When Kloo speaks...

For a movement that has been described as “…almost completely inactive.” (David Futrelle, “Dismantling the Men’s Rights Movement,” March 9, 2011), feminist gender warriors spend a hell of a lot of time trying to down play the effectiveness of the Men’s Rights Movement (MRM) and Men’s Rights Advocates (MRA’s).  Futrelle asks, "Where's the activism?"  I do believe they doth protest too much.

Who are they trying to convince?

Needless to say, such sentiments did not convince Thomas Ball, who set himself on fire because he was “done being bullied for being a man.”   The self immolation was done in protest of the justice system. (linked citation).    Ball was described as “…sweet, gentle person, just in a lot of pain…” by a lady friend of his.  Being a sweet, gentle man who was in a lot of pain didn’t score any points in Ball’s favor with the “women firsters.”  (linked citation) 

Amanda Marcotte, a prime example of foul mouthed self promotion, actually wrote disdainfully about Ball, metaphorically spitting on him after he died.  This is a much different reaction given by, not only mainstream feminists, but many average women regarding the Catherine Kieu episode. 

Let’s put this in context.  Catherine Kieu, with malice aforethought, calculatingly drugged her husband, restrained him on his bed, waited until he woke up and only then, when he was conscious, proceeded to castrate emasculate him.  She picked up the appendage, walked over to the garbage disposal, and with malice aforethought, liquefied his penis.  Her husband’s crime?  He sought a divorce.  When the police arrived, Ms. Kieu informed the police that her now emasculated and hemorrhaging, soon to be ex-husband, “deserved it.”

Hardly a thing can be heard over the deafening sound of crickets emanating from the feminist echo-chambers about Ms. Kieu.  In fact, the main refrain of women based internet prose ask, (paraphrasing), “What in the happy couple’s history could have forced Ms. Kieu to take such drastic, yet possibly appropriate measures?”  In the parlance of feministas, feministes and feministings everywhere, the rapid turn to victim blaming is strong in this one.

Kathryn Joyce wrote in a Double X article (November 5, 2009), “’Men's Rights’ Groups Have Become Frighteningly Effective.   They’re changing custody rights and domestic violence laws.”  She touches on the evolution of the MRM  “…[L]ately they’ve become far more polished and savvy about advancing their views.”  (linked citation)

This effectiveness was displayed recently when Men’s Rights Activists forced the hosts of CBS’s “The Talk” to apologize for imprudent comments (and laughter), celebrating Catherine Kieu’s premeditated, brutal castration of her drugged, immobile husband.  The hosts, with the exception of Sara Gilbert, and the audience cheered on Ms. Kieu and her filleting ways.  The show aired on Thursday, July 14.  On June 15, MRA’s Krazie316 and Chapin’s INFERNO posted videos on youtube attacking the segment.

On July 16, a moderator (“Kloo2yoo”) of the Men’s Rights forum (called a sub-reddit –or- r/mensrights) on the social news website Reddit submitted a link to vlogger Krazie316’s video, which discussed the July 14th clip.  This was the event horizon that focused the power of the men’s right crowd toward the singularity of action that resulted in the aforementioned apology.  From the time of its posting, outrage from redditors was focused on  CBS and The Talk.  “The segment was posted to Reddit, and from there was picked up by the blogosphere. Several blogs, including, ‘No, Seriously, What About Teh Menz,’ has asked readers to write to CBS to show their displeasure.”  (liked citation)

Besides the growing and ever more sophisticated power of MRA’s, what this little episode shows is that r/mensrights is more than just a forum.  It is the focus point of much of today’s MRA information.  Women on Reddit read r/mensrights.  Feminists read r/mensrights.  David Futrelle reads r/mensrights.  It is a compiler of diverse voices in the MRM.  r/mensrights informs much of the MRM, and sets the tone of the opposition.  r/mensrights matters. 

PS:  The "apology" segment starts at 1:20 on this video.  Thanx Troll King for bringing that to my attention.