• recursive_recursion they/them@lemmy.ca
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    1 month ago

    If the reader feels attacked

    Non-violent criticism can still be done by addressing the point/statement rather than attacking the person. I don’t understand how gender is involved with fragile egos as it can be a universal problem.

    As a feminist I have to say media such as this comic hurts the movement as it makes it harder for us to garner support from people of all backgrounds. Not all women sterotype men, and not all men sterotype women. The best of both is possible, but like a scientist you have to be willing to find the truth.

    I find this similiar to how some:

    • anti-oil activists cause harm onto all people (such as causing traffic problems by sitting on roads) rather than protesting against oil companies directly.
    • schools create penalties for the entire class instead of singling out and isolating the bully.
    • Track_Shovel@slrpnk.netOP
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      1 month ago

      Nothing in this particular comic is attacking an individual though. In fact, it’s painting with too broad of a brush (as you point out), because sadly, this issue is relatively widespread. Fragile egos are most certainly a universal problem, and women are not without fault. Some of the most abhorrent people I’ve met have been women. That doesn’t change the fact that gender norms for men promote fragile egos. Messaging of "you must compete, you’re only as good as what you can provide to your family, you should never be weak is ubiquitous. When these things are challenged, or we don’t meet these societal expectations, things tend to go poorly.

      Men need to work on supporting each other, being comfortable not aligning with societal expectations, understanding that it’s ok to be weak/vulnerable, and realizing that their value is existential (like all humans) and not tied to production, or some other arbitrary metric.