From the article:
You know those electronic collars that zap dogs that stray outside their electronic fences?
That seems to be the purpose of everyone’s favorite and seemingly innocuous phrase, “man up.”
Just mumbling those two words in a typical guy’s direction delivers a psychological shock that discourages him from venturing outside the restrictions of our traditional view of what it means to be a man.
Here’s an example of what Barbie would look like if she reflected average measurements. The creator of these photos asks, “If there’s even a small chance of Barbie in its present form negatively influencing girls, and if Barbie looks good as an average-sized woman in America, what’s stopping Mattel from making one?”
The article draws from a blog published by artist Nickolay Lamm – another example of an “everyday” person bringing national attention to a gender-related issue via social media.
Here’s an interesting example of a man working in a very visible (but anonymous until now) way to speak out against rape. Eric Lostutter revealed that he was the member of Anonymous who helped to raise national attention about the rape of a 16-year-old girl in Steubenville, OH by outting some of the members of the football team who had posted videos of and tweeted about the rape.
From the article:
… the man behind the mask is not who you’d (or I guess who I’d) expect him to be. Lostutter, who gave an interview to Mother Jones on Thursday, lives in Kentucky, seems to be part good ol’ boy and part bro. The 26-year-old is a cybersecurity consultant who likes motorcycle riding, Bud-drinking, flag-flying, and turkey hunting. He’s also an amateur rapper who goes by the name Shadow.
This is a case that men are an important ally in the fight against rape, while also raising some important ethical questions regarding privacy and our justice system.
Click here to read the CNN article referenced in the audio lecture that was written by feminist and social justice educator, Don McPherson.
Interesting note: Don McPherson is featured in the film The Line. Nancy talks with him when she is trying to make sense of what happened to her. In the film, he tells her “we raise women to survive in a rape culture, yet we do nothing to talk to men about not raping.”
Great examples of how gendered norms are restricting men from one of my favorite writers, LZ Granderson.
Click here to become a part of the Ring the Bell movement. Their slogan is “One million men. One million promises. End violence against women.”
Public proclamation helps build support and encourages others to act to support equality for all people. But is posting your commitment online enough? What do you think?