Preface
The inspiration – or rather, frustration – behind this post comes from recent media buzz surrounding something I never thought would be this controversial. Seeing Taylor Swift at a football game. However, this topic has taken over the internet and not for positive reasons. This viral debate has been a catalyst for discussion regarding the reality of misogyny in western society.
Modern society has progressed to involving women in the work force, education, politics, and many other societal functions. Because of this, many people assume that gender inequality has been conquered. Women who “still complain” about inequality are raging left feminists with an agenda to make women more powerful than men rather than equals.
Discussions about gender equality often surround world-wide equal access to education, healthcare, and bodily autonomy for women. These issues are extremely important and in no way do I intend to diminish or compare my experience to them. However, misogynistic roots are also much closer to home than some may think. Something frightening is happening in western society, especially since the COVID Pandemic. The societal impact of the pandemic, along with social media, has given rise to misogynistic behaviour and attitudes, particularly online. Hence, my interest in the Taylor Swift hate. So, let’s talk about that. Oh, and trigger warning, misogyny.
DISCLAIMER: Before looking further at trends and effects of misogyny, feminism, and women in general it is extremely important to note that I am writing this post as a white woman. These thoughts and feelings are not universal. Effects of misogyny and the meaning of feminism can be very different for women of colour and marginalized women. Feminism can also look and feel different based on gender identity and income/class. I apologize for not being able to represent the voices of all women. However, please know that your voice is important, heard and recognized for each unique challenge that accompanies gender equality.
What is Misogyny?
Misogyny is a term that gets thrown around a lot, so much so that it’s meaning gets lost in modern dialogue. It’s origin is from the Ancient Greek word “mīsoguníā” that translates to hatred towards women. I learned this through an excellent article about misogyny, feminism and sexual harassment published in the Industrial Psychiatry Journal. This short excerpt is gave me a great understanding of where and how the concept of misogyny worked its way in to society;
The roots of misogyny can be traced back to ancient Greek mythology. According to Hesiod before women came into existence, men were coexisting peacefully as companions to Gods until Prometheus decided to steal the secret of fire from the God which angered Zeus. Zeus punished mankind with an evil thing for their delight called Pandora, the first woman who carried a box which unleashed all evils such as labor, sickness, old age, and death
(Srivastava et al., 2017)
From here, each region and religion embedded this fundamental hatred of women in various shapes and forms. This is where we see the idea of gender roles, exclusion of women from certain functions of society, and gender biases.
Over time, and numerous feminist movements, the role that misogyny plays in modern society in Canada has changed. There is no longer a widely accepted stereotype of “women stay in the kitchen and at home with the kids and while the men work.” However, misogyny remains embedded into our society. Whats worse is after years of decline in these ideologies and progressive social change, the age of social media has brought an increase to misogynistic groups and amplified their voices and reach.
Online Misogyny and the Manosphere
A well-known example of online misogyny the case of Andrew Tate. It’s okay, I also felt an instant shiver down my spine after reading that name.
Tate was once a professional fighter but gained popularity on social media for TikTok videos discussing male dominance, the role of women as inferior beings and the importance of men holding power and wealth (Willingham, 2022). Prior to being banned from virtually all social media platforms, young men and boys interacted heavily with his content. Many even idolized Tate.
I’m sure some of you are thinking “I didn’t idolize Tate, I just found his videos funny,” or “it’s not that serious, he’s a joke.” Regardless of why his videos reached such virality, his misogynistic views were able to reach so many impressionable young minds. Even if they were shared for an “unserious” reason. The ability for misogynists to attract others and create specific groups has grown and this corner of the internet is often referred to as the “manosphere.”
The manosphere is a growing online issue as an increasing number of men are spreading hateful thoughts about women and gender diverse individuals. Some even encourage and promote gender-based violence (McCullough, 2023). The manosphere is a place where a woman’s agency, value, humanity, rights, and safety are threatened. It can also be a community in which male supremacy, violence towards women and the dreaded “war on men” are discussed. Sometimes not in so many words. Ideas and opinions rooted in misogyny can come across more unassuming and less aggressive. But, a platform where women are degraded and discussed negatively due to their gender is often within the manosphere realm.
(Does this sound familiar when millions of football fans undermine Taylor Swift’s value, talent, and humanity for simply attending a sport event?)
Why is this happening?
There are a number of reasons for the increase of misogyny. However, an insightful article sourced from the Canadian Museum of Human Rights concisely covers the main roots of this issue. I will link the article here, it is well worth a read. Here are some of the major contributing factors:
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This article also highlights that sexist ideologies are not a new concept. However, over the past few decades the rate of social change has introduced these new complexities to societal functions… and some men blame women. “These groups share a fixation on women and feminism as the cause of men’s personal and social problems” (McCullough, 2023).
I would likely run out of word space on this page to cover all of what this means for current and future women. The bottom line is that these virtual safe havens for threatened men who feel the world has treated them unfairly are enticing. In the past, these groups were often started by incels (involuntarily celibate). Now, it is becoming more common for men who are sexually active and less alienated from society to join the manosphere. This is where we see “pick up artists,” men who promote misogynistic and manipulative seduction techniques and sexual assault to other, particularly younger, men (McCullough, 2023). In the same realm are “hustle bros” such as Andrew Tate. These men encourage pick-up artist techniques along with emphasizing the importance of a man’s wealth (McCullough, 2023). As you can see, the manosphere is not only growing, but consistently becoming more defined.
Although most men do not set out to become “hateful misogynists,” (McCullough, 2023) the online availability of acceptance and validation draws in those searching for a group or purpose. As such, these ideologies are being spread increasingly. As discussed previously, the manosphere hosts extreme cases of anti-women hate, and hate that is far more mundane in comparison (such as comments on a woman’s body or success). Regardless of extremity level, hate towards women is igniting and the internet is a virtually impossible place to put out a wildfire.
For those who Struggle to Understand
I am sure that some of you find yourself getting drawn into the debate surrounding misogyny and feminism, and you may think it’s being taken too far and you’re tired of hearing about it. Consider why this topic is tired to you. Because it’s not that serious and some women can’t take a joke? Is it because women are practically equal so why are they complaining so much? Do you just want to watch football and don’t want to see Taylor swift for 25 seconds out of 3 hours? Would it be just as infuriating if it were Drake on the screen? Ask yourself these things. Think about the direction that these narratives are heading in and the backwards motion of gender equality.
I urge you to consider the message that these ideologies send to future generations of young boys. Moreover, what does this say to young girls? What standards should they set for themselves in terms of how they should be treated and talked about?
Spreading hate online is incredibly effortless and drawing others into herd mentalities is easily achievable. Social media offers accessibility, reach, platform availability, and anonymity. This is something we should all keep in mind when a successful woman is torn down by millions on the internet in the span of a couple weeks. Who started this conversation? Who will end it?
Sources
McCullough, S. (2023, September). Online misogyny: the “manosphere” | CMHR. Canadian Museum for Human Rights. https://humanrights.ca/story/online-misogyny-manosphere
Srivastava, K., Chaudhury, S., Bhat, P. S., & Sahu, S. (2017). Misogyny, feminism, and sexual harassment. Industrial psychiatry journal, 26(2), 111–113. https://doi.org/10.4103/ipj.ipj_32_18
Willingham, A. (2022, September). Misogynistic influencers are trending right now. Defusing their message is a complex task. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/08/us/andrew-tate-manosphere-misogyny-solutions-cec/index.html
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