path of life.
Tracing the Deviation
Male bashing and misandry have absolutely no connection with real feminism. The presence of these elements is a strong indicator that true feminism is absent from anywhere these elements exist. Feminism appears to be on the same track as other social evils such as dowry and caste systems that were manipulated by people for their own gain.
When Priyanka Chopra said, "I don't need a man for anything but children" there was so much support and love from radical and pseudo feminists towards her. What kind of hatred would be directed at a male actor or a college student or a common man if they made the same statement? You know the answer.
An extremely popular statement that all of us have heard is "All men are the same". Every time this statement is quoted the objective is to show that all men are sexual predators, misogynists, sexists, and whatnot. They need to be reminded that men are not the same in this regard, but rather in the aspect that they work hard, provide for their families, and care more about their mother and wife than themselves.
In a Nutshell
Feminism should focus on the natural coming together of both the sexes to create a balanced society where women have equal opportunities as men. The struggle and fight by women for achieving their desired status will continue to be a major issue. In fact, in a healthy democratic
structure, it is healthy to raise voice against existing norms.
But bashing men on social media platforms and the internet is not going to get you anywhere.