Guest Blog: Equality or Keeping Score? by Jason Garrick

The name MIGHT be an pseudonym.
And this might JUST be an Avatar.

So, Jason is a friend of mine from way, way back. He is quite literally my second-longest friend ever. There's only one other human being on the planet (who isn't related to me) who has put up with me for longer.  He's also one of the few people on the planet who I will admit is as smart as I am, if not smarter.

So, Jason tripped over an article one day, and went "Hulk Smash." Then went looking for a blog to host it, since he isn't in a position to host a blog of this nature.

And here we are.

The original article is linked to in the fisk, but it's from a site called "Everyday Feminism," and it does not look like the feminism that I subscribe to.  Since I grew up with both parents in the medical profession, and ended up a mascot of a medical association that's 90% female, you can be certain I'm from the traditional, equal-pay-equal-work feminism.  Not the one previously discussed on the blog by me.  And since this is the first guest blog ever written by a guy (strange that I just noticed you know where I stand.  Answer: not with the Social Justice "Warriors" [or SJWs].

Equality, or Keeping Score?

By Jason Garrick

Fisking a male SJW is more fun than a drunken seal.

I woke up to read this article by a male SJW supporter, who came up with a list of reasons why men have “gender privilege” over women (and should not). Rather than go tit for tat with him about the opposite (example: women have longer orgasms than men do), I’ll just fisk his article for good measure.

1. I have the privilege of a short morning routine

Has the writer ever had to shave his facial hair? Women don’t do that, and a good number of men choose to use straight razors for the job. That takes A LOT of time.

Women don’t shower that much, because their hair can frizz and dry out. Not so for men; we tend to shower daily.

Men are bigger than women on the biological average. We eat more, in order to cover our greater weight. Of course, we eat and digest differently than women. This means that men tend to go to the bathroom in the morning more often than women do, and for far longer than the other sex does.

Also, while I’m at it, how many women wear three piece suits to work? How many men wear skirts to work? Women have more clothing choices than men do when it comes to work- and that’s a privilege that men don’t have. But you don’t hear me complaining about it.

2. I have the privilege of a gender that confers authority.

Authority is situational for both sexes. The author of the article is a teacher, but ignores that the vast majority of grade school teachers are women. K to 12 is gendered in a female to male ratio. The same goes for other fields that women tend to dominate or make up a significant percentage of- secretaries/clerics, doctors/nurses, lawyers, mothers/housewifes, models, porn stars, authors, etc.

And the writer does not bother to explain how objectification makes women less than men. Has he bothered to do the research on how authority differentiates between men who look like models and men who don’t? What about guys who are nerdy and guys who are not? His major sources are Rate my Professors, which is a review site for students to rate their high school and college teachers, and an interview with Jennifer Garner (yes, really). Invariably, the students who sucked in class are the ones who post angry and scathing reviews. Most people don’t post positive reviews. Rate my Professors is NOT scientific and should not be taken as such. Anyone trying to peddle that site with any sort of value is not playing with statistical fairness in mind. Jennifer Garner also does not count as an academic and scientific source. Try again.

3. I have the privilege of peeing standing up.

This is a huge load of crap. Biologically, men pee standing up. They do not like to pee from a squatting position. Women, on the other hand, do squat. Or at least, they should. It’s not the fault of men that women’s bathroom stalls haven’t changed in about 100 years in the West. If women want different bathroom stalls, the answer is simple: CHANGE THEM YOURSELVES.

However, I know that they have changed bathrooms in the East, where they have bathroom urinals for girls to squat and do their deed. Examples here and here and here. We in the West should copy them and get over our stupid touchy feely stuff. But, I’m sure people will complain about the new bathroom system because they can’t ever have something nice. Again, make the change if you earnestly desire it. It’s not men who are saying that women can’t have a different bathroom. Its women who are doing that.

4. I have the privilege to show skin.

Men wear jeans. Women don’t. I’m done.

Okay, I’m not done, but just about. Men’s nipples aren’t really an erogenous zone. Women’s breasts are. They are partially there to arouse men. I know if I saw women topless on a regular day, I would be aroused. Do you want to conduct business with men who are thinking with their groin? This, in part, is why we have dress codes.

Also, bras have a purpose. They firm and shape women’s breasts and keep them from sagging. They help women who have small chests look bigger than they really are. Yes, it’s an imperfect science, but it’s not without accident that women’s breast sizes (mostly in the West) have grown over the last 100 years.

And the writer is the one who views women’s chests as a threat- not as the call to sex that they can be. They are a distraction in the modern work world. Also, men are required to dress up- sometimes more than women- in the work world. Life is imperfect. Stop bitching about it.

5. I have the privilege to move about without fear of harassment, assault, or rape.

First, what makes him assume that men are targeted any less for assault and robbery? Muggings are historically gender neutral. It is location and environmentally conditional.

I love that the sources for his data come from advocacy groups like Think Progress, which is literally a progressive instrument organized by the Democratic Party to operate as a back channel. I guess he likes his political propaganda and talking points to masquerade as news. Also, the actual study is not based on science, but on advocacy. That means that they have an agenda, and they want to lie to you.

Also, the 1 in 5 women are raped statistic is UTTERLY FALSE. See here and here. It was based on bad stats that only looked at two colleges, narrowed their statistical data fields, and then asked extremely broad questions that included “Did he ask you out?” or “Did he kiss you?” as forms of rape. That study has been roundly criticized, and rightly so. Its bunk, and everyone knows it. No college is using it as their guideline because they intrinsically know that it’s false. Also, the FBI and Department of Justice statistics do not bear this out. At best, it is 5% rape in total, for both men and women. And the statistic is actually slightly higher outside of college than withinit.

Bottom line is that these studies are designed to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, and they operate with loose statistical parameters that arrive at pre-determined narratives. If campus rape was as bad as the 1 in 5 statistic, we’d hear a lot more about it in the everyday news. We don’t, because it doesn’t exist.

6. I have the privilege to enjoy the internet without my gender being assaulted

Men are routinely called gay slurs by those who cannot hold an argument. They also refer to men as “girly men” or other sexist terminology. Also, the internet is a cesspool from EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.

This means that men and women are going to get cross postings from countries that are not as socially or politically advanced as many in the West are. The internet, therefore, is not indicative of racial or social progress when people in America whine about people in Saudi Arabia, only they pretend the Saudis are American. This does not correlate.

Also, it’s not fair to lump everyone in the same category. There’s a huge difference between a 12 year old boy and girl than a 30 year old man and woman. The former haven’t learned how to debate, they only know how to conduct schoolyard rants. The latter should know how to critique on a constructive level. But the vast majority of the internet rage-baiters are kids, and we shouldn’t blame adults for their behavior (except their parents). Plus, there’s this 

Also, his sources are gender baiters and victimhood advocates. I expect nothing less from Sarkeesian, who has a history of lying or faking harassment in order to get money or act as stunts for more notoriety.

7. I have the privilege of seeing myself widely and positively represented in the media.

I have no idea where he is going here.

Yes, women are getting more roles in Hollywood (and tv) than ever before. More films are being catered to women. I have no problem with this. But it won’t change the reality that significant parts of the movie-going audience won’t care about each style of film. And that’s okay!

The reason we have popcorn movies is that Hollywood figured one (very right) thing out: people go to the movies to be ENTERTAINED. We don’t go to the movies to be lectured at- which is why darn near all the anti-war Iraq movies died a horrible death. We don’t go to the movies to be sad- very few depressing movies make a lot of money. And that’s the key: movies have to make MONEY. That means a lot of popcorn movies. And those traditionally are male-centric.

Men have gotten more money than women in Hollywood- but that is changing. Again, the market matters, and we rarely see Sylvester Stallones anymore. But popcorn films like Avengers or Furious Seven rake in more money than Age of Adaline or Pitch Perfect 2. That is economics 101. I don’t know if the author of the article pays attention to this, but men and women go to movies for different reasons. The film industry is a DEMOCRACY for the audience. Steve Buscemi is as much of an actor as Chris Hemsworth is. One is butt ugly and one is not. But Hollywood finds roles for both of them. Same goes for Helen Mirren and Mindy Kaling. And again: this is okay.

Women and men are represented positively in the media. They are also represented negatively. Has this guy ever seen a comedy? It’s designed to poke fun at the male and female characters. What about action movies- are we to think less of Signourney Weaver, Angelina Jolie, Mila Jovovich, or Jennifer Lawrence? And women tend to get very juicy dramatic roles- take a look at the rap sheet of Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Glen Close, and Amy Adams.