My stance: I'm not a feminist because I'm not worthy. I agree with and support every key concept of the feminist movement but I'm a white bloke. To call me a feminist would be an insult to the marvellous women who do so much for this cause.
Saying that you are "not worthy" because you are a white male is kind of counterproductive and contradicting to the feminism movement as a whole. Feminism is equality for EVERYONE. It doesn't matter what your race, sexuality, gender, etc. Is. By saying you are not worthy due to characteristics about yourself that you can't control perpetuates the idea that we are not all born equal. I am sorry that you feel are unworthy. I bet you are an awesome person! Haha
Saying you're not worthy of the feminist movement, to me, makes it seem like you don't want to be a part of it. If you truly support a cause you understand how important it is - especially with feminism - to support it as a white man. Who is oppressing women? White men. By taking a feminist stance, you're not just supporting the women you love and admire in your life (and the women who work so hard to move feminism forward) but showing the other white males around you that this is important and if they support it, they too should speak up! We can't change anything if our supporters stay silent.
People who say men can't be feminists really confuse me. Because surely if they want equal rights then men are also going to need to want equal rights because otherwise it just won't work. Both sides need to want equality in order for equality to happen.
People have said this to death in the comments so this is abridged: Men often take leadership roles on issues regarding women that do not apply to them, it's just a safeguard to prevent this.
Levelzero So those that are oppressed the most (according to a certain factor e.g. gender but possibly also other things like ethnicity) should take on the leadership roles?
The thing about us (men) not calling ourselves feminists is not as simple as just segregation, it is not about that. The segregation between the genders already exist, and it's important to acknowledge it in order to fight it, otherwise you might end up not helping by trying to help. It's kinda like when people say "we're all equal" but ignore the fact that, even though we SHOULD be equals, we're still not. It's a nice speech, but it doesn't solve any problems. That's why the terms feminist and feminist-ally are important - it highlights what the movement is about, which is women's issues (since they are the ones in disadvantage in our patriarchal system). I do believe it's important to call men feminist-ally, and here's why: we're the oppressors. Now, I know that's a strong word, but it's important to recognize that. Sexism is oppression towards women. We're never going to fully understand what women go through because of sexism. It IS important that we understand our privilege for being men and try and let go of it, but I believe it's almost impossible to let go of all the the privileges we have for being men (at least not in our current society, though that doesn't mean we shouldn't try). So that's one reason: the oppressor can't be part of the group that fights against the oppression because we're privileged over them. We can, however, check and try to let go of our privileges, which makes us allies. At first, I couldn't understand this argument and thought I had the right to call myself a feminist, but then I thought about it. I'm trying to support a movement that empowers women, yet when women tell me they're not comfortable with me using the term feminist for myself, I don't accept it -- that just doesn't make sense. I think it's important to respect women's opinions when supporting the feminist movement, that's like rule number one. If there were only one feminist in the world that disagrees with men using the term feminist to describe themselves, we still shouldn't argue with her about it and still shouldn't use the term, because it goes against the movement itself. How can I say I respect women and fight for equal rights if I don't respect their opinion on a simple matter like this? The thing is, i don't HAVE to call myself a feminist to support feminism. If it's more important for me to call myself a feminist than to deconstruct my privilege, then there's something very wrong with the way I think. Feminist women have been asking us to call ourselves allies, then, fuck, let's call ourselves allies. What's the difference between calling men feminist-ally and women feminists? I believe it has the very same impact. You're still supporting the same cause. There's only one difference: women who feel opressed by men using the word feminist won't feel that anymore. And really, isn't that what it is all about? ;) However, sometimes it's easier and more didactic to just say we're feminists, specially when we're trying to teach other people about the movement. It's hard enough getting people to understand what feminism really is, so I don't even try and argue about terminology. I think it's more important to have people recognize their privilege and try to change it. But, since you mention this matter in your video, I thought I should explain my (and many other people's) point of view on the feminist/feminist-ally matter. I AM VERY SORRY ABOUT THIS HUGE COMMENT BYE
(sorry about my english, it's not my first language, but i did try to make it as clear as possible) (also i think you're awesome, in case i sounded rude) (kbye)
I do kind of agree with you, but at the same time I don't think all men are oppressors. So I do think men should be able to call themselves feminists. The is a difference between being involved in oppression and just happening to be born with a penis.
Also, sorry, I just have more to say on the matter. It seems to me that a lot of men (I'm not talking about you) want to use the term feminist to make it a fight about them. Though I believe the patriarchy also affects our lives, it's still women that are opressed, even when we think we're being opressed. Like with the example you showed in your video, with the car. It's offensive for men to do things that women do, so they try and disguise it with cars or "men stuff". But, at the end of the day, it's still about not wanting to do stuff that women do, because that's degrading somehow. It's still about women.
No, your argument was very valid! Like you said, you don't fight the terminology, you just want people to understand what feminism is, which I agree with. Understanding these terms is like swimming in a deep pool, we don't want outsiders to jump in the deep end, so we show them through the shallow end and eventually the deep end. I'm a young impressionable female, and it took me quite some time to understand these terms, so I think it's very important to build people up to it.
Frenchylion1 I understand how saying all men are opressors can sound a bit rude, a bit strong. But that just means we're always going to have privilege over women. Just like white people are always gonna have privilege over black people, etc. That's what I meant by "all men are opressors" - that's what opression is. >>and by always, i mean in the near future. though im optmistic about fighting all kinds of opression, i think it's gonna take a long time before equality is a thing
its funny how if a girl does a video on feminism and being a feminist there's a huge shit storm in the comments basically insulting her but if a man does it, its a calm area compared to the girls comment section.
+kat That's because no-one can resort to rape threats or accusations of fascism. It also helps that JackHoward is physically fit and dresses conventionally.
kat Does Minecraft make me less of a person? Does it disqualify my opinion? Does it make me any less reputable? It certainly doesn't. As long as I have freedom of speech I will use homophobic slurs any time I want. Just as you use Minecraft against me.
I love that you are gracious enough to clearly say your past mistakes without twisting or exaggerating anything. That seems to be a rather rare quality to have. :)
Before you go around saying the definitions please involve the whole definition and not cut out the last part because feminist=the advocacy of women's rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes. You completely cut out the last part which proves your whole point to be invalid.
It's the advocacy of women's rights, so people saying that feminists help men's problems are misled. We shouldn't be only fighting for women's rights when men are less privileged than women in western society.
Well you obviously did not read the actual definition because it actually says there that it is on the grounds of equality of the genders also I didn't know men got catcalled when innocently walking down the street on there way to work I also did not know that men are getting paid less than their female co workers in some jobs. Let's be real most of the time men are the most privileged in todays society also recent studies have confirmed that a man is more likely to get a job then a woman. We need to fight for equality of the genders which is exactly what being a feminist means. We do try to help mens problems by trying to knock down gender roles and double standards in todays society.
TheBackSeat Yes, however, speaking as speaking as a Women's Studies graduate there is not a "definition" per se that all feminists believe in or follow. The common definition, by dictionary is "the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men" which sounds great and simple and straightforward, but we all know that there is more to it than that. Having someone (like Jack or any "public figure") come forward and give their two sense in as two how feminism is important and what it means to them is an educational experience for someone else, and regardless of whether or not they know everything about it, its good to get that stigma away from that word.
yeah, but it's too bad they may only believe it because it came out of a man's mouth. like i have a lot of respect for jack. i have no problem about him speaking up about this. quite the opposite, but i just wonder how many women have told those people this exact same thing but they didn't take them seriously, and now jack says it and they're like "yeah, okay. you're right." just... the pride of some people. it drives me crazy.
***** Oh yeah I totally understand, it is frustrating. But I guess we all have to find things that are relatable to us in order for us to understand it, ya know? I think having a man say "look, this whole this is really a big misunderstanding and we need to learn" will help a lot of young men of this generation, because many of our parents didn't see it the way we do either. I know what you mean about pride but progress is still progress I think :)
***** aww don't be bitter, sweetheart. I know that you've been hurt and rejected by girls and women in the course of your short and lonely existence, but having a little girl in a pink dress as your profile picture isn't going to help you get laid, honey. ♥ ;)
Is it just me or does literally everyone have a racist granddad? Like before I thought it was just my granddad but apparently loads of grandparents are
I once had a conversation with my grandpa that went like this... him: blah blah something about those damn Mexicans me: We've always had problems with immigration. just ask the native Americans him: well at least then they learned the language me: and that's why I'm speaking English. From England.
I had a problem with Emma Watson's speech. I believe that it catered to men in a really unsettling way. There was just something about it that rubbed me the wrong way. Almost as if she was trying to make woman take the blame. Idk. Feminism is about how Woman should be equal to men, not about how they should both be equal. Maybe that doesn't make since how I'm saying it. But it's about Woman, not both of the genders.
i kind of understand what you're saying, but i feel like the speech seemed like it was catered to men because i'm sure Emma Watson was aware of the fact that because we live in a very misogynistic world, no matter how loud a woman's voice is, society will always take men more seriously. because of this problem, it would a help if men also spoke out about feminism and taking feminist- allying stances. this way, if society isnt going to take women seriously when they talk about feminism, at least they can also hear it from our male counterparts. does that make more sense?
TheSariaOmer Yes. And you're right, that's why she did it. But if you think about it that approach is still really fucked up. In the end woman are still not being "heard".
OKAY- First wave feminism began because women didn't have the right to vote, or do much more than be a house wife... this is when this movement was created and why the name is what it is, because women were literally fighting oppression against men. However, it wasn't just the men who were oppressing women, it is society and the points of view on gender roles, which affect both men and women. So, as the roles have shifted and we have become bit more open minded it is obvious to see that while women still haven't been given the same political, financial and social rights as men, society has also restricted men in many ways. Men are not supposed to be emotional, sensitive, or in need. They are usually expected to provide and like "manly" things, it's like they are taught from a young age that they have to be a certain way forever or they won't "be a man". And since men are the ones in "power" often they would benefit greatly from understanding that it's okay to be vulnerable, to be HUMAN and that being a feminist means that we want change for everyone. It isn't an exclusive club- men need to be included for there to be any real change, we all need a voice
KatieWoah24! "Be a man" is pretty much people saying "don't be a woman." the reason men aren't allowed to be human is because emotion is seen as too feminine. (not disagreeing, just adding to the conversation)
It was catered to men because men like to call feminists "fucking feminazis" and she wanted to change that. I mean, if you're a woman against feminism, it's like being a Jewish person in favor Hitler. Also, I personally think the #HeForShe thing was amazing and perfect.
cooljules19 That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. It takes balls to be a man who calls himself a feminist. Treating women like shit is a default for many, & those who've decided to stand up to that, catch a lot of shit. I (& a growing number of women) have no interest in men who don't call themselves feminists.
cooljules19 Right, because you can speak for every woman even when they're telling you otherwise. This is like if I came along and said, "Men say they like polite, caring women, but in reality, they want to be beaten and abused by mean women. They just crave being dominated." As much as women say they don't all want to be with some self-proclaimed alpha male with an ego/temper problem, people like you come along and say every single one of us wants to be dominated.
cooljules19 ''Women say they want a weakling of a man with a high pitched voice but deep down every woman craves to be dominated by a muscular alpha male". Are you talking about mating? Your point in invalid anyhow.
Omg that's cute. You actually did your research. Sort of. Not really but sort of-like in a lazy way, since that's not even close to what I do for a living haha, but C+ for initiative. That would be a totally pertinent topic if this thread had even the least bit to do with me, wouldn't it?
It's also easy to make assumptions about other people's beliefs, motivations and the reasons why they choose to pursue certain ideologies. A defensive person might engage in that sort of thing. To actually sit down and have a respectful discourse isn't so easy for some, so I can see why certain people choose to go that route rather than arguing facts. If you'd like to have a respectful discussion, I think that would be great. I for one would be interested to know why you seem to be so angry. This is a RUclips forum, not a Supreme Court hearing after all. If we can't even have respectful discussion here, that doesn't speak too highly of us.
I think when someone says a man can't be a feminist, but a feminist ally, they're talking about your role within the movement. They're concerned that men will inevitably take on leader roles and speak over women, directing the outcomes of feminism rather than women. Its not hard to imagine in a patriarchal society. It happens all the time with women's issues now, being led or dictated by male leaders. I think they'd like a clear distinction, assigning a separate label, to prevent it from happening. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I understand it.
"They're concerned that men will inevitably take on leader roles and speak over women," So you really don't want equality, do you? The leaders HAVE to be women because...because equality!!!! Fucking idiots.
Ventus K I think it's because if men take over feminism, it could become about mens rights, rather than women's. But if the women are more influential in feminism, than we can still work towards women becoming equal to men, rather than men becoming even more over powerful than they are today.
One of my male friends told me he was a feminist at a party recently. I was really happy about this, but every other male in the room stayed silent and exchanged weird looks with each other. I actually told my male feminist friend he was brave for having admitted it, but that's just weird, because you shouldn't have to be brave to support equal rights for men and women. I'm hoping in the next few generations, men will stop being uncomfortable identifying as feminist. You never know, it might be cool to be a feminist one day!
I have one thing to say about feminism (over-the-top outliers and such aside)- How can anybody truly believe that a movement is pushing for EQUAL rights when the name of the movement is literally called FEMINism. This has nothing to do with a fear of being labelled with female connotations or anything along those lines, it's just that the clue is in the name. The movement has only ever cared (or been intended to care) about women's problems. When feminists say "we want equal rights", they don't mean "we want to solve the problems that women face and the problems that men face so that everyone is entirely equal", they mean "we want to solve the problems that women face so that we're on the same level as men", and you can deny it if you like but like I said, the clue is in the name. FEMinism. Not EQUALism. If there was a movement called equalism and it wanted to fight for equal pay for women, remove gender judging from the workplace, remove gender judging from the courtroom (how many times have you seen a rape case or similar with a man as the defendant and a women in the prosecution, taken one look and gone "yep, that's probably what happened"?), dissolve the saying/ideal that a man should never be able to hit a women, even if she hits him first (say what you like about me for saying that, you want equal, go for EQUAL), remove the weakness and lack-of-masculinity connotations that come with a man speaking out about being abused by a woman, AND the concept of a "gentleman", holding open doors for their wives and being expected to blow their money on whatever they want, that's not equal, that stereotype/expectation came from the same time period as the stereotype of women cooking their husbands their dinner every night, cleaning up after him and staying at home during the day whilst the man works. If you want to fight for equal rights, fight for equal rights. I'll support you. But don't just fight for the rights of women and then claim you want equal rights, because that is nothing more than bullshit.
It is called feminism because it stems back to years and years of women being oppressed, told they can't vote, that they can't work because they aren't as intelligent as men, etc etc. I, personally, feel that the movement has always been about equality, it's just that it has only been a more recent occurrence that 'equality' no longer means women catching up with men, it means all of us trying to get on the same 'wave length' as it were. So the word has evolved, but I personally would see it as a mark of disrespect to change it, it's come a bloody long way and it's still going.. And if anything, people having a problem with there being a feminine slant to the name just highlights the problem in the first place. That is just my opinion though... 😉
Jindorek They're problems that come from the same place though, they come from mindsets. A women is less likely to get a promotion against a man because of a sexist asshole boss who thinks a man can do the job better than a woman. A woman is (not legally but morally in our current society) allowed to hit a man and the man is expected to do nothing back. Elle Causey I literally just said that my problem with the word "feminism" has nothing to do with receiving feminine labels or female-based connotations, and you say that. And that's the point though. Women CAN vote now, women ARE seen as being just as intelligent as men now, and there's no way you can possibly justify the use of a word that segregates men and women in a movement that is supposed to be about "equality" just because of the history of women's struggles. That ignores the point of using the word "equality" in the movement entirely.
First of all, women are NOT seen as equal, and do NOT possess many of the most basic human rights in many parts of the world. In 3rd world countries, women's rights are practically non-existent. (They don't have access to education, they are trafficked, and in some cases, are not as desired as boys, and therefore are not given the same medical care as boys during their early childhood and many girls die because of it.) This is not okay, and feminism IS necessary, because we still have a LONG way to go in that respect. Secondly, even in regards to first world countries, I agree with Elle that feminism needs to be called feminism to honor the women who fought for (and in some cases died for) the cause. Women have a long history of being oppressed and that needs to be acknowledged. We don't call Black History Month "Person-equality-no-matter-their-colour Month." There is a certain amount of tribute that needs to be payed to the women who got us to the point we are at today.
Firstly, the problem with third world cultures is how far behind us they are. They are nowhere near as developed as we are. The problem there is not in gender equality, it is in an undeveloped, outdated culture (not to mention dictators and wars and many other issues). That's why women's rights are shit over there, it's not because of a lack of feminism. Secondly, yeah, dya know why black history month isn't called that? Because it's *black* history month. It's specifically about *black history*. And black history month isn't a movement. It's a celebratory period of black history. Feminism is meant to be an equal rights movement, or at least the second wave in the 21st century it is (footnote). It's not a celebratory period of time of women's struggles for rights. So don't pretend that it is or describe it as such, that's literally ridiculous. Footnote - In the 20th century it was about women's rights, and they never said it was anything different. Nowadays, 90% of feminist speeches or blog posts I've seen use the phrase "it's an equal rights movement" or have some kind of mention as to the fact they want equal rights for both sexes. So if that was truly the case, why call it FEMinism? Hypocrisy right there.
Thank you so much Jack for this video Jack, I'm also a male feminist and I'm so glad that more and more people are discovering the true meaning of feminism
It's bizarre how many people don't understand what feminism actually means. I made a video about it, and the anti-feminism side of Tumblr (who knew that was a thing?) showered it with dislikes. I'll give them some credit: they are really committed to their cause of disliking every video that mentions feminism.
James Chesson We've had the dictionary definition of feminism rammed down our throats so much we can probably crap the words out in the right order. Shame that the dictionary definition of what feminism is and what feminism *actually* is are two completely different things, then, isn't it?
I think this video could have done with more explanation... room for a follow up? But good conversation starter, and I think it is very important for men to be as vocal on feminism as women.
***** They are what actual Anarchists call Ancraps. they call themselves Anarcho-capitalists, they are not Anarchists, as they advocate capitalism, private property, wage slavery and social hierarchy, they are so stupid and self righteous it is pointless for you to debate them if you don`t know anything about Anarchism.
***** You mean Liberalism, don`t confuse the two. A Liberal is just another word for Capitalist or "Free market" enthusiast as they proclaim themselves. And a Libertarian, which is somebody who believes in Free will.
Jack, I admire your bravery and honesty to admit that your opinions were misinformed and wrong once. But the fact that you have made such a conscious effort to understand and evolve your views and partake in the discussion. Just. Thank you. Truly an inspiration. Thank you for using your position of influence so brilliantly!
JackHoward Just speak in an inclusive way because non binary rights are very much to do with gender equality. when we ignore issues within feminism it reverses the whole movement. always remember, feminism is worthless without intersectionality and inclusion.
SunkissedObsidian Actually I'm going to agree with how Jack hasn't included trans because I'm thinking of this video like it is 'Feminism for Beginners'. He needs to explain this to people as if they're five with as few complications as possible because that's how deeply ingrained superiority can be in people.
You can be a feminist and exclude men. So why can't they exclude trans people? They can exclude everyone but women if they please. It's a hate movement based on misandry. So people should feel great about being excluded from it.
Evan Lindsay What you're talking about is not feminism. It's misandry disguised as feminism. Feminism doesn't 'exclude' anyone, it doesn't look at a certain group of people and say 'you're not worthy of our attention'. The whole movement is about equality, it's about teaching people not to discriminate or dismiss people because of their sex, gender, race, sexuality, age, social status and whatnot.
I agree with you, calling a guy a "feminist ally" is kind of contradicting what the whole movement is about. Equality. In my opinion, I feel like people associate feminism with something it's not and that is, that it's women who should have the power. In reality it's all about equal opportunities across everything: race, gender, sexual orientation. We are all humans after all.
I do think it's awesome that you are speaking up about being a feminist because as you said, feminism is usually associated with women but then that goes completely against the point of feminism and the push for equality between men and women. It would be awesome for more men to take a stand like you have and be ok with being identified as a feminist and to push the idea that feminism applies to all genders. We are all striving for one thing, equality, and this is definitely a massive step in the right direction - Thanks Jack!
I personally think men should be calling themselves feminists too, if they are feminists. I don't really have a problem with that The only reason why it's sometimes annoying or sad, is that when they say something in favour of equal treatment or point out some patriarchal injustice, often they get lauded for it while women have been trying to say this stuff for ages without the same response. It just underlines how men's voices are still more powerful in society, and I think that's the reason it bugs women who have been feminist activists for a while.
***** Whatever dude, If you dislike them so much then why are you even here? I have male feminists friends and they are alot nicer than these horney macho dudes society loves to embrace so much,
***** Okay But I don't see that as an excuse to attack him. if I see him misbehave I might say something to him but I don't go to his video's even if he's a dick.
***** Yeah you doubt everything hateful these MRA groups say and you are not bothered to do your research about It. If you don't want to be mature and leave ppl who don't commit crimes alone then that's fine with me.
Luke's Shares my dub Okay But I support the first wave of feminism and Anarchy. Anarchy is what promotes true equality. Girls are still told they can't be outside late and are overly protected but boys can do whatever they like. How is that fair?
Anyone can be a feminist! I don't know why any woman would say men are not allowed, but no one can make the rules. So if you believe in gender equality and want to say you're a feminist, please do! Come join us! Don't let a few blind or stubborn people put you off
I'm not a fan of the "feminist ally" title, either. By definition, feminism is the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of the equality of the sexes. Surely the gender of the advocate is irrelevant? Just saw this clip which is relevant and amusing: www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/10/07/aziz_ansari_embraces_feminism_on_the_late_show_with_david_letterman.html
The dictionary offers the definition of feminism at a very basic level though, and it shouldn't be referred to to undermine the opinions of feminists. I feel like, when men identify as feminists, they have to take in to account that the movement was started by women, for women. It was women, not men, who fought for the vote, and rape crisis centres, for marital rape to be illegal etc; and it's women who still suffer from openly identifying as a feminist. Is it great that men are starting to support gender equality? Yes, so great. But men, historically, talk over women. What 'feminist ally' implies is supporting the voices of women on their own equality, and that's a really important part of being a man for gender equality.
JoannaSmilesLots I don't think men calling themselves feminists in anyway diminishes the struggle that women have gone and still go through. If feminism is a belief system, then surely anyone who holds those beliefs fits the title?
JoannaSmilesLots No, we can't just disallow people to be part of a movement, are you out of your mind? If you really took feminism seriously you would happily accept men as feminists, if anything, since most of the blame is put on men to begin with, due to their ''power over women'' or whatnot, having men identifying as feminists would only strengthen the movement, not take away from it. Basically, calling someone a feminist ally because they are male only widens the gender gap, and that term will only serve to create the opposite effect for feminism.
***** I think it's because feminism is one of the few spaces in the world that women and non binary people have which isn't dominated by men. often when I've come across male feminists they've tried to speak over the women and non binary people in the discussion about what women and non binary people experience. I'm not claiming to speak for every feminist but I think this makes some people uncomfortable, hence the term feminist ally.
wtf off course you are a feminist, i dont even understand why people are saying men can't be, a feminist is someone who supports feminism, that's it , that's the actual definition, it does not exclude men
The thing is feminism is supposed to be for woman. Originally that was the plan. Feminism is about Woman being equal to men. It has nothing to do with men being equal woman. Him calling himself a feminist is kinda confusing when he isn't a woman. But I like that he supports feminist but I don't think he deserves to call himself a feminist. But at the same time I'm not hugely bothered by it because men are finally supporting woman on their journey to equality.
TheBackSeat"Feminism is the belief that women should be equal to men in all aspects of society" So what you just said is "Men don't deserve to believe that women and men are equal."
TheBackSeat But that's a silly opinion. Just because men in the past may have oppressed women, it doesn't mean the men of today should continue to carry the blame or the crime. That's like me saying "If your great grandmother was racist and treated black people poorly, then you are an associated racist and don't deserve to support racial equality" which we all know isn't right.
My grandparents were Native American, they too were oppressed by white men. But that's beside the point. We aren't blaming the men of today for their ancestors grave mistakes. We want the men of today to support us and for them to understand that, whether they know it or not, we're still not equal. They continue to carry the "blame" because they either don't accept they ever made mistakes in the first place or because they refuse to notice the back lash of their predecessors oppression towards all minorities. Men need to support Feminism, but for some reason many of these men just want to CALL them selves feminist and they think that's it. That giving themselves this title fixes everything. To me and many other woman it just sounds like they wanna be apart of something that there were excluded from in the past and make it about them.
I think you are SO incredibly brave. Feminism is necessary precisely because the comments below this video claim he is "a pussy" or "never gets laid", simply because this man said he believes in equality. To those of you who think that feminism isn't about equality just because it has "fem" in it, please do formal research before you speak out.
RandomHelpingGuy This comment is hilarious due to the fact that just a few comments above the one you responded to there were people complaining about the word itself....
khushibee How can one "achieve gender equality" when women *already* have more privileges and legal rights than men? By the way, are you referring to equal responsibilities for women?
When you said that some men are afraid of being feminine I thought of the time when I was about 6 and my step-dad said that pink and purple aren't "boy colors". He also said that girls can wear "boy colors" (blue and green) but that boys shouldn't wear "girl colors". I also thought of the time when a boy showed up to school with a pink hoodie and all the teachers gave him weird looks and even called his parents to find out why he was wearing it. I mean everyone has a preference and I hope that nobody is scared of the color's "gender" to make their choices.
I'm studying AS Sociology at the moment and we spent 3 hours looking at feminism and we came to the conclusion that we think it should be called equalism because they fight for equal rights between men and women but feminism is sometimes seen as a movement where women want all the power (which is wrong) because it has 'fem' at the beginning. :)
It should not be called equalism. It's called feminism with an emphasis on female/women because that is the oppressed group here. The idea of feminism is equality for all genders, and what that means in our current patriarchal society is to advance women's causes in a variety of arenas in order to level what has historically been, and continues to be, a very skewed playing field. Hence the emphasis on women. What would "equalism" even mean? It's not as though the only unfair hierarchy we have in society is gender based. There's also race and class. To brand something "equalism" would just be too broad.
the issue with that is that the word 'feminism' is identifying the female gender as the one being discriminated against, which people like to ignore. It's as if someone supported equality between hetrosexual and homosexual couples but said 'i just don't want to use the word 'gay' can we just call them 'people' or 'a couple'? You are denying some one of the visibility that their oppression needs to be eliminated.
WYIT0 Then you have misunderstood. Seeing as how I AM black, being seen as an equal is of a personal interest to me. But that wasn't my point. A movement needs to be define. Saying you support equalism is a nice ideal but a movement needs to be defined. PinkiePie7hpdw said it best in their comment above. You hold the same ideal as a feminist but you are lending credence to this idea that all genders face the same issues/obstacles, which is not true. The reason there is a stress on women is because that's the oppressed gender. Men have an inherent privilege and what needs to be brought to light is the way women are oppressed so that we can solve for that and make strides to a more progressive, equal society
ohsololita that was part of my argument about it, I think that if there is something called 'equalism' then that could basically cover anything, but what a guy in my class said is that as a male, they feel they couldn't identify as a feminist because his friends (the simple minded ones) saw it as a feminine movement and said rather rude and hurtful things to him, so as a male he thought that a movement for equal rights between genders but not having genders related to it in the name was what was needed. (My original comment wasn't my opinion 100% it was just a combined opinion of 25 people in a class)
PinkiePie7hpdw I completely agree with you on what you're saying. I PERSONALLY think that feminism is the right name for it as it is pretty self explanatory and that it is women who are being discriminated against. what I really should of made clear in my original comment is that this idea of 'equalism' wasn't my idea it was a combined one of 25 people in a classroom :)
I'm sick of people saying that feminism is just a women thing. No its not feminism is for equal right for men and women therefore a man should also be allowed to class himself as a feminist! HELL YEAH JACK HOWARD!
If feminists want to be taken seriously then they need to change the name of their movement because a shit ton of idiotic tumblr feminists have ruined the image.
+TheAbeham no, actually in the 1950's (these are researched facts) all feminists were women and all rally's were about women rising above men. Not only were feminists in the 1950's often aggressive and standoffish but they believed in women "overthrowing" men. This was not a good way of thinking and helping the cause it just made the women involved appear overly aggressive and often it disabled them to get what they wanted as men did not take them seriously, and neither did fellow women. Feminism does not need to change its name because to be a feminist or to identify as a feminist means to support, encourage and to push for the equality between men and women, not women over men, equals. It is people like you who take the meaning behind of feminism and warp it into something aggressive and distasteful who are bringing down the whole system. The name does not need to be changed, the attitude shown by society towards the word feminism needs to be changed through education and research.
+Tia Jane I am in no way trying to offend you I am simply trying to show you how the attitude you show towards feminism as a whole is not actually backed up by factual evidence, it is backed up by tumblr. I hope you don't take this the wrong way I am trying to spread a good message and show you the real meaning behind feminism.
Yes feminism was good in the past kind of. *Now* it is *NOT* needed. If anything you should simply be an egalitarian. Also unless someone gives you proof about something ignore it. Also if you see someone crying about men and woman not being payed the same for the *same* job simply point them to the Equal pay for equal work act signed in 1963 which makes it illegal.
With all of this sexual assault bullshit going on on youtube I think it's so nice when people like you, who has many young, female viewers, stand up for equality and women's rights and aren't afraid to label yourself as a feminist.
Okay..hmf..discussing feminism always turns into chaos but here's what I have to say: 1. Can we please, PLEASE, move past the discussion of whether or not feminism is needed?? It's a fact that there's inequality between the sexes today, and this effects everyone, everywhere, every day. 2. Can we also drop the discussion regarding the name? It's called feminism because it's a movement started by females to fight against inequality, if men would be the weaker sex I'm sure the movement would be named differently. 3. Yes, there's been extreme parts to feminism. Women who's hated men, but that's not what the general idea behind feminism is, nor is it how it looks today. Judging everyone and feminism as a whole based on a minority isn't helping anyone... 4. Thank you to everyone who identifies as a feminist, regardless of your sex. (So yes, can call yourself a feminist Jack.) 5. And for those who are negative towards feminism - please collect some knowledge before you jump into discussions. Assuming things based on hearsay doesn't really strengthen your arguments.. 6. Unfortunately, the sexes won't ever completely understand each other, because we won't ever know how it is to be in each other's shoes. But just because you as a male don't understand a woman's experiences with for ex. catcalling or lower salary's, doesn't mean you can't show empathy for their struggle. And vice versa. Thanks!
It is a fact that there are inequalities between the sexes,so we have to keep fighying to eradicate it. Extraordinary comment. Thanks and congratulations.
I'm a feminist. Patriarchy has been prevalent for far too long and is still as dominant today as much as it ever was. The world would be a better place, I imagine, with more and more women taking charge.
First of all, I'd like to share that one of the most attractive things to me is a man who can think thoughtfully about feminism. So, great. Hey. Second of all, the reason why "equalism" (btw that's not even a word) is not the correct term is because the focus of feminism is WOMEN. The goal is equality, yes, but the idea is that men (white men, mostly) have attained certain comforts/privileges in society that women have not been afforded, and the purpose is to bridge that gap. And really, feminism breaks down into so many sub categories: rape culture, slut shaming, women's health care issues, pro/anti-porn, and the list goes on, so if you aren't taking a stance on these things, chances are you're not a feminist.
Yes. The comfort to be put in prison for 40% longer than a woman who commits the same crime. The privilege to be forced to pay for a kid you never wanted, while women can simply drop the child off at a safe haven or have an abortion. What comforts and privileges do men have that women lack in the modern western world? I'd like a list.
Lymond Dufresne -the fact that women get paid less than men for the same work -victims of rape still get blamed for what happened to them (i.e. she shouldn't have worn that short skirt) instead of the men raping them - women still do most of the unpaid work all over the world (household, taking care of children/elderly) - advertisments are still using images of women's bodies to sell their products - there are still far less female MPs than male - offensive jokes about women are still funny to some people and played down as 'lad culture' -...
Lymond Dufresne you "simply drop the child off at a safe haven or have an abortion" like that's somehow a really easy choice. Also men are able to sign away their rights to an unwanted child. they don't have to see it, pay or have anything to do with it. so I don't really see your issue. also its known that women can actually get harsher sentences for criminal offences because of the stereotype that women are meant to be good and gentle and sensitive. now are you sure you want a list of the comforts and privileges that women lack? because its a big world and its going to be really fucking long.
I agree with all that is said and i am 100% a feminist but i just hate the fact the a lot of people don't seem to think that in some aspects women have it cushier than men, e.g where i work there are only two men, myself and a colleague. we have to do all the heavy lifting and pretty much all the physical work whilst the women stand by a till or talk to customers and then at the end of the day we have to tidy the store. now i know that doesnt sound like much but we are usually in the middle of another task whilst the women are upstairs in a break room and it is considered sexist where i work if we speak out about getting help with some of the work.
Thank you for making this Jack! I've been called a lot of things over the years for identifying as a feminist and I just think it's because the word has got lost under a stigma of hate. As a feminist not only do I hate seeing women not being treated equally but I also hate it when men aren't treated equally which happens in so many situations (the bit were you said 'that's a bit gay was such a good example of what you hear every day all the time!) It's equal rights and it should be so simple but I feel like over the years it's been muddied and it's hard to say why. You're one of the first guys to really proudly and openly say he's a feminist and I think that's amazing :D
I don't like "feminist ally" because it implies you aren't actually part of the movement. It kinda brings to mind a soccer mom aspect, like as an ally you won't participate just stand by the sidelines and cheer. I also don't like feminist's who say there's no space for men in feminism. Feminism is about treating all humans as equal, or not below men. That includes cis and transgendered men and women. But the only way the interject real change in the world is if those in positions of power ( ie straight white men) advocate for it too. We need for them to be a part of feminism or else the masses of the patriarchy won't listen..
To a lot of people saying they prefer the word equalist-- The reason why I don't thinking feminism should be could 'equalism' has several reasons. The first is that feminism began as a movement for women, the suffragette movement asked for the right to vote (which is now sometimes referred to as 'first wave feminism'), we then have the second wave of feminism in the 1960s where women asked to be treated as an equal, to be able to normalise going to uni, to be able to have equal job positions to men, equal pay, etc. The current movement in feminism is referred to as 'third wave feminism'. Basically my first reason why is because we deserve to remember WHERE feminism came from, how now even though it is a movement beneficial towards all genders, it started off as a movement for women. The second reason why feminism shouldn't be called 'equalism' is because it takes away from the whole issue of gender & sexuality, which is what feminism is all about. Equalism implies an inclusion of other matters that need to be addressed (racism, xenophobia), which DO need to be addressed, don't get me wrong, but I believe we need a movement for specifically gender equality. Sorry if I offended anyone, this is all just my opinion, I just felt it had to be said (:
Anyone can be a feminist if they want equal rights for everyone. A feminist is a feminist, not to be differentiated by gender or told that they can't do something because of their gender which is basically what feminists advocate against happening. So, if anyone says you're not a feminist because of your gender then they're not a feminist; they're someone who doesn't understand feminism for what it is, a diverse group of people who want equal rights for everyone regardless of their own gender, but understands feminism for what feminism can be for their own benefits.
Because it's not just about equality, unfortunately. Yes, equal pay for equal work and all that, which most people think about, but it's also a woman's right to choose who she marries, a woman's right to her own body, a woman's right to education, a woman's right to move about unmolested, a woman's right to do certain jobs, all that and more... it goes beyond just being "equal". In an ideal world you would be totally correct, though.
I think equality is too general of a word. When we use the word feminist, it immediately connects the cause to gender inequality which is the main focus of the movement.
Because women are the oppressed. Empowerment through linguistics you fucking idiot. If you want to be a 'feminist' (in all but name) but have a problem with the term being about women then you are not a feminist, and you do not support equal rights.
I think feminism is just as good/bad as misogyny. What we should all be saying, in my option, is equralist, because that implies equal rights for everyone. Where as feminist implies women are better than men and misogyny implies that men are better than women. So lets be forwards thinking and not people who think one half of the planet is better than the other. If you disagree perfectly fine with me.
The reason the word feminist still applies is because, at this point in time, women are still worse off then men. There's no point calling ourselves 'equralists' when we know where the inequality lies.
jimspider13 i always hear the "i don't like the word feminist (even though i believe in equality for all)" argument, so i'm just gonna tell you why calling feminism "egalitarian" (or "humanism", etc.) is wrong. to abandon the term "feminism" is disregarding the fact that the sexist oppression that has happened without history was mainly towards women (and it still continues to be that way). saying that feminism is actually "humanism" or whatever is taking away the emphasis of how feminism was started by women, for women, and continues to fight for equality for women because of all the shit women go thru daily because of sexism. even though feminism is the fight for equality between the sexes, the sexist issues that feminists are fighting surround women.
TheSariaOmer So your point is that we should use the word feminism to live in the past when we're trying to effect/change the future. 'Okay, that makes perfect sense.'
I agree with you 100% Jack, i hate that feminist i considered a bad thing and when i say im a feminist, people think im weird. Whats wrong with wanting everyone to be treated the same way, its the extemists that ruin it all, just like in religion. At the end of the day we are all human beings,cant we just get along.
GREAT video, but oh my god there are so many negative comments it's not even funny. Seriously though can we drop this whole "equalism" bullshit? Because honestly, yes, feminism is equality for all genders, but (a) if we just called it "equalism" there'd be nothing to stop MRAs from coming in and being like "yeah but men are oppressed too waaah" and that would ruin everything (disclaimer, I'm a white cismale so it's sort of the pot calling the kettle black), and (b) the movement has been around for the better part of a century, do you seriously think the name is going to change?
And if the "fem" prefix is removed, no one has a reason to come in and cry over men's equality in relation to the movement, because it's safe to say it's being covered. Unlike feminism, unless you're living under a rock right now.
What you said about how men shouldn't be afraid of using "femme" and that's (one reason) why feminism isn't just for women... DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN RIGHT MAN! EXACTLY. FUCKIN' EH. BAM. Everyone should be told this.
Great video! The car thing is weird - I've always hated how everything for men has to be SUPER masculine for fear of men feeling the tiniest bit feminine. Also, I think the ladies saying "men can't be feminists" are women who have found themselves in feminist spaces where self-labelled male feminists speak *over* them, which is /incredibly/ frustrating - I mean, half the problem of sexism is certain men talking over women & not letting them speak, so it's doubly irritating in areas where women are supposed to feel empowered for once. It is after all, ultimately, a women's rights' movement bringing women to the same level as men. So I think it's not so much them saying "men cannot be feminists or be part of the movement AT ALL", but "men should not speak over women or take over the movement, but instead be supportive allies to help strengthen the movement as a whole to balance out inequality between the sexes". Just say "well if you're unhappy with me labelling myself that, feel free to label me a feminist ally instead". It's ultimately the same thing & they'll hopefully appreciate it!
Yaaa, I don't really get why people insist that men can't be feminists or that men who are feminists HAVE to be pussy whipped. Although I do feel feminism should have a more active role in filtering out their own extremists, assuming a person is a certain way because they identify with a term based on their feelings of it as opposed to your own is ignorant no matter who you're talking about. Also the idea that something manly has to be loud and obnoxious to be manly is just as annoying as the "manly" shit itself. I'm all for over the top manliness in media (Expendables, woo!) but the fact people think that shit translates to preferences in real life is ridiculous. I'd much sooner be labeled a faggot on /o/ for the rest of my life (buy a mazda miata), than buy an F-150 Raptor. Ok, that's a lie, but still.
First, I agree with direction of tour assertions. I have a couple of questions. And it is just a question, Asking men to participate in the movement and then asking them to take a back seat or a less prominent roll seems a little incongruous with the sprit of equality. My personal experience may be somewhat different but my mother was a union organizer and no one spoke over her. She used to say "You can help me up but, I have to stand on my own two feet". And I like cars and trucks and robots and dinosaurs and there is nothing wrong with that per se. The problem is the exclusion and the derision for choosing things that are perceived as the other gender specific. That doesn't mean Jack should get rid of his race car grooming kit, it's cute. A backlash, while understandable, is just as bad as an offence. Thanks.
Yes, what IckleNellieRose said! Here's what I do: I identify myself as a feminist in mixed crowds. Amidst feminists, I identify as an ally unless someone asks why I'm not a feminist and then I clarify that I am one, but I don't want to invade a space that's specifically for women.
Michael Pesavento 1) Honestly, it's not asking guys to take a back seat, AT ALL. It is asking them not to speak *over* women who *actually deal with misogyny* when they are trying to share what they are going through. Guys who align themselves with feminism can fulfil a VERY SPECIFIC ROLE that NO WOMAN CAN: calling out sexist dudes who would never listen to women & pointing them towards women who can then share their actual lived experiences, encouraging them to listen. I CANNOT STRESS HOW IMPORTANT THIS ROLE IS AND WHY I WANT TO HIGH FIVE EVERY GUY WHO DOES IT. Sexist guys will ignore women, but they are more likely to listen if another guy tells them to. Good on your mum, btw, but this is a slightly different circumstance. 2) I'm not saying he should get rid of the car. When did I say that? I was just agreeing with him that it's sexist how a "feminine" product must be hidden in a stereotypically "masculine" thing in order for men to feel like they can use it (I'm not the one saying cars are masculine, btw, just noting that society sees them as such). I don't know what "A backlash, while understandable, is just as bad as an offence." means, but I wasn't creating any backlash, I was AGREEING with him..
On the "feminist-ally" thing - I definitely believe men can be feminists but I reckon the "ally" bit is important because it's the difference between women speaking for themselves and men speaking for women (which would just perpetuate what we've had throughout history). I don't know if I'm explaining this right but I think women need to be at the forefront of feminism with men supporting - or being allies - because that's the most empowering thing and because they're the ones who actually know the issues first hand. That also applies to other groups that have been historically disadvantaged or oppressed ie. gay people should be at the forefront of gay rights with straight people supporting
I believe in equality but I'm not a feminist still is an accurrate statement. This logic that if you belelieve in equality automatically makes you a feminist can be applied to so many different groups, such as communist but no one is going around saying that. I believe in equality for jog sexes this does not define me as a feminist. Why am I typing no one gets it?
why are you scared to call urself a feminist??? it's easier to bang together when we have a universal name. and besides, it isn't about the word like all you people are making it about. it's about equality
+Clementine Krishan I'm going to assume you meant ban together. The problem is feminism doesn't work toward equality, and even if it sid it is not the only word for a movement working toward equality. There's humanist, egalitarian, and equalist. Let's talk about feminism first and foremost feminist believe that there is a patriarchy out there that descriminates against women, because of sexism. Then they will say that it harms men as well. If this is the case the patriarchy isn't sexist it seems to be against humans all together. Next let's talk about the built in no true scottsman that feminist are quick to jump to. Feminist don't hate men, any feminist that is sexist toward men is not a real feminist. You rarely hear a feminist going after them on why they a doing feminism wrong, or doing an injustice to the movement. Never are they critiqued, or scrutinized, they are able to continue spouting hatred against men without ever being comfronted. They are free to spout their hatred of men, while other feminist will lean on the No True Scottsman fallacy. Why be apart of a group that can't even make sure it's members are in line. Thses are some of the many reasons why the majority of people are not feminist, as am I. Any intellectual response?
Clementine Krishan Exactly nothing to say all your arguements have been refuted, and you don't stand in intellectual debate. Just like all other feminist this is why the don't want to debate. This brand of feminism has always been unsound from it's inception it lost out to the second wave feminist in debate. But what third wave feminist did was brainwash college students who didn't know any better. So now we have idiotic young adults claiming that women are opressed, and female feminist running around with a victim complex.
I really appreciate you, Jack. Unfortunately, you are a white male. This for some reason is going to always give people ammunition against you here. I loved the video, and agree with you on most everything. Just hope that this doesn't somehow turn into even more drama.
"Unfortunately you are a white male." TBH there is next to nothing unfortunate about being a white male. Almost everything in society is set up to help/benefit a white male.
You saying "Unfortunately you are a white male" is what provoked their comment. It was directed at you, not creating drama towards Jack, so no, they didn't prove your point.
Please correct me if i'm wrong but is the reason it's called feminism is due to the fact that men and women don't want to be separated? Surely a name like equalist or something would be a better way of not separating sexes? Please correct me though if I seem to have misconstrued anything.
I think it's called feminism because when it started it wanted equality by focusing on women's rights. Now it's just generally about equality of the sexes.
I love this video so much! Thank you, thank you _so much_ for posting this. It's really important that more people come to the same realisation that you have, and I'm SO pleased that you decided to talk about it publicly.
I most definitely think men can and should be feminists. Unfortunately a lot of people don't understand what it actually means and just believe its man hating. Tweezer bit was brill and I love you for making this video!
Same opportunities? Done. Where's this rule that that can't be the case? You don't like the gift you got. A red car has offended your feminist sensibilities. Whatever. Yeah, you're a good lookin' dude. Deluded but basically attractive. There are FEMINISTS who say you can't be a feminist. Those are YOUR PEOPLE. I'm not scared of calling myself a 'feminist' b/c of the root 'fem'. I'm 'scared' to call myself a 'feminist' b/c their arguments suck. Who thinks women are literally objects? WTF, dude? You know who thinks that? One or two psycho killers. That's it. Even rapists understand that the women they're raping are human. Most serial killers probably get it as well. If these 2 groups did NOT get it, they wouldn't worry about getting caught. UNLESS we count the idea that 'women have no agency' as 'objectification' in which case, a great many feminists probably think that women are objects since they don't seem to think that women can ever be guilty of anything. "That woman committed statutory rape of that young boy? Oh, SHE is the real victim and he seduced her. She's not guilty at all." And so forth.
I'm sorry but you seem to be missing the point. I'm a feminist who knows many intellectualy feminists (not online, REAL PEOPLE) who do not restrict feminism to race. YOU CAN BE A FEMINIST IF YOU ARE A MALE WHITE KID I DON'T WE DONT CARE, so the judgement Jack found was wrong. If you base your understand off of tumblr/various social platforms it will be easy to be ill informed. I attend a school with plenty of intellectual girls who fully embrace true feminism and the values promoted by it. I feel like a lot of people who are against feminism ridicule the small things. The small things like the car. Yes it is just a small red car but you have to look beyond that instead of saying "You don't like the gift you got. A red car has offended your feminist sensibilities. Whatever." It is MORE than that. It is these small messages that dictate our society today. Everything is so gendered, constantly defining the boundaries of masculinity and femininity. Of course women are objectified! So are men! It is not about whether someone is human/object, any fool can distinguish that, but the fact that women are constantly, CONSTANTLY placed as objects in advertising, in music videos (men singing around plenty of women is okay, but it's not okay to have a woman sing around shirtless men?). Just the other day I was watching a children's TV show with my young brothers and every female in the show was referred to as 'most beautiful' or womanly. Yes, it's just a kid's TV show, yes it's just a small plastic car, but you have to look BEYOND it, what is being fed to us?
FreedomBreeze24 Tell me, is there a reason that people IRL can't make RUclips videos? Is that why so many RUclips feminists seem ... the way they seem? Ridicule the small things? You mean like... the absence of proof and talking points like "The west condones and encourages males to rape females". Small things like that? Ah, I get it. You think that a bunch of small things equals one big thing but the thing is, you've already made up your mind that the big thing is there. I could easily do the same trick and 'come to the conclusion' (not really coming to it if I've already made up my mind) that we live in a matriarchy. If men AND women are objectified and you don't have any other reasons, maybe 'feminism' was the wrong label. Who says it's not OK to have a woman singing around shirtless men? I imagine the only reason people bring that up is to show the hypocrisy of feminists. Look beyond the car to see what's being fed to us? I've been doing that since childhood. Since the 70's. Subliminals, John Taylor Gatto, atheism, a deep suspicion of the government and yes, now I am also deeply suspicious of feminism since I realized (a few years ago) that one of the things that had been fed to me all my life was... feminism, unchecked and unquestioned.
FreedomBreeze24 What are YOU trying to say? Can you list the official feminist assertions? Are you able to find me a single 'real feminist' on RUclips who measures up to the pro-feminist hype? Can you prove the official assertions of feminism? Should I believe that when self proclaimed 'feminists' speak of 'rape culture' that it has nothing to do with feminism b/c it's not on your list of official feminist assertions? Can y'all even agree with each other? If you can't, don't worry about it. We anti-feminists are getting a real good idea of what you're about. It's more obvious from the outside.
i'm not a feminist, i'm an equalist. i don't believe that we should just focus on women because thats not equal is it, but i strongly believe in gender equality
feminism is focused on women because we don't have the same rights as men, not yet at least. look at it like this; a man has 10 apples and a woman has 5, you get 6 apples to give to them. the fair thing to do would be to give 3 apples to the male and 3 to the female. but that's not equal is it? the man still has more. for it to be equal you have to give more to the woman, because in todays society women are still so discriminated, that's why we have to focus on women. and that's why i'm a feminist and not an equalist.
Don't listen to them, of course you can be a feminist. We need as many people on our side as possible, and as long as you are helping not hurting it's only good things. It's the same when people in the LGBT community try to say we don't need allies and I am all "shhhhh, shhh no, we do. Please the point is to have everyone on board."
I don't quite get how one side of RUclips promoting Feminism gets the same amount of likes as the other side completely counter to the movement. Of course you shouldn't treat others badly and shave away everything about them beside their looks, but do you really need a label for somebody who thinks this way? And especially do you need a prefix to the label that will imply that only women care about both themselves and men? Because Masculism somehow only cover's men's needs, where as Feminism cover's everybody's needs. Mhm. Dodgy... So how about we don't label the belief that people should be treated fairly, because all it takes is a half decent character, that's all. And by the way I lived in Norway, one the most Feminist countries in the world, and girls are so unbelievably condescending towards guys. At least now I know how it feels when guys condescend girls, but what the hell, there's no need to take it out on somebody innocent like me.
Feminism also stands for men's right too, btw. I've figured out lately that a lot of people don't know this, and they assume that feminism is just about advocating for women's rights. And unfortunately for a lot of people, if something doesn't benefit them then what's the point in standing for that thing. Although the men's rights that MY feminism stands for are the feminine parts of society (hence the name), for instance the fact that it is widely unacceptable for men to shave their legs or wear make-up, without being ridiculed. There is also the problem that yes, men also get raped, but the reaction is vastly different to the reaction of when a female is raped. Girls are often blamed for being raped, where as men are often told that they should have enjoyed it... stupid, in my opinion. Feminism does NOT just stand for women's rights, although even if it did, why should that stop you from backing the cause?
How? By telling you that myself and my friends believe in that statement? With hard facts? Is it even worth the effort? I know it was only a couple of days ago, but I honestly don't think there is a point, people have their own opinions and it is very hard to argue with them. My statement was my opinion and my view on feminism, I stand for equality and for the rights of both sex's.
EllietotheJelly aka you have no proof that feminism stands for men's rights. It should not be that difficult for you to prove it, given that feminism has been around for about 100 years. To say and to do are two different things. Or if you prefer talk is cheap.
EllietotheJelly Your not oppressed women aren't oppressed in first world countries. You just been privilege all the way until your 15 then when you see the real world you cry and scream sexism, the fact that this has been happening for 35 years is stupid. Your bullshit ass movement isn't needed anymore.
Sorry, can't agree with your definition of feminism. That it means those things to YOU is just fine, but I have seen the term feminism used to attack males who have done nothing wrong. When I think of the word feminism I think of a young man at UC Berkley who was publicly accused of RAPE. The female accuser was surrounded by her feminist clique and when the young man, age 19, was cleared by the UCB police AND the Sheriff's Dept. of all charges they refused to accept it. They started a campaign of harassment and intimidation. The young man was accosted by women in the public areas and they started following him screaming "rapist" and pointing at him. They also put up wanted posters with his picture and they demanded that he be expelled from the university. Every time he left his dorm he was followed and accosted and accused of being a rapist. He was also beaten up 4 times by males who saw the posters and thought he WAS a rapist. They stood up in his classes and accused him in front of all his classmates in every class and demanded that professors remove him. The school spoke to the "feminist" group and they said they KNEW he was a rapist and they were going to continue going after him. The female University president and majority female board refused to support the kid and do anything to the girls! The young man had a mental breakdown and failed his classes and had to be hospitalized twice. Then, 2 young women came forward and told the UC police that the victim had confessed to them that she had made the whole accusation up, lied about the whole thing. When police confronted her about this she confessed and wrote a statement clearing the kid and admitting lying. When the "feminists" were advised of this they stated they knew he was a rapist an they were still going after him. The female UC Berkley president and board STILL would not act against the girls. (And yes, these board members identified with the title "Feminists") The young man attempted suicide but recovered even though he was still being harassed. He left the school after almost 2 years of this criminal harassment. He finally filed a civil rights lawsuit against the school, though for some reason the feminist group was somehow shielded by CA tort law. The young man tried to go back to college at another campus but the "feminists" showed up there too and started harassing him again, a totally, 100% innocent male. The "feminists" stated all males were rapists at heart and they would continue to warn everyone about this kid who had done nothing wrong. When I hear the word "feminist" I think of the term FemaNazi and always will. I support women's equal rights UNDER THE LAW but I do not support female superiority, which is what the majority of feminists are actually demanding. Perhaps it's different in the UK but your statement about you can't be a feminist is very much like what they are like in the USA. Until women start understanding EQUAL and not Superior I will not support that terminology. I also get tired of them trying to say all rape accusations are true. They are not. In fact the FBI reports that about 1 in 10 or 10% are false. I however say that number is a politically corrected lie, having personally observed reports on sexual assaults and tracking them for 60 days and I found that number was closer to 25 - 30%. Now that is In reference to ALL forms of sexual assault, 1st degree through 5th degree, not just violent rape or 1st degree sexual assault. I think the FBI statistic is about 1st degree assaults which are what used to be called "rape" But point these things out at your own peril as the "feminists" go absolutely bat shit crazy. They refuse it all. Until females become honest with themselves and get over themselves I don't buy into their propaganda. I still support equal pay for equal work but that's about it. Well, I do support women doing whatever job they want, as long as they are physically capable of doing it. Having been both a Sheriff's Investigator (that's how I paid my way through college) and a firefighter I was at first skeptical of females in either job. But, with certain exceptions I think women make great cops. Often times a female can shut down a male arguing without a fight and they are often very good interrogators too. I do not think they should NEVER work alone though. Women are physically weaker than men and in a fight the average guy will kick the average girl's ass. And working alone, an HOUR away from all back up is no place for women, we have found this out the hard way. As far as firefighting I think they can do that job good enough even though they are in no way equal to a man physically. In fact the physical testing has had to be lowered just for them to pass, but you never hear the "feminists" admitting that. Even so, females have found their niche in firefighting too. But I would be very cautious of jumping on their band wagon just because you want to appear liberal or accepting or want to gain acceptance from them. Oh, and the boy from Berkley, last I heard he had another breakdown after the harassment started at his new school and he withdrew from college altogether, simply because some girls wanted to prove they could destroy a boy. I asked my friend who still lives around Berkley and she said she heard he eventually went to a private college with the settlement money he got from his lawsuit against UC Berkley, but he never completely recovered from the accusations. Nothing was ever done to the "FemaNazis", though the girl who originally lied about the rape was charged with false swearing, a lesser form or Perjury.
I think men can definitely identify as feminists I also think that part of being a man and a feminist involves realizing we are inherently privileged and will not be able to understand the severity of discrimination women face daily. While we should empathize and support the movement it's important to not commandeer the discussion and speak over women.
THIS! It's actually quite infuriating having to read these comments and see all these people saying they're all for what feminism but don't identify as one because of "extremist feminists" and not wanting to be associated with them or because they don't like the word and want it to be changed to "equalism" or something else that doesn't associate it with "fem". I've been trying to keep my cool and respond calmly where I can. So thank you for this ray of sunshine. We should just be copying your comment and spam replying it everywhere.
Jack is just such a genuine and nice person. He's always willing to learn and do what's right. He's just lovely isn't he. The root of feminism is simply respect. If everyone respected each other no matter the gender, then we'd achieve equal rights. Not sure if this is entirely true, so sorry if this was incorrect.
@Tetrimas What feminists are you talking to then? Real feminists want equal rights for all. That's what intersectional feminism is all about. Regardless of who you are, you should be treated with respect.
You're not quite right. Feminism is more of women trying to be equal to men, but the name of it expresses favoritism to women and you can see that many popular "modern" feminists are man hating and use misleading and even plain false examples to prove inequalities that don't even exist and don't discuss the things women have over men. You are probably thinking more of an egalitarian point of view. I don't care what you label as, but when people associate with feminism, you will have many that will associate you with man hating misandrists
I've kinda always wanted to have a discussion with someone about the names. I've always sorta believed that a feminist was like a specific type of egalitarian/humanist. Egalitarians/humanists believe in the equality between all humans regardless of gender, race, class, religion, etc. A feminist also believes in the equality between all humans, but they focus a bit more on gender. A lot of people reject the word because of the "fem" in it, but people have to understand that movements can and have changed over the years. Feminism may have started off as only fighting for women to have equal rights to men, but has now changed to fighting for equality between both genders. A smart feminist somewhere figured out that guys were also getting screwed over in society and that something should be said and done about it. Oh, and to all those people who say that that's not what feminism is about: why are you fighting against that? By that, I mean why wouldn't you want feminism to be like that? Sure, every group is going to have their fair share of radicals and, as we all know, it's the radicals that are the loudest, catch the most attention, and therefore make people outside of the group make assumptions based off of how the radicals act and behave. However, those radicals are not the majority, nor should they be. If you don't want feminism to be about female dominance over males, then I agree with you. Real feminists are trying to change that perception. Why don't you let them?
Briane Nelom Well, to be perfectly honest, I can fairly say I'm against feminism. Before everyone blows their arteries from pure rage, let me explain myself. From all I've seen, feminism is a group of people that are eating into false information, and rioting off of that false information. You always hear about the topless woman crowding the streets, saying, "Still not asking for it". But those things I can deal with. I just don't like being labeled, and that's exactly what feminists are doing to men. The president of the National Organization for Women said, "All men are rapists, and that's all they are". This is the president of the NOW. But the thing that really grinds against me like sandpaper is when I read about the violent acts feminists are committing to. Example, the mob of topless feminists in San Juan attacking a cathedral, spray painting the men who tried to defend it. And the mass of feminists who infiltrated the MRA building and pulled the fire alarm, disrupting the male suicide prevention meeting. These things are prime examples of why feminism is not as great as everyone is making it out to be, but that doesn't affect me. My dislike for feminism is personal. What the NOW president said sounds like a compliment in comparison to what Andrea Dworkin's quotes. Ranging from "Men are distinguished from women by their commitment to do violence rather than to be victimized by it." to "I want to see a man beaten to a bloody pulp, with a high heel in his mouth like a pig with an apple.". Feminism is degrading men, and indeed dehumanizing them. So, being a man, you can only expect me to frown upon feminism. And I know what you're going to say, in fact, you've already said it. "Not all feminists are radicals" Which is true, but thats just the problem. Some are, some aren't, and it puts us men in difficult positions, as we can't speak out against what radicals are doing without speaking out against all of feminism. So we just have to sit there and take it. Men are rapists, stupid, violent, dogs, need to be castrated, are the root of all problems, the list goes on. I, myself, have even been labeled as evil, and sexist. Main thing you should take from this reply is this: I am against feminism, not equality.
I completely understand. If those types of feminists were what you were mostly exposed to, then I greatly apologize. That's honestly terrible. I have heard of "feminazis:" man-hating women who want women to be the dominant species in society rather than equal to men. In fact, I once saw a poster that said, "If you teach a boy, you teach a boy. If you teach a girl, you teach a new generation." It's stuff like that that saddens me and makes me want to help change that even more. I wish to help silence those radicals and allow people to learn of the right kind of feminism: the kind that supports equality and not this superior women all men are terrible nonsense. So again, I completely understand why you'd be against feminism if those are the main types of feminists you've been exposed to. Would you also happen to be against the feminists that want to change that? The ones who want equality and not dominance? The ones who hope to silence the radicals and show the world what feminism really is?
Briane Nelom I will say again: I am against feminism, not equality. Looking back to my first comment, I said that if feminism is for equality, it is the same as humanitarianism, and they are just different words with the same meaning. There is always a chance to change a movement, and put it in a new direction, and if you are one of the people trying to do that, I encourage you, and by all means, I applaud you as well. Until then though, until the time when the radicals are sorted out and officially separated from the "true feminists" as I will call them, I cannot call myself a feminist, nor support them.
Yes, the words "feminist" and "feminism" may be defined as "equality for both sexes" but it has been so skewed, even from its first movements of women's rights. There are countless quotes of feminist leaders hating men. Which is not what people should be supporting. You shouldn't make judgments based on if they are a man or a woman because everyone acts differently regardless of their bodies. Everyone has their own problems and insecurities. Men are treated like rubbish, too. It isn't just women. And that is why people should focus on equality - because people are more similar than they are different.
I'm not sure if I am a feminist. That sounds strange and yes I believe in equal rights for EVERYONE, however feminism is very undefined. Like someone told you it's a movement for women by women, and you disagreed, there's my issue. What really is feminism? I'm more of an equal rights activist, because that is less specific in what we stand for, but more defined in what we are. If you think about it a feminazi is a feminist, and so it isn't too classified. I wouldn't wanted to be associated as a feminazi because they believe that women are the higher race, which is totally as incorrect as men being the higher race. So to share my point of view: Feminism can be so very wrong, but at the same time can be so very right XD
A feminist is someone who believes and strives for equal rights, the reason why the word is so similar to feminine is because it was started by women, if you support equal rights, you are a feminist :)
Erika Balban Although it has a definition, that doesn't make it defined XD I was trying to say that because so many people are feminists that there are multiple views on what it really is XD But thanks for helping!
Thank you so much for this video. I made a very similar vlog and got so much negativity from some extremely ignorant people. But I recognise how important it is to make these videos despite that, especially from a male perspective.
I go to a SUPER religious school (although I'm not religious) in Australia. We were sent home with these pamphlets the other day about how it's bad to be gay. On the bus home, some of the kids who bully my friend, they started saying homophobic and sexist things about 'how girly' and 'feminine'. I had enough of it, so I punched them in the face.
As a transgender boy (born in a girls body, but I see myself as a guy), I personally would not like to be seen as feminine in any way. Although I do believe that men and women should have the same rights. I am a feminist.
It's about equality. We won't need it when we get paid equally, when we're no longer. objectified, when girls aren't getting married off at the age of 14, when we're no longer victimised, when education isn't a first world luxury but a human right. In other words, feminism is very much needed.
Niat Nor I highly doubt many woman are getting married at 14 in America and also it's been proven many times that the school system heavily favours girls over boys.
Women are paid equally in countries like America and Australia (my home country) Men are objectified just as badly Girls getting married off at 14 is genuinely horrible and completely wrong and I agree I don't understand what you mean by 'victimised' I agree on the education point However, education and girls getting married at 14 are more human rights issue rather than 'Feminist' issues, it's like trying to say that global warming is a feminist issue.
Because equality doesn't just explore the issue of gender rights, it is about fighting against other things as well such as; homophobia, racism, e.t.c.. As for the reason it is called FEMinism is because it started when men had all the rights and women had none, we could change the word now but I think that would be degrading everything that the feminists of the past have achieved.
The reason you've been called a feminist ally is because an ally is someone who supports a group who are usually the subject of the oppressing/discrimination etc. As a male, you are not part of this group where as other genders women, trans people and all genders out of the gender binary ARE part of this group. Because you are a male but do support feminism you are a feminist ally. Also, please understand when making a video like this don't just say 'men and women' feminism is for all gender equality not just women, like said up there ^ this is includes anyone that is trans or any gender out of the gender binary. Being called a feminist ally isn't segregating you. I really hope you see this because it is extremely important that you do.
How am I being sexist ? Juan Mata You actually cannot be sexist towards men. Sexism is based on a system of oppression. As a male, his gender has never been oppressed, you cannot be sexist towards men (cis men I should say). ***** I will try and explain this by comparing it to something else. It's like, people that aren't of the LGBTQIA community (So I mean, straight and cis gendered) but do support those people that are, are allies. Because they haven't been oppressed like people have that are of the LGBTQIA community, it wouldn't make sense, so they are allies. So with feminism because he's a cis male he's never been oppressed like other genders thus making him an ally. An ally is a supporter of a group that has been oppressed or discriminated against. I hope this is easier to understand.
Bella Moon That's fucking ridiculous and offensive. Here's the definition of sexism: prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. TYPICALLY against women. Not always. Just because it's mostly against women doesn't mean it ONLY is.
Where are you getting that definition Juan Mata the dictionary? Because that isn't always right. I never said it was only against women. Women, transgenders and anyone out of the binary can experience sexism. Men can experience prejudice but not sexism. It's the same way for racism. Racism is based on a system of oppression, because white people haven't been oppressed because of their RACE it means you cannot be racist towards them. Where as any other races have faced oppression and still do here than meaning they experience racism.
Feminism is NOT about equal rights. Given that women have far more rights then men (right to choose parenthood, rights to a job, rights for genital integrity, not being able to be charged with rape, not being required to be forced into armed forces service, family court outcomes, right to safe haven from domestic violence, and those are just the legal rights), its obviously clear that we do need changes, but we NEVER hear of those changes where men are lagging behind. We are CONSTANTLY bombarded with the pay gap despite it being PROVED not to exist as its based on the result, and NOT the other factors. We hear about domestic violence without a word of how men are equally the victims. lts a sham to make women victims. lf there is something that isnt right, then fine, aim to fix it, but that goes both ways or at least, it should.
the reason emma watson said that was because it sounds like a movement for women, where it's also a movement for men as well. in trying to remake the image of feminism as to mean the movement towards gender equality as opposed to a movement for women, the name provides somewhat of a hindrance for some people. it shouldn't matter, is what she's saying, because arguing over small things like the name is just detracting from the main issue of gender inequality.
How do you speak on behalf of all men like that? I think a whole lot of men will appreciate someone worth of notice speaking up for their rights as well as women's. Also, can we keep the tone civil?
+spring rolls HeForShe invested exactly ZERO dollars in Men's Issues - this is surprising to nobody, except maybe you, since HeForShe needed to reword the pledge on their website to make it gender neutral. Anybody that was convinced HeForShe was about Equality needs to grow up and get in touch with reality. As a gay man I want Intersectional Feminism fighting for equality like I want to be shot in the face with a high calibre assault rifle.
+Charlotte W "I think a whole lot of men will appreciate someone worth of notice speaking up for their rights as well as women's." And you're free to think that - but men would rather people who have a clue what they're talking about speak on our behalf. This eliminates spoilt, little brats who are going to dictate to men which issue they should be most effected by. Especially when those spoilt little brats start talking about men not expressing their emotions, which I've now realised means men have to express the exact same emotion as women and in the exact same way as those women. Men do express their emotions, they just don't wallow in their emotions - it's called emotional stability. But here's something to consider: Why is Feminism so determined to infiltrate the predominantly male spaces that men created for the purposes of processing their emotions? That's why male only spaces exist, because men created them so they could get away from everyday stresses and process their thoughts and feelings - it's why GamerGate exploded the way it did, because the people who were "saved" by gaming culture - including women - weren't about to let other people destroy it.
You do not have to be a feminist to support equal rights. If you support equal rights, you are an egalitarian. (Google the definition). You don't have to be a Christian to be against murder, do you? So why do you think that you have to be a feminist?! Egalitarianism and feminism are not tej same thing. You can argue that the definition of feminism proves that it is about equality, but look up the dictionary definition of "communism". It claims to be about liberating people but we all know how well that ended; a corrupt government and poverty. Feminism campaigned for civil rights in the 20th century and we now have that. So I guess feminism is over and done with, right? Well, yes, it is, but now we're complaining about the wage gap and the evil western patriarchy. Let me disprove the wage gap; if someone could pay women less, why wouldn't tent just fire all the men and just hire the cheaper women? They'd work for less. Therefore, there is no such thing as a wage gap.
Nice no true scotsman at the beginning. And your last point doesn't disprove the wage gap in the slightest. I'm not saying what my opinion is on it, but assuming it does exist, an employer doesn't get to pay women less, if you haven't noticed, that's illegal. There's no reason they would hire all women because they GET to pay them less, if they wanted they could pay the men just as little if that was the concern.
On evey video about woman. I do not read the comments like this one. Why? Beacause im sick and tired of the sexism and misogyny in this world. All these hateful people putting comments, sexist ones. I am infuriated with this world!! Now, let me contiunue smashing society and the patriarchy.
Xoxo Heartiez What about a law that calls women=victims, isn't that a double-standard? HeForShe is ok what about an AllForUs, God forbid a SheForHe. FYI: By the way hating feminism has nothing to do with hating women.
Put it this way... Jack said he was a rectangle. Rasker said jack was actually a square. And I'm pointing out that being a rectangle is a requirement for being a square :)
o_O That comment doesn't make much sense to me. I guess in the sense that most people have no idea what an egalitarian is, it's restricting. And I think it obscures some of the things you might want to discuss, because people go "yeah duh people should be equal" and then don't think about it further.
My stance: I'm not a feminist because I'm not worthy. I agree with and support every key concept of the feminist movement but I'm a white bloke. To call me a feminist would be an insult to the marvellous women who do so much for this cause.
Thank you.
yes yes yes! my thoughts exactly
dude. you ARE a feminist. only uninformed tumblr idiots say men cant be feminists. read any actual book on feminism and it'll prove my point.
Saying that you are "not worthy" because you are a white male is kind of counterproductive and contradicting to the feminism movement as a whole. Feminism is equality for EVERYONE. It doesn't matter what your race, sexuality, gender, etc. Is. By saying you are not worthy due to characteristics about yourself that you can't control perpetuates the idea that we are not all born equal. I am sorry that you feel are unworthy. I bet you are an awesome person! Haha
Saying you're not worthy of the feminist movement, to me, makes it seem like you don't want to be a part of it. If you truly support a cause you understand how important it is - especially with feminism - to support it as a white man. Who is oppressing women? White men. By taking a feminist stance, you're not just supporting the women you love and admire in your life (and the women who work so hard to move feminism forward) but showing the other white males around you that this is important and if they support it, they too should speak up! We can't change anything if our supporters stay silent.
People who say men can't be feminists really confuse me. Because surely if they want equal rights then men are also going to need to want equal rights because otherwise it just won't work. Both sides need to want equality in order for equality to happen.
Exactly.
People have said this to death in the comments so this is abridged:
Men often take leadership roles on issues regarding women that do not apply to them, it's just a safeguard to prevent this.
Levelzero So those that are oppressed the most (according to a certain factor e.g. gender but possibly also other things like ethnicity) should take on the leadership roles?
So if men want equality they must be feminists? Logic level up in the air.
o_O I'd say yeah, you don't understand something you've never experienced.
The thing about us (men) not calling ourselves feminists is not as simple as just segregation, it is not about that. The segregation between the genders already exist, and it's important to acknowledge it in order to fight it, otherwise you might end up not helping by trying to help. It's kinda like when people say "we're all equal" but ignore the fact that, even though we SHOULD be equals, we're still not. It's a nice speech, but it doesn't solve any problems. That's why the terms feminist and feminist-ally are important - it highlights what the movement is about, which is women's issues (since they are the ones in disadvantage in our patriarchal system).
I do believe it's important to call men feminist-ally, and here's why: we're the oppressors. Now, I know that's a strong word, but it's important to recognize that. Sexism is oppression towards women. We're never going to fully understand what women go through because of sexism. It IS important that we understand our privilege for being men and try and let go of it, but I believe it's almost impossible to let go of all the the privileges we have for being men (at least not in our current society, though that doesn't mean we shouldn't try). So that's one reason: the oppressor can't be part of the group that fights against the oppression because we're privileged over them. We can, however, check and try to let go of our privileges, which makes us allies.
At first, I couldn't understand this argument and thought I had the right to call myself a feminist, but then I thought about it. I'm trying to support a movement that empowers women, yet when women tell me they're not comfortable with me using the term feminist for myself, I don't accept it -- that just doesn't make sense. I think it's important to respect women's opinions when supporting the feminist movement, that's like rule number one. If there were only one feminist in the world that disagrees with men using the term feminist to describe themselves, we still shouldn't argue with her about it and still shouldn't use the term, because it goes against the movement itself. How can I say I respect women and fight for equal rights if I don't respect their opinion on a simple matter like this?
The thing is, i don't HAVE to call myself a feminist to support feminism. If it's more important for me to call myself a feminist than to deconstruct my privilege, then there's something very wrong with the way I think.
Feminist women have been asking us to call ourselves allies, then, fuck, let's call ourselves allies.
What's the difference between calling men feminist-ally and women feminists? I believe it has the very same impact. You're still supporting the same cause. There's only one difference: women who feel opressed by men using the word feminist won't feel that anymore. And really, isn't that what it is all about? ;)
However, sometimes it's easier and more didactic to just say we're feminists, specially when we're trying to teach other people about the movement. It's hard enough getting people to understand what feminism really is, so I don't even try and argue about terminology. I think it's more important to have people recognize their privilege and try to change it. But, since you mention this matter in your video, I thought I should explain my (and many other people's) point of view on the feminist/feminist-ally matter.
I AM VERY SORRY ABOUT THIS HUGE COMMENT BYE
(sorry about my english, it's not my first language, but i did try to make it as clear as possible)
(also i think you're awesome, in case i sounded rude)
(kbye)
I do kind of agree with you, but at the same time I don't think all men are oppressors. So I do think men should be able to call themselves feminists. The is a difference between being involved in oppression and just happening to be born with a penis.
Also, sorry, I just have more to say on the matter.
It seems to me that a lot of men (I'm not talking about you) want to use the term feminist to make it a fight about them. Though I believe the patriarchy also affects our lives, it's still women that are opressed, even when we think we're being opressed. Like with the example you showed in your video, with the car. It's offensive for men to do things that women do, so they try and disguise it with cars or "men stuff". But, at the end of the day, it's still about not wanting to do stuff that women do, because that's degrading somehow. It's still about women.
No, your argument was very valid! Like you said, you don't fight the terminology, you just want people to understand what feminism is, which I agree with. Understanding these terms is like swimming in a deep pool, we don't want outsiders to jump in the deep end, so we show them through the shallow end and eventually the deep end. I'm a young impressionable female, and it took me quite some time to understand these terms, so I think it's very important to build people up to it.
Frenchylion1 I understand how saying all men are opressors can sound a bit rude, a bit strong. But that just means we're always going to have privilege over women. Just like white people are always gonna have privilege over black people, etc. That's what I meant by "all men are opressors" - that's what opression is.
>>and by always, i mean in the near future. though im optmistic about fighting all kinds of opression, i think it's gonna take a long time before equality is a thing
its funny how if a girl does a video on feminism and being a feminist there's a huge shit storm in the comments basically insulting her but if a man does it, its a calm area compared to the girls comment section.
+kat That's because no-one can resort to rape threats or accusations of fascism. It also helps that JackHoward is physically fit and dresses conventionally.
+kat I bet the patriarchy is supporting him, maybe its just that he isn't accusing all men of being born with the original sin.
VisioningHail stereotypes are so great
MineCrafterCity calm down minecraft stan. dont use homophobic slurs.
kat Does Minecraft make me less of a person? Does it disqualify my opinion? Does it make me any less reputable? It certainly doesn't. As long as I have freedom of speech I will use homophobic slurs any time I want. Just as you use Minecraft against me.
I love that you are gracious enough to clearly say your past mistakes without twisting or exaggerating anything. That seems to be a rather rare quality to have. :)
That's what I was thinking. It's much better to clearly move forward and tell people you have changed!
It is awfully nice of him to give you ammunition to use later.
@@goawayleavemealone2880 Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill?
Feminism = the advocation for womens rights
Egalitarianism = the advocation for equality
So in terms of definitions, Thats kinda false.
Yes, We should make all straight white men wear gold stars
Before you go around saying the definitions please involve the whole definition and not cut out the last part because feminist=the advocacy of women's rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes. You completely cut out the last part which proves your whole point to be invalid.
Anyway, word definitions change over time.
It's the advocacy of women's rights, so people saying that feminists help men's problems are misled. We shouldn't be only fighting for women's rights when men are less privileged than women in western society.
Well you obviously did not read the actual definition because it actually says there that it is on the grounds of equality of the genders also I didn't know men got catcalled when innocently walking down the street on there way to work I also did not know that men are getting paid less than their female co workers in some jobs. Let's be real most of the time men are the most privileged in todays society also recent studies have confirmed that a man is more likely to get a job then a woman. We need to fight for equality of the genders which is exactly what being a feminist means. We do try to help mens problems by trying to knock down gender roles and double standards in todays society.
do you understand how many people this is gonna make go "yea ok I'm a feminist too i guess" ITS AMAZING
omg i love watching your vlogs PascaleDeBom
It's good, but I wonder if those people will understand the complete definition of what a feminist is?
TheBackSeat Yes, however, speaking as speaking as a Women's Studies graduate there is not a "definition" per se that all feminists believe in or follow. The common definition, by dictionary is "the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men" which sounds great and simple and straightforward, but we all know that there is more to it than that. Having someone (like Jack or any "public figure") come forward and give their two sense in as two how feminism is important and what it means to them is an educational experience for someone else, and regardless of whether or not they know everything about it, its good to get that stigma away from that word.
yeah, but it's too bad they may only believe it because it came out of a man's mouth.
like i have a lot of respect for jack. i have no problem about him speaking up about this. quite the opposite, but i just wonder how many women have told those people this exact same thing but they didn't take them seriously, and now jack says it and they're like "yeah, okay. you're right." just... the pride of some people. it drives me crazy.
***** Oh yeah I totally understand, it is frustrating. But I guess we all have to find things that are relatable to us in order for us to understand it, ya know? I think having a man say "look, this whole this is really a big misunderstanding and we need to learn" will help a lot of young men of this generation, because many of our parents didn't see it the way we do either. I know what you mean about pride but progress is still progress I think :)
ive scrolled through like 3 comments and i already have a headache jesus
+Rubber Panda piss off homophobe
+GalaxyGhost That's what you get for leaving your safespace.
+GalaxyGhost
34,000 people swallowed their 'stupid pill' the morning.
+GalaxyGhost and 1044 MRA's and MGTOW's are butthurt ( including Keith ;) vimeo.com/64941331
***** aww don't be bitter, sweetheart. I know that you've been hurt and rejected by girls and women in the course of your short and lonely existence, but having a little girl in a pink dress as your profile picture isn't going to help you get laid, honey. ♥ ;)
Is it just me or does literally everyone have a racist granddad? Like before I thought it was just my granddad but apparently loads of grandparents are
I don't! My grandparents are black...
Lol my grandad hates french people for some reason??
It's pretty much impossible for literally every granddad to be racist. Well, actually because of allicahshay's comment it's fully impossible.
I once had a conversation with my grandpa that went like this...
him: blah blah something about those damn Mexicans
me: We've always had problems with immigration. just ask the native Americans
him: well at least then they learned the language
me: and that's why I'm speaking English. From England.
Nah...my old republican white cis hetero piano teacher is though. And she's sort of like a grandparent.
I had a problem with Emma Watson's speech. I believe that it catered to men in a really unsettling way. There was just something about it that rubbed me the wrong way. Almost as if she was trying to make woman take the blame. Idk. Feminism is about how Woman should be equal to men, not about how they should both be equal. Maybe that doesn't make since how I'm saying it. But it's about Woman, not both of the genders.
i kind of understand what you're saying, but i feel like the speech seemed like it was catered to men because i'm sure Emma Watson was aware of the fact that because we live in a very misogynistic world, no matter how loud a woman's voice is, society will always take men more seriously. because of this problem, it would a help if men also spoke out about feminism and taking feminist- allying stances. this way, if society isnt going to take women seriously when they talk about feminism, at least they can also hear it from our male counterparts.
does that make more sense?
TheSariaOmer Yes. And you're right, that's why she did it. But if you think about it that approach is still really fucked up. In the end woman are still not being "heard".
OKAY- First wave feminism began because women didn't have the right to vote, or do much more than be a house wife... this is when this movement was created and why the name is what it is, because women were literally fighting oppression against men. However, it wasn't just the men who were oppressing women, it is society and the points of view on gender roles, which affect both men and women. So, as the roles have shifted and we have become bit more open minded it is obvious to see that while women still haven't been given the same political, financial and social rights as men, society has also restricted men in many ways. Men are not supposed to be emotional, sensitive, or in need. They are usually expected to provide and like "manly" things, it's like they are taught from a young age that they have to be a certain way forever or they won't "be a man". And since men are the ones in "power" often they would benefit greatly from understanding that it's okay to be vulnerable, to be HUMAN and that being a feminist means that we want change for everyone. It isn't an exclusive club- men need to be included for there to be any real change, we all need a voice
KatieWoah24! "Be a man" is pretty much people saying "don't be a woman." the reason men aren't allowed to be human is because emotion is seen as too feminine. (not disagreeing, just adding to the conversation)
It was catered to men because men like to call feminists "fucking feminazis" and she wanted to change that. I mean, if you're a woman against feminism, it's like being a Jewish person in favor Hitler. Also, I personally think the #HeForShe thing was amazing and perfect.
I call myself a feminist too and actually made a video on my channel talking about gender equality. You should check it out :)
(not so) subtle self promo
I will!! Thank you!!!
cooljules19
That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. It takes balls to be a man who calls himself a feminist. Treating women like shit is a default for many, & those who've decided to stand up to that, catch a lot of shit. I (& a growing number of women) have no interest in men who don't call themselves feminists.
cooljules19 Right, because you can speak for every woman even when they're telling you otherwise.
This is like if I came along and said, "Men say they like polite, caring women, but in reality, they want to be beaten and abused by mean women. They just crave being dominated."
As much as women say they don't all want to be with some self-proclaimed alpha male with an ego/temper problem, people like you come along and say every single one of us wants to be dominated.
cooljules19 ''Women say they want a weakling of a man with a high pitched voice but deep down every woman craves to be dominated by a muscular alpha male". Are you talking about mating? Your point in invalid anyhow.
aaannnnnddd this is one of the reasons i love jack
+Klytemaestra L it's sad isn't it that some of us can't maintain an argument without immediately allowing it to devolve into insults?
these comments made me laugh really hard aww i love the internet
Omg that's cute. You actually did your research. Sort of. Not really but sort of-like in a lazy way, since that's not even close to what I do for a living haha, but C+ for initiative. That would be a totally pertinent topic if this thread had even the least bit to do with me, wouldn't it?
It's also easy to make assumptions about other people's beliefs, motivations and the reasons why they choose to pursue certain ideologies. A defensive person might engage in that sort of thing. To actually sit down and have a respectful discourse isn't so easy for some, so I can see why certain people choose to go that route rather than arguing facts. If you'd like to have a respectful discussion, I think that would be great. I for one would be interested to know why you seem to be so angry. This is a RUclips forum, not a Supreme Court hearing after all. If we can't even have respectful discussion here, that doesn't speak too highly of us.
***** preach
I think when someone says a man can't be a feminist, but a feminist ally, they're talking about your role within the movement. They're concerned that men will inevitably take on leader roles and speak over women, directing the outcomes of feminism rather than women. Its not hard to imagine in a patriarchal society.
It happens all the time with women's issues now, being led or dictated by male leaders. I think they'd like a clear distinction, assigning a separate label, to prevent it from happening. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I understand it.
exactly.
this reminds me of the men-only UN conference on gender equality that happened recently.
This so perfect and articulates exactly what I want to say
"They're concerned that men will inevitably take on leader roles and speak over women," So you really don't want equality, do you? The leaders HAVE to be women because...because equality!!!!
Fucking idiots.
Ventus K I think it's because if men take over feminism, it could become about mens rights, rather than women's. But if the women are more influential in feminism, than we can still work towards women becoming equal to men, rather than men becoming even more over powerful than they are today.
One of my male friends told me he was a feminist at a party recently. I was really happy about this, but every other male in the room stayed silent and exchanged weird looks with each other. I actually told my male feminist friend he was brave for having admitted it, but that's just weird, because you shouldn't have to be brave to support equal rights for men and women. I'm hoping in the next few generations, men will stop being uncomfortable identifying as feminist. You never know, it might be cool to be a feminist one day!
I have one thing to say about feminism (over-the-top outliers and such aside)-
How can anybody truly believe that a movement is pushing for EQUAL rights when the name of the movement is literally called FEMINism. This has nothing to do with a fear of being labelled with female connotations or anything along those lines, it's just that the clue is in the name. The movement has only ever cared (or been intended to care) about women's problems. When feminists say "we want equal rights", they don't mean "we want to solve the problems that women face and the problems that men face so that everyone is entirely equal", they mean "we want to solve the problems that women face so that we're on the same level as men", and you can deny it if you like but like I said, the clue is in the name. FEMinism. Not EQUALism. If there was a movement called equalism and it wanted to fight for equal pay for women, remove gender judging from the workplace, remove gender judging from the courtroom (how many times have you seen a rape case or similar with a man as the defendant and a women in the prosecution, taken one look and gone "yep, that's probably what happened"?), dissolve the saying/ideal that a man should never be able to hit a women, even if she hits him first (say what you like about me for saying that, you want equal, go for EQUAL), remove the weakness and lack-of-masculinity connotations that come with a man speaking out about being abused by a woman, AND the concept of a "gentleman", holding open doors for their wives and being expected to blow their money on whatever they want, that's not equal, that stereotype/expectation came from the same time period as the stereotype of women cooking their husbands their dinner every night, cleaning up after him and staying at home during the day whilst the man works.
If you want to fight for equal rights, fight for equal rights. I'll support you. But don't just fight for the rights of women and then claim you want equal rights, because that is nothing more than bullshit.
It is called feminism because it stems back to years and years of women being oppressed, told they can't vote, that they can't work because they aren't as intelligent as men, etc etc. I, personally, feel that the movement has always been about equality, it's just that it has only been a more recent occurrence that 'equality' no longer means women catching up with men, it means all of us trying to get on the same 'wave length' as it were.
So the word has evolved, but I personally would see it as a mark of disrespect to change it, it's come a bloody long way and it's still going.. And if anything, people having a problem with there being a feminine slant to the name just highlights the problem in the first place.
That is just my opinion though... 😉
Jindorek They're problems that come from the same place though, they come from mindsets. A women is less likely to get a promotion against a man because of a sexist asshole boss who thinks a man can do the job better than a woman. A woman is (not legally but morally in our current society) allowed to hit a man and the man is expected to do nothing back.
Elle Causey I literally just said that my problem with the word "feminism" has nothing to do with receiving feminine labels or female-based connotations, and you say that. And that's the point though. Women CAN vote now, women ARE seen as being just as intelligent as men now, and there's no way you can possibly justify the use of a word that segregates men and women in a movement that is supposed to be about "equality" just because of the history of women's struggles. That ignores the point of using the word "equality" in the movement entirely.
First of all, women are NOT seen as equal, and do NOT possess many of the most basic human rights in many parts of the world. In 3rd world countries, women's rights are practically non-existent. (They don't have access to education, they are trafficked, and in some cases, are not as desired as boys, and therefore are not given the same medical care as boys during their early childhood and many girls die because of it.) This is not okay, and feminism IS necessary, because we still have a LONG way to go in that respect.
Secondly, even in regards to first world countries, I agree with Elle that feminism needs to be called feminism to honor the women who fought for (and in some cases died for) the cause. Women have a long history of being oppressed and that needs to be acknowledged. We don't call Black History Month "Person-equality-no-matter-their-colour Month." There is a certain amount of tribute that needs to be payed to the women who got us to the point we are at today.
Firstly, the problem with third world cultures is how far behind us they are. They are nowhere near as developed as we are. The problem there is not in gender equality, it is in an undeveloped, outdated culture (not to mention dictators and wars and many other issues). That's why women's rights are shit over there, it's not because of a lack of feminism.
Secondly, yeah, dya know why black history month isn't called that? Because it's *black* history month. It's specifically about *black history*. And black history month isn't a movement. It's a celebratory period of black history. Feminism is meant to be an equal rights movement, or at least the second wave in the 21st century it is (footnote). It's not a celebratory period of time of women's struggles for rights. So don't pretend that it is or describe it as such, that's literally ridiculous.
Footnote - In the 20th century it was about women's rights, and they never said it was anything different. Nowadays, 90% of feminist speeches or blog posts I've seen use the phrase "it's an equal rights movement" or have some kind of mention as to the fact they want equal rights for both sexes. So if that was truly the case, why call it FEMinism? Hypocrisy right there.
You are so misconstrued I honestly don't know where to begin or where you got your information...
Thank you so much Jack for this video Jack, I'm also a male feminist and I'm so glad that more and more people are discovering the true meaning of feminism
The hatred of men? Yeah, we know what it is.
Exactly, which is why more and more women are abandoning the movement.
It's bizarre how many people don't understand what feminism actually means. I made a video about it, and the anti-feminism side of Tumblr (who knew that was a thing?) showered it with dislikes. I'll give them some credit: they are really committed to their cause of disliking every video that mentions feminism.
James Chesson We've had the dictionary definition of feminism rammed down our throats so much we can probably crap the words out in the right order. Shame that the dictionary definition of what feminism is and what feminism *actually* is are two completely different things, then, isn't it?
druuzil that's misandry not feminism.
Jack Howard is now officially The Perfect Man, this has been proved by science.
I think this video could have done with more explanation... room for a follow up? But good conversation starter, and I think it is very important for men to be as vocal on feminism as women.
Jack as a fellow Feminist and a Anarchist, I raise my fist in solidarity to you kind gent.
*****
I myself am a Anarcho-communist, you are correct, as true communism can only exist in a stateless society.
*****
They are what actual Anarchists call Ancraps. they call themselves Anarcho-capitalists, they are not Anarchists, as they advocate capitalism, private property, wage slavery and social hierarchy, they are so stupid and self righteous it is pointless for you to debate them if you don`t know anything about Anarchism.
*****
Anarchists hate it when people even dare to put us in the same category, as those elitist pricks.
*****
You mean Liberalism, don`t confuse the two.
A Liberal is just another word for Capitalist or "Free market" enthusiast as they proclaim themselves.
And a Libertarian, which is somebody who believes in Free will.
*****
They are either Capitalists or Ancaps.
Capitalists always call themselves libertarians.
I'm not a feminist but I do believe in equal rights. Ludicrous right?
I couldn't fathom such a thing.
Jack, I admire your bravery and honesty to admit that your opinions were misinformed and wrong once. But the fact that you have made such a conscious effort to understand and evolve your views and partake in the discussion. Just. Thank you. Truly an inspiration. Thank you for using your position of influence so brilliantly!
Evolve? You make it seem like not being a feminist makes people less of a human...
It does.
Ayse Huseyin
I see. Well, I suppose you are entitled to your own opinion.
RandomHelpingGuy Having a broken moral compass makes you less of a human being, yes.
C Rebhein
That's quite ignorant on your part, wouldn't you say?
the only thing i can add is Please educate yourself on trans people and trans rights. you cannot be a feminist and exclude trans women
totally agree, I didn't touch on it during this video because I think that would have brought up different points
JackHoward Just speak in an inclusive way because non binary rights are very much to do with gender equality. when we ignore issues within feminism it reverses the whole movement. always remember, feminism is worthless without intersectionality and inclusion.
SunkissedObsidian Actually I'm going to agree with how Jack hasn't included trans because I'm thinking of this video like it is 'Feminism for Beginners'. He needs to explain this to people as if they're five with as few complications as possible because that's how deeply ingrained superiority can be in people.
You can be a feminist and exclude men. So why can't they exclude trans people?
They can exclude everyone but women if they please.
It's a hate movement based on misandry. So people should feel great about being excluded from it.
Evan Lindsay What you're talking about is not feminism. It's misandry disguised as feminism. Feminism doesn't 'exclude' anyone, it doesn't look at a certain group of people and say 'you're not worthy of our attention'. The whole movement is about equality, it's about teaching people not to discriminate or dismiss people because of their sex, gender, race, sexuality, age, social status and whatnot.
I agree with you, calling a guy a "feminist ally" is kind of contradicting what the whole movement is about. Equality. In my opinion, I feel like people associate feminism with something it's not and that is, that it's women who should have the power. In reality it's all about equal opportunities across everything: race, gender, sexual orientation. We are all humans after all.
Today's feminists believe men can be feminists, too! I love my feminist "brothers!"
Thank you for sharing your feminist perspective!
Anyone else think that Jack is the blueprint for what a human should be?
Fuck yes.
Yes
internally, yeah!!
Sophia Townsend Ooo..Burn!
I do think it's awesome that you are speaking up about being a feminist because as you said, feminism is usually associated with women but then that goes completely against the point of feminism and the push for equality between men and women. It would be awesome for more men to take a stand like you have and be ok with being identified as a feminist and to push the idea that feminism applies to all genders. We are all striving for one thing, equality, and this is definitely a massive step in the right direction - Thanks Jack!
I personally think men should be calling themselves feminists too, if they are feminists. I don't really have a problem with that The only reason why it's sometimes annoying or sad, is that when they say something in favour of equal treatment or point out some patriarchal injustice, often they get lauded for it while women have been trying to say this stuff for ages without the same response. It just underlines how men's voices are still more powerful in society, and I think that's the reason it bugs women who have been feminist activists for a while.
Male Feminists I salute you,
I kill them :D
***** Whatever dude, If you dislike them so much then why are you even here? I have male feminists friends and they are alot nicer than these horney macho dudes society loves to embrace so much,
***** Okay But I don't see that as an excuse to attack him. if I see him misbehave I might say something to him but I don't go to his video's even if he's a dick.
***** Yeah you doubt everything hateful these MRA groups say and you are not bothered to do your research about It. If you don't want to be mature and leave ppl who don't commit crimes alone then that's fine with me.
Luke's Shares my dub Okay But I support the first wave of feminism and Anarchy. Anarchy is what promotes true equality. Girls are still told they can't be outside late and are overly protected but boys can do whatever they like. How is that fair?
Anyone can be a feminist! I don't know why any woman would say men are not allowed, but no one can make the rules. So if you believe in gender equality and want to say you're a feminist, please do! Come join us! Don't let a few blind or stubborn people put you off
I'm not a fan of the "feminist ally" title, either. By definition, feminism is the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of the equality of the sexes. Surely the gender of the advocate is irrelevant?
Just saw this clip which is relevant and amusing: www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/10/07/aziz_ansari_embraces_feminism_on_the_late_show_with_david_letterman.html
The dictionary offers the definition of feminism at a very basic level though, and it shouldn't be referred to to undermine the opinions of feminists.
I feel like, when men identify as feminists, they have to take in to account that the movement was started by women, for women. It was women, not men, who fought for the vote, and rape crisis centres, for marital rape to be illegal etc; and it's women who still suffer from openly identifying as a feminist. Is it great that men are starting to support gender equality? Yes, so great. But men, historically, talk over women. What 'feminist ally' implies is supporting the voices of women on their own equality, and that's a really important part of being a man for gender equality.
JoannaSmilesLots I don't think men calling themselves feminists in anyway diminishes the struggle that women have gone and still go through. If feminism is a belief system, then surely anyone who holds those beliefs fits the title?
JoannaSmilesLots No, we can't just disallow people to be part of a movement, are you out of your mind?
If you really took feminism seriously you would happily accept men as feminists, if anything, since most of the blame is put on men to begin with, due to their ''power over women'' or whatnot, having men identifying as feminists would only strengthen the movement, not take away from it.
Basically, calling someone a feminist ally because they are male only widens the gender gap, and that term will only serve to create the opposite effect for feminism.
***** I think it's because feminism is one of the few spaces in the world that women and non binary people have which isn't dominated by men. often when I've come across male feminists they've tried to speak over the women and non binary people in the discussion about what women and non binary people experience. I'm not claiming to speak for every feminist but I think this makes some people uncomfortable, hence the term feminist ally.
Surely the ultimate goal of feminism is that everyone believes in equal rights? (i.e. All men identify with feminism)
wtf off course you are a feminist, i dont even understand why people are saying men can't be, a feminist is someone who supports feminism, that's it , that's the actual definition, it does not exclude men
The thing is feminism is supposed to be for woman. Originally that was the plan. Feminism is about Woman being equal to men. It has nothing to do with men being equal woman. Him calling himself a feminist is kinda confusing when he isn't a woman. But I like that he supports feminist but I don't think he deserves to call himself a feminist. But at the same time I'm not hugely bothered by it because men are finally supporting woman on their journey to equality.
TheBackSeat"Feminism is the belief that women should be equal to men in all aspects of society"
So what you just said is "Men don't deserve to believe that women and men are equal."
ZBenHZ correct
TheBackSeat But that's a silly opinion. Just because men in the past may have oppressed women, it doesn't mean the men of today should continue to carry the blame or the crime. That's like me saying "If your great grandmother was racist and treated black people poorly, then you are an associated racist and don't deserve to support racial equality" which we all know isn't right.
My grandparents were Native American, they too were oppressed by white men. But that's beside the point. We aren't blaming the men of today for their ancestors grave mistakes. We want the men of today to support us and for them to understand that, whether they know it or not, we're still not equal. They continue to carry the "blame" because they either don't accept they ever made mistakes in the first place or because they refuse to notice the back lash of their predecessors oppression towards all minorities. Men need to support Feminism, but for some reason many of these men just want to CALL them selves feminist and they think that's it. That giving themselves this title fixes everything. To me and many other woman it just sounds like they wanna be apart of something that there were excluded from in the past and make it about them.
I think you are SO incredibly brave. Feminism is necessary precisely because the comments below this video claim he is "a pussy" or "never gets laid", simply because this man said he believes in equality. To those of you who think that feminism isn't about equality just because it has "fem" in it, please do formal research before you speak out.
khushibee If you think people take issue with feminism because of the word itself, you are very ignorant.
RandomHelpingGuy This comment is hilarious due to the fact that just a few comments above the one you responded to there were people complaining about the word itself....
khushibee
Feminism is a women's rights movement that claims to be for everyone.
Feminism is a movement which claims to want to achieve gender equality. So yes, A star, it is for everyone.
khushibee
How can one "achieve gender equality" when women *already* have more privileges and legal rights than men?
By the way, are you referring to equal responsibilities for women?
When you said that some men are afraid of being feminine I thought of the time when I was about 6 and my step-dad said that pink and purple aren't "boy colors". He also said that girls can wear "boy colors" (blue and green) but that boys shouldn't wear "girl colors". I also thought of the time when a boy showed up to school with a pink hoodie and all the teachers gave him weird looks and even called his parents to find out why he was wearing it. I mean everyone has a preference and I hope that nobody is scared of the color's "gender" to make their choices.
I'm studying AS Sociology at the moment and we spent 3 hours looking at feminism and we came to the conclusion that we think it should be called equalism because they fight for equal rights between men and women but feminism is sometimes seen as a movement where women want all the power (which is wrong) because it has 'fem' at the beginning. :)
It should not be called equalism. It's called feminism with an emphasis on female/women because that is the oppressed group here. The idea of feminism is equality for all genders, and what that means in our current patriarchal society is to advance women's causes in a variety of arenas in order to level what has historically been, and continues to be, a very skewed playing field. Hence the emphasis on women.
What would "equalism" even mean? It's not as though the only unfair hierarchy we have in society is gender based. There's also race and class. To brand something "equalism" would just be too broad.
the issue with that is that the word 'feminism' is identifying the female gender as the one being discriminated against, which people like to ignore. It's as if someone supported equality between hetrosexual and homosexual couples but said 'i just don't want to use the word 'gay' can we just call them 'people' or 'a couple'? You are denying some one of the visibility that their oppression needs to be eliminated.
WYIT0 Then you have misunderstood. Seeing as how I AM black, being seen as an equal is of a personal interest to me. But that wasn't my point.
A movement needs to be define. Saying you support equalism is a nice ideal but a movement needs to be defined. PinkiePie7hpdw said it best in their comment above. You hold the same ideal as a feminist but you are lending credence to this idea that all genders face the same issues/obstacles, which is not true. The reason there is a stress on women is because that's the oppressed gender. Men have an inherent privilege and what needs to be brought to light is the way women are oppressed so that we can solve for that and make strides to a more progressive, equal society
ohsololita that was part of my argument about it, I think that if there is something called 'equalism' then that could basically cover anything, but what a guy in my class said is that as a male, they feel they couldn't identify as a feminist because his friends (the simple minded ones) saw it as a feminine movement and said rather rude and hurtful things to him, so as a male he thought that a movement for equal rights between genders but not having genders related to it in the name was what was needed. (My original comment wasn't my opinion 100% it was just a combined opinion of 25 people in a class)
PinkiePie7hpdw I completely agree with you on what you're saying. I PERSONALLY think that feminism is the right name for it as it is pretty self explanatory and that it is women who are being discriminated against. what I really should of made clear in my original comment is that this idea of 'equalism' wasn't my idea it was a combined one of 25 people in a classroom :)
I'm sick of people saying that feminism is just a women thing. No its not feminism is for equal right for men and women therefore a man should also be allowed to class himself as a feminist! HELL YEAH JACK HOWARD!
If feminists want to be taken seriously then they need to change the name of their movement because a shit ton of idiotic tumblr feminists have ruined the image.
feminism was bs from the start
***** I wouldn't go as far to say that man, it was damn good in the 1950s
+TheAbeham no, actually in the 1950's (these are researched facts) all feminists were women and all rally's were about women rising above men. Not only were feminists in the 1950's often aggressive and standoffish but they believed in women "overthrowing" men. This was not a good way of thinking and helping the cause it just made the women involved appear overly aggressive and often it disabled them to get what they wanted as men did not take them seriously, and neither did fellow women. Feminism does not need to change its name because to be a feminist or to identify as a feminist means to support, encourage and to push for the equality between men and women, not women over men, equals. It is people like you who take the meaning behind of feminism and warp it into something aggressive and distasteful who are bringing down the whole system. The name does not need to be changed, the attitude shown by society towards the word feminism needs to be changed through education and research.
+Tia Jane I am in no way trying to offend you I am simply trying to show you how the attitude you show towards feminism as a whole is not actually backed up by factual evidence, it is backed up by tumblr. I hope you don't take this the wrong way I am trying to spread a good message and show you the real meaning behind feminism.
Yes feminism was good in the past kind of. *Now* it is *NOT* needed. If anything you should simply be an egalitarian.
Also unless someone gives you proof about something ignore it. Also if you see someone crying about men and woman not being payed the same for the *same* job simply point them to the Equal pay for equal work act signed in 1963 which makes it illegal.
With all of this sexual assault bullshit going on on youtube I think it's so nice when people like you, who has many young, female viewers, stand up for equality and women's rights and aren't afraid to label yourself as a feminist.
"I'm also attracted to their brains, but I do like boobs." Classic Jack 2k14.
Okay..hmf..discussing feminism always turns into chaos but here's what I have to say:
1. Can we please, PLEASE, move past the discussion of whether or not feminism is needed?? It's a fact that there's inequality between the sexes today, and this effects everyone, everywhere, every day.
2. Can we also drop the discussion regarding the name? It's called feminism because it's a movement started by females to fight against inequality, if men would be the weaker sex I'm sure the movement would be named differently.
3. Yes, there's been extreme parts to feminism. Women who's hated men, but that's not what the general idea behind feminism is, nor is it how it looks today. Judging everyone and feminism as a whole based on a minority isn't helping anyone...
4. Thank you to everyone who identifies as a feminist, regardless of your sex. (So yes, can call yourself a feminist Jack.)
5. And for those who are negative towards feminism - please collect some knowledge before you jump into discussions. Assuming things based on hearsay doesn't really strengthen your arguments..
6. Unfortunately, the sexes won't ever completely understand each other, because we won't ever know how it is to be in each other's shoes. But just because you as a male don't understand a woman's experiences with for ex. catcalling or lower salary's, doesn't mean you can't show empathy for their struggle. And vice versa.
Thanks!
It is a fact that there are inequalities between the sexes,so we have to keep fighying to eradicate it. Extraordinary comment. Thanks and congratulations.
I'm a feminist. Patriarchy has been prevalent for far too long and is still as dominant today as much as it ever was. The world would be a better place, I imagine, with more and more women taking charge.
I dread to read through the comments
I don't. More people are using their brain than this muppet.
thanks for proving phoebe's point, MUPPET
You are so eloquent - this was perfect!
First of all, I'd like to share that one of the most attractive things to me is a man who can think thoughtfully about feminism. So, great. Hey. Second of all, the reason why "equalism" (btw that's not even a word) is not the correct term is because the focus of feminism is WOMEN. The goal is equality, yes, but the idea is that men (white men, mostly) have attained certain comforts/privileges in society that women have not been afforded, and the purpose is to bridge that gap. And really, feminism breaks down into so many sub categories: rape culture, slut shaming, women's health care issues, pro/anti-porn, and the list goes on, so if you aren't taking a stance on these things, chances are you're not a feminist.
YES
Yes. The comfort to be put in prison for 40% longer than a woman who commits the same crime. The privilege to be forced to pay for a kid you never wanted, while women can simply drop the child off at a safe haven or have an abortion. What comforts and privileges do men have that women lack in the modern western world? I'd like a list.
Lymond Dufresne
-the fact that women get paid less than men for the same work
-victims of rape still get blamed for what happened to them (i.e. she shouldn't have worn that short skirt) instead of the men raping them
- women still do most of the unpaid work all over the world (household, taking care of children/elderly)
- advertisments are still using images of women's bodies to sell their products
- there are still far less female MPs than male
- offensive jokes about women are still funny to some people and played down as 'lad culture'
-...
Lymond Dufresne you "simply drop the child off at a safe haven or have an abortion" like that's somehow a really easy choice. Also men are able to sign away their rights to an unwanted child. they don't have to see it, pay or have anything to do with it. so I don't really see your issue. also its known that women can actually get harsher sentences for criminal offences because of the stereotype that women are meant to be good and gentle and sensitive. now are you sure you want a list of the comforts and privileges that women lack? because its a big world and its going to be really fucking long.
I agree with all that is said and i am 100% a feminist but i just hate the fact the a lot of people don't seem to think that in some aspects women have it cushier than men, e.g where i work there are only two men, myself and a colleague. we have to do all the heavy lifting and pretty much all the physical work whilst the women stand by a till or talk to customers and then at the end of the day we have to tidy the store. now i know that doesnt sound like much but we are usually in the middle of another task whilst the women are upstairs in a break room and it is considered sexist where i work if we speak out about getting help with some of the work.
Thank you for making this Jack! I've been called a lot of things over the years for identifying as a feminist and I just think it's because the word has got lost under a stigma of hate. As a feminist not only do I hate seeing women not being treated equally but I also hate it when men aren't treated equally which happens in so many situations (the bit were you said 'that's a bit gay was such a good example of what you hear every day all the time!) It's equal rights and it should be so simple but I feel like over the years it's been muddied and it's hard to say why. You're one of the first guys to really proudly and openly say he's a feminist and I think that's amazing :D
Communism is equality.
+colbalt95 While nice in theory, it doesn't always work out!
+Jane Doe No it is the only way.
Pet My Bushwookie I like the idea, but it can cause war and unrest, nothing good about that!
Jane Doe Has not really worked out lol
Jane Doe All necessary evils. Everyone will be cleansed by the flames of the revolution.
I don't like "feminist ally" because it implies you aren't actually part of the movement. It kinda brings to mind a soccer mom aspect, like as an ally you won't participate just stand by the sidelines and cheer.
I also don't like feminist's who say there's no space for men in feminism. Feminism is about treating all humans as equal, or not below men. That includes cis and transgendered men and women. But the only way the interject real change in the world is if those in positions of power ( ie straight white men) advocate for it too. We need for them to be a part of feminism or else the masses of the patriarchy won't listen..
To a lot of people saying they prefer the word equalist--
The reason why I don't thinking feminism should be could 'equalism' has several reasons. The first is that feminism began as a movement for women, the suffragette movement asked for the right to vote (which is now sometimes referred to as 'first wave feminism'), we then have the second wave of feminism in the 1960s where women asked to be treated as an equal, to be able to normalise going to uni, to be able to have equal job positions to men, equal pay, etc. The current movement in feminism is referred to as 'third wave feminism'. Basically my first reason why is because we deserve to remember WHERE feminism came from, how now even though it is a movement beneficial towards all genders, it started off as a movement for women.
The second reason why feminism shouldn't be called 'equalism' is because it takes away from the whole issue of gender & sexuality, which is what feminism is all about. Equalism implies an inclusion of other matters that need to be addressed (racism, xenophobia), which DO need to be addressed, don't get me wrong, but I believe we need a movement for specifically gender equality.
Sorry if I offended anyone, this is all just my opinion, I just felt it had to be said (:
I want that grooming tool filled race car.
Anyone can be a feminist if they want equal rights for everyone. A feminist is a feminist, not to be differentiated by gender or told that they can't do something because of their gender which is basically what feminists advocate against happening. So, if anyone says you're not a feminist because of your gender then they're not a feminist; they're someone who doesn't understand feminism for what it is, a diverse group of people who want equal rights for everyone regardless of their own gender, but understands feminism for what feminism can be for their own benefits.
What I can't quite wrap my head around is why it's called feminism. Why not equality?
Because it's not just about equality, unfortunately. Yes, equal pay for equal work and all that, which most people think about, but it's also a woman's right to choose who she marries, a woman's right to her own body, a woman's right to education, a woman's right to move about unmolested, a woman's right to do certain jobs, all that and more... it goes beyond just being "equal". In an ideal world you would be totally correct, though.
Renlish - but doesn't men have the same rights?
Because women have had to fight for rights amd opportunities men already have.
I think equality is too general of a word. When we use the word feminist, it immediately connects the cause to gender inequality which is the main focus of the movement.
Because women are the oppressed. Empowerment through linguistics you fucking idiot. If you want to be a 'feminist' (in all but name) but have a problem with the term being about women then you are not a feminist, and you do not support equal rights.
I think feminism is just as good/bad as misogyny. What we should all be saying, in my option, is equralist, because that implies equal rights for everyone. Where as feminist implies women are better than men and misogyny implies that men are better than women. So lets be forwards thinking and not people who think one half of the planet is better than the other. If you disagree perfectly fine with me.
no, you're wrong. what you're thinking of is misandry.
misogyny = oppressing women
misandry = oppressing men
feminism = EQUAL RIGHTS FOR EVERYONE.
The reason the word feminist still applies is because, at this point in time, women are still worse off then men. There's no point calling ourselves 'equralists' when we know where the inequality lies.
jimspider13 i always hear the "i don't like the word feminist (even though i believe in equality for all)" argument, so i'm just gonna tell you why calling feminism "egalitarian" (or "humanism", etc.) is wrong.
to abandon the term "feminism" is disregarding the fact that the sexist oppression that has happened without history was mainly towards women (and it still continues to be that way). saying that feminism is actually "humanism" or whatever is taking away the emphasis of how feminism was started by women, for women, and continues to fight for equality for women because of all the shit women go thru daily because of sexism.
even though feminism is the fight for equality between the sexes, the sexist issues that feminists are fighting surround women.
Actually feminism means Woman are equal to men. Feminism is much more complex then you believe, why don't you try researching a bit?
TheSariaOmer So your point is that we should use the word feminism to live in the past when we're trying to effect/change the future. 'Okay, that makes perfect sense.'
I agree with you 100% Jack, i hate that feminist i considered a bad thing and when i say im a feminist, people think im weird. Whats wrong with wanting everyone to be treated the same way, its the extemists that ruin it all, just like in religion. At the end of the day we are all human beings,cant we just get along.
GREAT video, but oh my god there are so many negative comments it's not even funny.
Seriously though can we drop this whole "equalism" bullshit? Because honestly, yes, feminism is equality for all genders, but
(a) if we just called it "equalism" there'd be nothing to stop MRAs from coming in and being like "yeah but men are oppressed too waaah" and that would ruin everything (disclaimer, I'm a white cismale so it's sort of the pot calling the kettle black), and
(b) the movement has been around for the better part of a century, do you seriously think the name is going to change?
If we called it equalism, no gender, race, religion, sexuality etc would be left out.
And if the "fem" prefix is removed, no one has a reason to come in and cry over men's equality in relation to the movement, because it's safe to say it's being covered. Unlike feminism, unless you're living under a rock right now.
What you said about how men shouldn't be afraid of using "femme" and that's (one reason) why feminism isn't just for women... DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN RIGHT MAN! EXACTLY. FUCKIN' EH. BAM. Everyone should be told this.
Great video! The car thing is weird - I've always hated how everything for men has to be SUPER masculine for fear of men feeling the tiniest bit feminine.
Also, I think the ladies saying "men can't be feminists" are women who have found themselves in feminist spaces where self-labelled male feminists speak *over* them, which is /incredibly/ frustrating - I mean, half the problem of sexism is certain men talking over women & not letting them speak, so it's doubly irritating in areas where women are supposed to feel empowered for once. It is after all, ultimately, a women's rights' movement bringing women to the same level as men. So I think it's not so much them saying "men cannot be feminists or be part of the movement AT ALL", but "men should not speak over women or take over the movement, but instead be supportive allies to help strengthen the movement as a whole to balance out inequality between the sexes". Just say "well if you're unhappy with me labelling myself that, feel free to label me a feminist ally instead". It's ultimately the same thing & they'll hopefully appreciate it!
Agreed.
Yaaa, I don't really get why people insist that men can't be feminists or that men who are feminists HAVE to be pussy whipped. Although I do feel feminism should have a more active role in filtering out their own extremists, assuming a person is a certain way because they identify with a term based on their feelings of it as opposed to your own is ignorant no matter who you're talking about.
Also the idea that something manly has to be loud and obnoxious to be manly is just as annoying as the "manly" shit itself. I'm all for over the top manliness in media (Expendables, woo!) but the fact people think that shit translates to preferences in real life is ridiculous. I'd much sooner be labeled a faggot on /o/ for the rest of my life (buy a mazda miata), than buy an F-150 Raptor. Ok, that's a lie, but still.
First, I agree with direction of tour assertions. I have a couple of questions.
And it is just a question, Asking men to participate in the movement and then asking them to take a back seat or a less prominent roll seems a little incongruous with the sprit of equality. My personal experience may be somewhat different but my mother was a union organizer and no one spoke over her. She used to say "You can help me up but, I have to stand on my own two feet".
And I like cars and trucks and robots and dinosaurs and there is nothing wrong with that per se. The problem is the exclusion and the derision for choosing things that are perceived as the other gender specific. That doesn't mean Jack should get rid of his race car grooming kit, it's cute. A backlash, while understandable, is just as bad as an offence. Thanks.
Yes, what IckleNellieRose said! Here's what I do: I identify myself as a feminist in mixed crowds. Amidst feminists, I identify as an ally unless someone asks why I'm not a feminist and then I clarify that I am one, but I don't want to invade a space that's specifically for women.
Michael Pesavento 1) Honestly, it's not asking guys to take a back seat, AT ALL. It is asking them not to speak *over* women who *actually deal with misogyny* when they are trying to share what they are going through. Guys who align themselves with feminism can fulfil a VERY SPECIFIC ROLE that NO WOMAN CAN: calling out sexist dudes who would never listen to women & pointing them towards women who can then share their actual lived experiences, encouraging them to listen. I CANNOT STRESS HOW IMPORTANT THIS ROLE IS AND WHY I WANT TO HIGH FIVE EVERY GUY WHO DOES IT. Sexist guys will ignore women, but they are more likely to listen if another guy tells them to. Good on your mum, btw, but this is a slightly different circumstance.
2) I'm not saying he should get rid of the car. When did I say that? I was just agreeing with him that it's sexist how a "feminine" product must be hidden in a stereotypically "masculine" thing in order for men to feel like they can use it (I'm not the one saying cars are masculine, btw, just noting that society sees them as such). I don't know what "A backlash, while understandable, is just as bad as an offence." means, but I wasn't creating any backlash, I was AGREEING with him..
On the "feminist-ally" thing - I definitely believe men can be feminists but I reckon the "ally" bit is important because it's the difference between women speaking for themselves and men speaking for women (which would just perpetuate what we've had throughout history). I don't know if I'm explaining this right but I think women need to be at the forefront of feminism with men supporting - or being allies - because that's the most empowering thing and because they're the ones who actually know the issues first hand.
That also applies to other groups that have been historically disadvantaged or oppressed ie. gay people should be at the forefront of gay rights with straight people supporting
I believe in equality but I'm not a feminist still is an accurrate statement. This logic that if you belelieve in equality automatically makes you a feminist can be applied to so many different groups, such as communist but no one is going around saying that. I believe in equality for jog sexes this does not define me as a feminist. Why am I typing no one gets it?
why are you scared to call urself a feminist??? it's easier to bang together when we have a universal name. and besides, it isn't about the word like all you people are making it about. it's about equality
+Clementine Krishan I'm going to assume you meant ban together. The problem is feminism doesn't work toward equality, and even if it sid it is not the only word for a movement working toward equality. There's humanist, egalitarian, and equalist.
Let's talk about feminism first and foremost feminist believe that there is a patriarchy out there that descriminates against women, because of sexism. Then they will say that it harms men as well. If this is the case the patriarchy isn't sexist it seems to be against humans all together. Next let's talk about the built in no true scottsman that feminist are quick to jump to. Feminist don't hate men, any feminist that is sexist toward men is not a real feminist. You rarely hear a feminist going after them on why they a doing feminism wrong, or doing an injustice to the movement. Never are they critiqued, or scrutinized, they are able to continue spouting hatred against men without ever being comfronted. They are free to spout their hatred of men, while other feminist will lean on the No True Scottsman fallacy. Why be apart of a group that can't even make sure it's members are in line.
Thses are some of the many reasons why the majority of people are not feminist, as am I.
Any intellectual response?
Clementine Krishan Exactly nothing to say all your arguements have been refuted, and you don't stand in intellectual debate. Just like all other feminist this is why the don't want to debate. This brand of feminism has always been unsound from it's inception it lost out to the second wave feminist in debate. But what third wave feminist did was brainwash college students who didn't know any better. So now we have idiotic young adults claiming that women are opressed, and female feminist running around with a victim complex.
I really appreciate you, Jack. Unfortunately, you are a white male. This for some reason is going to always give people ammunition against you here. I loved the video, and agree with you on most everything. Just hope that this doesn't somehow turn into even more drama.
"Unfortunately you are a white male." TBH there is next to nothing unfortunate about being a white male. Almost everything in society is set up to help/benefit a white male.
That's exactly the comments I'm hoping to avoid. You just proved my point, thanks.
You saying "Unfortunately you are a white male" is what provoked their comment. It was directed at you, not creating drama towards Jack, so no, they didn't prove your point.
Please correct me if i'm wrong but is the reason it's called feminism is due to the fact that men and women don't want to be separated? Surely a name like equalist or something would be a better way of not separating sexes? Please correct me though if I seem to have misconstrued anything.
I think it's called feminism because when it started it wanted equality by focusing on women's rights. Now it's just generally about equality of the sexes.
You're a good egg Jack.
I love this video so much! Thank you, thank you _so much_ for posting this. It's really important that more people come to the same realisation that you have, and I'm SO pleased that you decided to talk about it publicly.
How do you confuse a feminist?
Tell her she's not allowed to make you a sandwich
If you said that to me, I'd probably shrug my shoulders, say "mmkay," and go make myself a sandwich.
i don't probably think you have Coeliac disease or something, 0/10 for creativity, try better next time
How would this confuse anyone
they just wouldn't make you a sandwich LOL
hhahhaa!
I most definitely think men can and should be feminists. Unfortunately a lot of people don't understand what it actually means and just believe its man hating. Tweezer bit was brill and I love you for making this video!
Why should we be feminists? To hate men EVEN MORE? PLEASE!
thank you for speaking up for feminism.
Same opportunities? Done. Where's this rule that that can't be the case?
You don't like the gift you got. A red car has offended your feminist sensibilities. Whatever.
Yeah, you're a good lookin' dude. Deluded but basically attractive.
There are FEMINISTS who say you can't be a feminist. Those are YOUR PEOPLE.
I'm not scared of calling myself a 'feminist' b/c of the root 'fem'. I'm 'scared' to call myself a 'feminist' b/c their arguments suck.
Who thinks women are literally objects? WTF, dude? You know who thinks that? One or two psycho killers. That's it. Even rapists understand that the women they're raping are human. Most serial killers probably get it as well. If these 2 groups did NOT get it, they wouldn't worry about getting caught. UNLESS we count the idea that 'women have no agency' as 'objectification' in which case, a great many feminists probably think that women are objects since they don't seem to think that women can ever be guilty of anything. "That woman committed statutory rape of that young boy? Oh, SHE is the real victim and he seduced her. She's not guilty at all." And so forth.
I'm sorry but you seem to be missing the point. I'm a feminist who knows many intellectualy feminists (not online, REAL PEOPLE) who do not restrict feminism to race. YOU CAN BE A FEMINIST IF YOU ARE A MALE WHITE KID I DON'T WE DONT CARE, so the judgement Jack found was wrong. If you base your understand off of tumblr/various social platforms it will be easy to be ill informed. I attend a school with plenty of intellectual girls who fully embrace true feminism and the values promoted by it. I feel like a lot of people who are against feminism ridicule the small things. The small things like the car. Yes it is just a small red car but you have to look beyond that instead of saying "You don't like the gift you got. A red car has offended your feminist sensibilities. Whatever." It is MORE than that. It is these small messages that dictate our society today. Everything is so gendered, constantly defining the boundaries of masculinity and femininity. Of course women are objectified! So are men! It is not about whether someone is human/object, any fool can distinguish that, but the fact that women are constantly, CONSTANTLY placed as objects in advertising, in music videos (men singing around plenty of women is okay, but it's not okay to have a woman sing around shirtless men?). Just the other day I was watching a children's TV show with my young brothers and every female in the show was referred to as 'most beautiful' or womanly. Yes, it's just a kid's TV show, yes it's just a small plastic car, but you have to look BEYOND it, what is being fed to us?
FreedomBreeze24
Tell me, is there a reason that people IRL can't make RUclips videos? Is that why so many RUclips feminists seem ... the way they seem?
Ridicule the small things? You mean like... the absence of proof and talking points like "The west condones and encourages males to rape females". Small things like that?
Ah, I get it. You think that a bunch of small things equals one big thing but the thing is, you've already made up your mind that the big thing is there. I could easily do the same trick and 'come to the conclusion' (not really coming to it if I've already made up my mind) that we live in a matriarchy.
If men AND women are objectified and you don't have any other reasons, maybe 'feminism' was the wrong label. Who says it's not OK to have a woman singing around shirtless men? I imagine the only reason people bring that up is to show the hypocrisy of feminists.
Look beyond the car to see what's being fed to us? I've been doing that since childhood. Since the 70's. Subliminals, John Taylor Gatto, atheism, a deep suspicion of the government and yes, now I am also deeply suspicious of feminism since I realized (a few years ago) that one of the things that had been fed to me all my life was... feminism, unchecked and unquestioned.
zorro baggins SO what are you trying to say again?
FreedomBreeze24
What are YOU trying to say? Can you list the official feminist assertions? Are you able to find me a single 'real feminist' on RUclips who measures up to the pro-feminist hype? Can you prove the official assertions of feminism? Should I believe that when self proclaimed 'feminists' speak of 'rape culture' that it has nothing to do with feminism b/c it's not on your list of official feminist assertions? Can y'all even agree with each other? If you can't, don't worry about it. We anti-feminists are getting a real good idea of what you're about. It's more obvious from the outside.
i'm not a feminist, i'm an equalist. i don't believe that we should just focus on women because thats not equal is it, but i strongly believe in gender equality
thats why the he for she campaign is getting so much positivity because at the end of the day everyone is equal!
THATS WHAT FEMINIST ARE
TeenyLittleBirds Jack points this out in the first few seconds of the video and people are still commenting that they're "Equalists and not Feminist"
That's what a feminist is.
feminism is focused on women because we don't have the same rights as men, not yet at least. look at it like this; a man has 10 apples and a woman has 5, you get 6 apples to give to them. the fair thing to do would be to give 3 apples to the male and 3 to the female. but that's not equal is it? the man still has more. for it to be equal you have to give more to the woman, because in todays society women are still so discriminated, that's why we have to focus on women. and that's why i'm a feminist and not an equalist.
The key thing to understand is the difference between equality and justice.
I feel like there should be a "what would Jack Howard say? " app or something to that effect, because I would definitely download that.
Yes it must become a thing!!!
Don't listen to them, of course you can be a feminist. We need as many people on our side as possible, and as long as you are helping not hurting it's only good things. It's the same when people in the LGBT community try to say we don't need allies and I am all "shhhhh, shhh no, we do. Please the point is to have everyone on board."
I'm a feminist, not because I believe I am better than men but because I believe I am just as good as men. Also I loved this video haha
that's exactly what feminism is. yay someone finally understands! :)
Cahle Shirkey
Then why, why, WHY would you mislead people by calling it FEMinism? That's entirely counterproductive!
_"I believe I am just as good as men"_
Arm wrestle me?
Amerrai Misa I've never understood what's wrong with the term 'egalitarian'.
Walter Kovacs
crapola. Egalitarian is what I should be saying.
I don't quite get how one side of RUclips promoting Feminism gets the same amount of likes as the other side completely counter to the movement. Of course you shouldn't treat others badly and shave away everything about them beside their looks, but do you really need a label for somebody who thinks this way? And especially do you need a prefix to the label that will imply that only women care about both themselves and men? Because Masculism somehow only cover's men's needs, where as Feminism cover's everybody's needs. Mhm. Dodgy... So how about we don't label the belief that people should be treated fairly, because all it takes is a half decent character, that's all.
And by the way I lived in Norway, one the most Feminist countries in the world, and girls are so unbelievably condescending towards guys. At least now I know how it feels when guys condescend girls, but what the hell, there's no need to take it out on somebody innocent like me.
Feminism also stands for men's right too, btw. I've figured out lately that a lot of people don't know this, and they assume that feminism is just about advocating for women's rights. And unfortunately for a lot of people, if something doesn't benefit them then what's the point in standing for that thing. Although the men's rights that MY feminism stands for are the feminine parts of society (hence the name), for instance the fact that it is widely unacceptable for men to shave their legs or wear make-up, without being ridiculed. There is also the problem that yes, men also get raped, but the reaction is vastly different to the reaction of when a female is raped. Girls are often blamed for being raped, where as men are often told that they should have enjoyed it... stupid, in my opinion. Feminism does NOT just stand for women's rights, although even if it did, why should that stop you from backing the cause?
EllietotheJelly
"Feminism also stands for men's right too, btw."
> Prove it?
How? By telling you that myself and my friends believe in that statement? With hard facts? Is it even worth the effort? I know it was only a couple of days ago, but I honestly don't think there is a point, people have their own opinions and it is very hard to argue with them. My statement was my opinion and my view on feminism, I stand for equality and for the rights of both sex's.
EllietotheJelly
aka you have no proof that feminism stands for men's rights.
It should not be that difficult for you to prove it, given that feminism has been around for about 100 years.
To say and to do are two different things. Or if you prefer talk is cheap.
EllietotheJelly Your not oppressed women aren't oppressed in first world countries. You just been privilege all the way until your 15 then when you see the real world you cry and scream sexism, the fact that this has been happening for 35 years is stupid. Your bullshit ass movement isn't needed anymore.
EllietotheJelly nope feminist are just for women. in america women get better treatment than men
Sorry, can't agree with your definition of feminism. That it means those things to YOU is just fine, but I have seen the term feminism used to attack males who have done nothing wrong. When I think of the word feminism I think of a young man at UC Berkley who was publicly accused of RAPE. The female accuser was surrounded by her feminist clique and when the young man, age 19, was cleared by the UCB police AND the Sheriff's Dept. of all charges they refused to accept it. They started a campaign of harassment and intimidation. The young man was accosted by women in the public areas and they started following him screaming "rapist" and pointing at him. They also put up wanted posters with his picture and they demanded that he be expelled from the university. Every time he left his dorm he was followed and accosted and accused of being a rapist. He was also beaten up 4 times by males who saw the posters and thought he WAS a rapist. They stood up in his classes and accused him in front of all his classmates in every class and demanded that professors remove him.
The school spoke to the "feminist" group and they said they KNEW he was a rapist and they were going to continue going after him. The female University president and majority female board refused to support the kid and do anything to the girls! The young man had a mental breakdown and failed his classes and had to be hospitalized twice.
Then, 2 young women came forward and told the UC police that the victim had confessed to them that she had made the whole accusation up, lied about the whole thing. When police confronted her about this she confessed and wrote a statement clearing the kid and admitting lying.
When the "feminists" were advised of this they stated they knew he was a rapist an they were still going after him. The female UC Berkley president and board STILL would not act against the girls. (And yes, these board members identified with the title "Feminists")
The young man attempted suicide but recovered even though he was still being harassed. He left the school after almost 2 years of this criminal harassment.
He finally filed a civil rights lawsuit against the school, though for some reason the feminist group was somehow shielded by CA tort law. The young man tried to go back to college at another campus but the "feminists" showed up there too and started harassing him again, a totally, 100% innocent male. The "feminists" stated all males were rapists at heart and they would continue to warn everyone about this kid who had done nothing wrong.
When I hear the word "feminist" I think of the term FemaNazi and always will. I support women's equal rights UNDER THE LAW but I do not support female superiority, which is what the majority of feminists are actually demanding. Perhaps it's different in the UK but your statement about you can't be a feminist is very much like what they are like in the USA.
Until women start understanding EQUAL and not Superior I will not support that terminology. I also get tired of them trying to say all rape accusations are true. They are not. In fact the FBI reports that about 1 in 10 or 10% are false. I however say that number is a politically corrected lie, having personally observed reports on sexual assaults and tracking them for 60 days and I found that number was closer to 25 - 30%. Now that is In reference to ALL forms of sexual assault, 1st degree through 5th degree, not just violent rape or 1st degree sexual assault. I think the FBI statistic is about 1st degree assaults which are what used to be called "rape" But point these things out at your own peril as the "feminists" go absolutely bat shit crazy. They refuse it all.
Until females become honest with themselves and get over themselves I don't buy into their propaganda. I still support equal pay for equal work but that's about it. Well, I do support women doing whatever job they want, as long as they are physically capable of doing it. Having been both a Sheriff's Investigator (that's how I paid my way through college) and a firefighter I was at first skeptical of females in either job. But, with certain exceptions I think women make great cops. Often times a female can shut down a male arguing without a fight and they are often very good interrogators too. I do not think they should NEVER work alone though. Women are physically weaker than men and in a fight the average guy will kick the average girl's ass. And working alone, an HOUR away from all back up is no place for women, we have found this out the hard way. As far as firefighting I think they can do that job good enough even though they are in no way equal to a man physically. In fact the physical testing has had to be lowered just for them to pass, but you never hear the "feminists" admitting that. Even so, females have found their niche in firefighting too.
But I would be very cautious of jumping on their band wagon just because you want to appear liberal or accepting or want to gain acceptance from them. Oh, and the boy from Berkley, last I heard he had another breakdown after the harassment started at his new school and he withdrew from college altogether, simply because some girls wanted to prove they could destroy a boy. I asked my friend who still lives around Berkley and she said she heard he eventually went to a private college with the settlement money he got from his lawsuit against UC Berkley, but he never completely recovered from the accusations. Nothing was ever done to the "FemaNazis", though the girl who originally lied about the rape was charged with false swearing, a lesser form or Perjury.
***** I give the respect I am given when I can. Good luck and cheers.
Totally agree. I also love how you welcome being proven wrong. Great attitude to have!
I think men can definitely identify as feminists I also think that part of being a man and a feminist involves realizing we are inherently privileged and will not be able to understand the severity of discrimination women face daily. While we should empathize and support the movement it's important to not commandeer the discussion and speak over women.
Yes!!! This is the same with every movement and I think is a point that a /lot/ of people don't understand.
THIS!
It's actually quite infuriating having to read these comments and see all these people saying they're all for what feminism but don't identify as one because of "extremist feminists" and not wanting to be associated with them or because they don't like the word and want it to be changed to "equalism" or something else that doesn't associate it with "fem".
I've been trying to keep my cool and respond calmly where I can. So thank you for this ray of sunshine. We should just be copying your comment and spam replying it everywhere.
Jack is just such a genuine and nice person. He's always willing to learn and do what's right. He's just lovely isn't he.
The root of feminism is simply respect. If everyone respected each other no matter the gender, then we'd achieve equal rights. Not sure if this is entirely true, so sorry if this was incorrect.
@Tetrimas What feminists are you talking to then? Real feminists want equal rights for all. That's what intersectional feminism is all about. Regardless of who you are, you should be treated with respect.
The root of feminism is the hatred & contempt for men, boys & masculinity. Respect for men is antithetical to feminism.
@@MariaLouisaBrennan Then why do ALL feminists on the planet, without exception, disrespect men and treat them like sub human garbage?
You're not quite right. Feminism is more of women trying to be equal to men, but the name of it expresses favoritism to women and you can see that many popular "modern" feminists are man hating and use misleading and even plain false examples to prove inequalities that don't even exist and don't discuss the things women have over men. You are probably thinking more of an egalitarian point of view. I don't care what you label as, but when people associate with feminism, you will have many that will associate you with man hating misandrists
You're a beautiful human being okay.
FINALLY! This man is a strong man and he is standing up for what is right! Thankyou for sharing thoughts!
Feminists, humanitarians, they're all just names. If they both mean equality, they are the same.
I've kinda always wanted to have a discussion with someone about the names. I've always sorta believed that a feminist was like a specific type of egalitarian/humanist. Egalitarians/humanists believe in the equality between all humans regardless of gender, race, class, religion, etc. A feminist also believes in the equality between all humans, but they focus a bit more on gender. A lot of people reject the word because of the "fem" in it, but people have to understand that movements can and have changed over the years. Feminism may have started off as only fighting for women to have equal rights to men, but has now changed to fighting for equality between both genders. A smart feminist somewhere figured out that guys were also getting screwed over in society and that something should be said and done about it. Oh, and to all those people who say that that's not what feminism is about: why are you fighting against that? By that, I mean why wouldn't you want feminism to be like that? Sure, every group is going to have their fair share of radicals and, as we all know, it's the radicals that are the loudest, catch the most attention, and therefore make people outside of the group make assumptions based off of how the radicals act and behave. However, those radicals are not the majority, nor should they be. If you don't want feminism to be about female dominance over males, then I agree with you. Real feminists are trying to change that perception. Why don't you let them?
Briane Nelom Well, to be perfectly honest, I can fairly say I'm against feminism. Before everyone blows their arteries from pure rage, let me explain myself. From all I've seen, feminism is a group of people that are eating into false information, and rioting off of that false information. You always hear about the topless woman crowding the streets, saying, "Still not asking for it". But those things I can deal with. I just don't like being labeled, and that's exactly what feminists are doing to men. The president of the National Organization for Women said, "All men are rapists, and that's all they are". This is the president of the NOW. But the thing that really grinds against me like sandpaper is when I read about the violent acts feminists are committing to. Example, the mob of topless feminists in San Juan attacking a cathedral, spray painting the men who tried to defend it. And the mass of feminists who infiltrated the MRA building and pulled the fire alarm, disrupting the male suicide prevention meeting. These things are prime examples of why feminism is not as great as everyone is making it out to be, but that doesn't affect me. My dislike for feminism is personal. What the NOW president said sounds like a compliment in comparison to what Andrea Dworkin's quotes. Ranging from "Men are distinguished from women by their commitment to do violence rather than to be victimized by it." to "I want to see a man beaten to a bloody pulp, with a high heel in his mouth like a pig with an apple.". Feminism is degrading men, and indeed dehumanizing them. So, being a man, you can only expect me to frown upon feminism. And I know what you're going to say, in fact, you've already said it. "Not all feminists are radicals" Which is true, but thats just the problem. Some are, some aren't, and it puts us men in difficult positions, as we can't speak out against what radicals are doing without speaking out against all of feminism. So we just have to sit there and take it. Men are rapists, stupid, violent, dogs, need to be castrated, are the root of all problems, the list goes on. I, myself, have even been labeled as evil, and sexist. Main thing you should take from this reply is this:
I am against feminism, not equality.
I completely understand. If those types of feminists were what you were mostly exposed to, then I greatly apologize. That's honestly terrible. I have heard of "feminazis:" man-hating women who want women to be the dominant species in society rather than equal to men. In fact, I once saw a poster that said, "If you teach a boy, you teach a boy. If you teach a girl, you teach a new generation." It's stuff like that that saddens me and makes me want to help change that even more. I wish to help silence those radicals and allow people to learn of the right kind of feminism: the kind that supports equality and not this superior women all men are terrible nonsense. So again, I completely understand why you'd be against feminism if those are the main types of feminists you've been exposed to. Would you also happen to be against the feminists that want to change that? The ones who want equality and not dominance? The ones who hope to silence the radicals and show the world what feminism really is?
Briane Nelom I will say again: I am against feminism, not equality. Looking back to my first comment, I said that if feminism is for equality, it is the same as humanitarianism, and they are just different words with the same meaning. There is always a chance to change a movement, and put it in a new direction, and if you are one of the people trying to do that, I encourage you, and by all means, I applaud you as well. Until then though, until the time when the radicals are sorted out and officially separated from the "true feminists" as I will call them, I cannot call myself a feminist, nor support them.
Ethan Troppletoz Understood. X) Well then, I hope to help move feminism in the right direction. Hopefully the movement will be better in the future.
Yes, the words "feminist" and "feminism" may be defined as "equality for both sexes" but it has been so skewed, even from its first movements of women's rights. There are countless quotes of feminist leaders hating men. Which is not what people should be supporting. You shouldn't make judgments based on if they are a man or a woman because everyone acts differently regardless of their bodies. Everyone has their own problems and insecurities. Men are treated like rubbish, too. It isn't just women. And that is why people should focus on equality - because people are more similar than they are different.
I'm not sure if I am a feminist. That sounds strange and yes I believe in equal rights for EVERYONE, however feminism is very undefined. Like someone told you it's a movement for women by women, and you disagreed, there's my issue. What really is feminism? I'm more of an equal rights activist, because that is less specific in what we stand for, but more defined in what we are. If you think about it a feminazi is a feminist, and so it isn't too classified. I wouldn't wanted to be associated as a feminazi because they believe that women are the higher race, which is totally as incorrect as men being the higher race. So to share my point of view: Feminism can be so very wrong, but at the same time can be so very right XD
Feminist: a person who believes in the social, economic and political equality of the sexes
A feminist is someone who believes and strives for equal rights, the reason why the word is so similar to feminine is because it was started by women, if you support equal rights, you are a feminist :)
According to you, men are the higher race? Um, you're definitely not a Feminist. Which is a very, very bad thing. Reconsider.
In general the whole point of feminism is for equal rights, just some people view it differently.
Erika Balban Although it has a definition, that doesn't make it defined XD I was trying to say that because so many people are feminists that there are multiple views on what it really is XD But thanks for helping!
Thank you so much for this video. I made a very similar vlog and got so much negativity from some extremely ignorant people. But I recognise how important it is to make these videos despite that, especially from a male perspective.
"Extremely ignorant people"
I go to a SUPER religious school (although I'm not religious) in Australia. We were sent home with these pamphlets the other day about how it's bad to be gay.
On the bus home, some of the kids who bully my friend, they started saying homophobic and sexist things about 'how girly' and 'feminine'.
I had enough of it, so I punched them in the face.
As a transgender boy (born in a girls body, but I see myself as a guy), I personally would not like to be seen as feminine in any way. Although I do believe that men and women should have the same rights. I am a feminist.
This comment section is the single most confusing thread I have ever read.
It's about equality. We won't need it when we get paid equally, when we're no longer. objectified, when girls aren't getting married off at the age of 14, when we're no longer victimised, when education isn't a first world luxury but a human right. In other words, feminism is very much needed.
Niat Nor I highly doubt many woman are getting married at 14 in America and also it's been proven many times that the school system heavily favours girls over boys.
Women are paid equally in countries like America and Australia (my home country)
Men are objectified just as badly
Girls getting married off at 14 is genuinely horrible and completely wrong and I agree
I don't understand what you mean by 'victimised'
I agree on the education point
However, education and girls getting married at 14 are more human rights issue rather than 'Feminist' issues, it's like trying to say that global warming is a feminist issue.
Jack you are 100% correct
I don't think that giving men and women equal rights should be called feminism.
I'm afraid to look at the comments.
If you feel the need to classify yourself; instead of being a "feminist", shouldn't you classify yourself as a "humanist"?
it really shouldn't make a difference should it? why would you not call yourself a feminist if you DO believe in equal rights
No, because humanism is already a thing that is entirely separate
Darcy Griffin Agreed - humanism is the belief that we should put more importance in ourselves and other human beings rather than a "divine power".
Because equality doesn't just explore the issue of gender rights, it is about fighting against other things as well such as; homophobia, racism, e.t.c.. As for the reason it is called FEMinism is because it started when men had all the rights and women had none, we could change the word now but I think that would be degrading everything that the feminists of the past have achieved.
Isabella I'mnottellingyou Couldn't agree more!
The reason you've been called a feminist ally is because an ally is someone who supports a group who are usually the subject of the oppressing/discrimination etc. As a male, you are not part of this group where as other genders women, trans people and all genders out of the gender binary ARE part of this group. Because you are a male but do support feminism you are a feminist ally. Also, please understand when making a video like this don't just say 'men and women' feminism is for all gender equality not just women, like said up there ^ this is includes anyone that is trans or any gender out of the gender binary. Being called a feminist ally isn't segregating you. I really hope you see this because it is extremely important that you do.
You're being sexist
How am I being sexist ? Juan Mata You actually cannot be sexist towards men. Sexism is based on a system of oppression. As a male, his gender has never been oppressed, you cannot be sexist towards men (cis men I should say). ***** I will try and explain this by comparing it to something else. It's like, people that aren't of the LGBTQIA community (So I mean, straight and cis gendered) but do support those people that are, are allies. Because they haven't been oppressed like people have that are of the LGBTQIA community, it wouldn't make sense, so they are allies. So with feminism because he's a cis male he's never been oppressed like other genders thus making him an ally. An ally is a supporter of a group that has been oppressed or discriminated against. I hope this is easier to understand.
Bella Moon Also, just to clarify to anyone that thinks the A in LGBTQIA stands for ally, it doesn't ,it stands for asexual.
Bella Moon That's fucking ridiculous and offensive. Here's the definition of sexism: prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex.
TYPICALLY against women. Not always. Just because it's mostly against women doesn't mean it ONLY is.
Where are you getting that definition Juan Mata the dictionary? Because that isn't always right. I never said it was only against women. Women, transgenders and anyone out of the binary can experience sexism. Men can experience prejudice but not sexism. It's the same way for racism. Racism is based on a system of oppression, because white people haven't been oppressed because of their RACE it means you cannot be racist towards them. Where as any other races have faced oppression and still do here than meaning they experience racism.
Feminism is NOT about equal rights. Given that women have far more rights then men (right to choose parenthood, rights to a job, rights for genital integrity, not being able to be charged with rape, not being required to be forced into armed forces service, family court outcomes, right to safe haven from domestic violence, and those are just the legal rights), its obviously clear that we do need changes, but we NEVER hear of those changes where men are lagging behind. We are CONSTANTLY bombarded with the pay gap despite it being PROVED not to exist as its based on the result, and NOT the other factors. We hear about domestic violence without a word of how men are equally the victims. lts a sham to make women victims. lf there is something that isnt right, then fine, aim to fix it, but that goes both ways or at least, it should.
YOu have no idea what you are talking about
Labelling yourself as something is what got us in this position in the first place.
the reason emma watson said that was because it sounds like a movement for women, where it's also a movement for men as well. in trying to remake the image of feminism as to mean the movement towards gender equality as opposed to a movement for women, the name provides somewhat of a hindrance for some people. it shouldn't matter, is what she's saying, because arguing over small things like the name is just detracting from the main issue of gender inequality.
+spring rolls Well said
How do you speak on behalf of all men like that? I think a whole lot of men will appreciate someone worth of notice speaking up for their rights as well as women's. Also, can we keep the tone civil?
+spring rolls HeForShe invested exactly ZERO dollars in Men's Issues - this is surprising to nobody, except maybe you, since HeForShe needed to reword the pledge on their website to make it gender neutral.
Anybody that was convinced HeForShe was about Equality needs to grow up and get in touch with reality. As a gay man I want Intersectional Feminism fighting for equality like I want to be shot in the face with a high calibre assault rifle.
+Charlotte W "I think a whole lot of men will appreciate someone worth of notice speaking up for their rights as well as women's."
And you're free to think that - but men would rather people who have a clue what they're talking about speak on our behalf. This eliminates spoilt, little brats who are going to dictate to men which issue they should be most effected by. Especially when those spoilt little brats start talking about men not expressing their emotions, which I've now realised means men have to express the exact same emotion as women and in the exact same way as those women.
Men do express their emotions, they just don't wallow in their emotions - it's called emotional stability. But here's something to consider:
Why is Feminism so determined to infiltrate the predominantly male spaces that men created for the purposes of processing their emotions? That's why male only spaces exist, because men created them so they could get away from everyday stresses and process their thoughts and feelings - it's why GamerGate exploded the way it did, because the people who were "saved" by gaming culture - including women - weren't about to let other people destroy it.
+spring rolls Emma Watson is the embodiment of white feminism and it makes me sad as an intersectional feminist that she is all people think about,
You do not have to be a feminist to support equal rights. If you support equal rights, you are an egalitarian. (Google the definition).
You don't have to be a Christian to be against murder, do you? So why do you think that you have to be a feminist?! Egalitarianism and feminism are not tej same thing.
You can argue that the definition of feminism proves that it is about equality, but look up the dictionary definition of "communism". It claims to be about liberating people but we all know how well that ended; a corrupt government and poverty.
Feminism campaigned for civil rights in the 20th century and we now have that. So I guess feminism is over and done with, right? Well, yes, it is, but now we're complaining about the wage gap and the evil western patriarchy.
Let me disprove the wage gap; if someone could pay women less, why wouldn't tent just fire all the men and just hire the cheaper women? They'd work for less. Therefore, there is no such thing as a wage gap.
Nice no true scotsman at the beginning. And your last point doesn't disprove the wage gap in the slightest. I'm not saying what my opinion is on it, but assuming it does exist, an employer doesn't get to pay women less, if you haven't noticed, that's illegal. There's no reason they would hire all women because they GET to pay them less, if they wanted they could pay the men just as little if that was the concern.
On evey video about woman. I do not read the comments like this one. Why? Beacause im sick and tired of the sexism and misogyny in this world. All these hateful people putting comments, sexist ones. I am infuriated with this world!! Now, let me contiunue smashing society and the patriarchy.
Xoxo Heartiez
What about a law that calls women=victims, isn't that a double-standard?
HeForShe is ok what about an AllForUs, God forbid a SheForHe.
FYI: By the way hating feminism has nothing to do with hating women.
No, that's egalitarianism...
but it is also feminism :)
mermaidismyname By what definition?
Put it this way... Jack said he was a rectangle. Rasker said jack was actually a square. And I'm pointing out that being a rectangle is a requirement for being a square :)
mermaidismyname A rectangle is more powerful than a square. A square is a restricted rectangle. ;)
o_O That comment doesn't make much sense to me. I guess in the sense that most people have no idea what an egalitarian is, it's restricting. And I think it obscures some of the things you might want to discuss, because people go "yeah duh people should be equal" and then don't think about it further.
He looks like he's wearing one of those joke glasses with the big false nose.
Jack is literally perfect. Just- Thank you Jesus.
I'm pretty sure, men and women can both be feminists