[View the story "Internet feminists and Twitter trolls go head-to-head through hashtags" on Storify ]Internet feminists and Twitter trolls go head-to-head through hashtags Two popular Twitter hashtags, #ineedmasculismbecause and #tellafeministthankyou, were breeding grounds for fierce debate this week, proving that the web isn't yet as feminist-friendly as many would like it to be. Storified by CBC News Community · Tue, Feb 12 2013 18:34:58
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The internet can be an unfriendly place for women at times -- especially those who self-identify as feminists.
After browsing through some of the past year's most prominent anti-feminist cyber harassment stories (like that of Canadian-born
Anita Sarkeesian who was brutally hounded by online mobs for
speaking out against misogyny in video games ,) many would say that "unfriendly" is putting it lightly.
Dailydot
Earlier this week, in a 4Chan post titled "Let's piss off some feminists," an anonymous message board user encouraged others to Tweet on a hashtag called #INeedMasculismBecause. The user included a series of pre-written, anti-feminist messages for inspiration.
As the
DailyDot's Aja Romano reports , both conservative proponents of "
masculism " and Twitter trolls began filling the hashtag with inflammatory statements.
#INeedMasculismBecause hitting a women make us aggressive and brutal people but when a women hit us it makes her independent and strong.tomas
#INeedMasculismBecause no one gender should have special privileges and someone needs to put these feminists in their place. #EqualityAlwaysJ. Science Tundra
#INeedMasculismBecause alimony should be a temporary means of support while someone learns to be self sufficient .. not a lifelong paycheckFred Reese
Soon, however, the hashtag took a turn for the sarcastic as feminist men and women (or "the normal, thinking humans of Twitter," as Jezebel's
Lindy West calls them ) joined in to mock the original spirit of the tweets.
#INeedMasculismBecause white privilege and middle class privilege are just not enough privileges for me. Really, I need more privilege.Toffer
#INeedMasculismBecause I'm mad that men lose more custody battles but not mad enough to stop forcing the role of "natural mothers" on womenJosh Macedo
#ineedmasculismbecause I don't understand the difference between centuries of systematic oppression and occasional petty annoyances.Rocket Ship
#INeedMasculismBecause being really tall doesn't mean I should have to help women get stuff from the top shelf in the super marketLuke Borders
The push-pull between both sides of the #iNeedMasculism debate continues across multiple platforms, including
Tumblr ,
Reddit and
personal blogs , but much of the feminist / anti-feminist chatter had died down by Monday... for at least a few hours.
On Monday evening, in an effort to show support for "feminist women getting harassed on Twitter for speaking up against violence and rape," as she wrote
on her blog , progressive feminist blogger Melissa McEwan started the hashtag #tellafeministthankyou.
Tell one public feminist/womanist thank you today. Seriously. Just tell them thanks for navigating that shit. #notme #tellsomeoneelseMelissa McEwan
Her idea spread like wildfire, catching on so fast among feminists and those who support their work that the topic was trending on Twitter, worldwide, by Tuesday.
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#TellAFeministThankYou @ShelbyKnox For true solidarity & fighting just as FIERCELY in calling out privilege & racism. #SisterhoodIsPowerfulJasmine Burnett
Sojourner Truth, for reminding us that not all women were treated with chivalry back in the day. #TellAFeministThankYouJen Deaderick
@Shakestweetz I love this idea but am missing SO MANY FEMINISTS so basically thanks everyone known / unknown #tellafeministthankyouMelissa Martin
Once again, however, there were detractors.
Really? Thanks to all the haters and wannabe comedians for this gem. #tellafeministthankyou http://pic.twitter.com/xMAx5udBSumen Rai
#TellAFeministThankyou for convincing men and women that self interest more important than interests of their children.Kelly
#tellafeministthankyou for overreacting to every compliment and making a guy feel rapey for being politeTim Stone
I wouldn't #TellAFeministThankYou. They need to get back in the kitchen.Kristen
Yet some of the tweets with the most number of favourites on the hashtag appear to be of a more positive and balanced nature.
Feminism isn't hating men, it's hating oppression and wanting equality #tellafeministthankyouHannah Thomas
If you believe that women should have the same rights as men, you are a feminist. That's all there is to it. #TellAFeministThankYouKristy Sammis
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