Well, because he is a man
Brendan O’Neill is a piece of work. You knew that, but I’m saying it anyway. He had himself a good time defending the pope against the evil atheists last year, but I didn’t know he’d recently amused himself by defending Dominique Strauss-Kahn against “the feminists”; but it was so.
I can’t help feeling that his arrest on charges of sexual assault is being turned into a modern-day medieval drama, a kind of reality-show version of the witch trials of old, in which DSK has been assigned the role of all-purpose hate figure rather than suspect in a crime.
Oh, sure you can. Did you try? Really try?
And feminists hate DSK because… well, because he is a man, and even worse than that he’s a man who has reportedly flirted and engaged in saucy dialogue with his female staff in the past.
Oh, yeah – those pesky puritanical prim humorless “feminists” who hate all men because they are men, and especially they hate men who flirt and engage in saucy dialogue with their servants.
What he means, of course, is that feminists are less than keen on men who attempt to rape maids in hotels. He neglects to explain why he finds that distaste so risibly contemptible. What a shit he is.
I thought DSK didn’t so much “reportedly flirted and engaged in saucy dialogue with his female staff in the past” as much as he “reportedly sexually harassed and/or assaulted female staff and other women who unfortunately crossed his deviant path.”
And please, for the love of Odin, try to remember that this isn’t just about gender. It is also in large part about socioeconomic class boundaries. If a poor non-white guy was accused of the same sort of thing to a rich white woman, he might suffer a pretty brutal “accident” in custody, followed by a speedy trial and a long jail sentence. And that’s if he was actually innocent!
Yeah, those mean feminists just have it in for accused rapists. That’s how mean they are.
Thoroughly unjust. Also, a good reason to avoid sexist banter at work, no?
“men who attempt to rape maids in hotels”-he’s been charged, not convicted.
That said, I’d have to agree that ‘flirting’ implies some degree of equal status between participants and that O’Neill’s article is basically verbal diarrhea and is indicative of a writer desperately trying to be contrarian.
Years ago when I worked in manufacturing, many female office workers were nervous about entering factory areas without a large male companion (usually me) because of the predatory male atmosphere there. I was rather naive and regrettably, didn’t realize at first, how widespread sexual harassment really was and how the droit du seigneur mentality still prevails. For example,there was no doubt as to Roman Polanski’s guilt, however the repugnant creature was excused by some of his peers because he is an artiste.
RJW, I know he’s not convicted, but I didn’t imply that he was. The not keenness is for men who do in fact attempt to rape maids in hotels, whether DSK belongs in that set or not.
Too right about sexual harassment. I got a really thorough lesson in that when I went to Paris at age almost-18, by myself for the first week or two. It was horrible – the harassment was pretty much continuous.
Ok that’s it, I’m removing this feed from my google reader. Someone call me when the content involves more than Ophelia raging at a few badly chosen comments.
That’s it. Actually, it’s long past time for “it.” We have to form some coalition that:
a) Recognizes the dire situation feminism is in (misogyny is rampant and becoming so “respectable” once again that it’s not even recognized)
b) Recognizes that misogyny and homo-hatred spring from the same root
c) Fights like motherfucking hell to stop the tide of woman-killing, woman-enslaving, fag/dyke-oppressing laws that are taking hold across the US and the world
I’m not sure where to start, but I’m on board.
Enough. Beyond enough.
I don’t think anyone will call. And I’d guess, presumptuously, that the mistress of this blog would join me in inviting you to sod right off.
I got banned from Comment is Free for saying that B’ON was a gobshite shill [I forget the exact phrasing]. My proudest internet moment… The only viable response to anything he says is to note that he will say anything to get attention for his sad gang of cronies and their corporate sponsors.
Okay, that’s it. I am ADDING this feed to my Google Reader.
Ophelia, never stop raging at public displays of stupidity.
I’m offended by the implications in O’Neill’s piece that sexual harassment and sexual assault are somehow normal masculine activities and shouldn’t be disapproved more than other unpleasant laddish activities. Many of us have never harassed or attacked women – maybe O’Neill has!
As for Strauss-Kahn he is certainly to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise, but I sure don’t give much for his chances of walking out of court unconvicted……what with the evidence and stuff
Brendan O’Bscene is a total ******* little *******.
When some women were starting an anti-sexual harassment campaign, he was on the BBC as the contrarian voice dismissing the helpless fury and fear that women feel when complete strangers shout “Nice tits” at them as a delicate flower response to “flirtation” and “banter”. Imagine him “flirting” and “bantering” at a party. “Cor!” Nice arse! Fancy one up you?”
Diatribe against the creep and the Spiked crew here:-
http://rosiebell.typepad.com/rosiebell/2010/10/mediocs.html
Ophelia, never stop raging at public displays of stupidity.
Yeah, rage rage against the softening of the brain!
Brendan O’Neill and the Spiked crew put up unpopular defences just for the sake of the exercise, and in defence of free speech. They don’t necessarily believe what they write.
The Spiked crew may not necessarily believe what they write, but once it is written someone will.
Their adwords-inspired mechanical contrarianism is useful to the forces of reaction. Very useful.
Yes, I support their right to free speech. And the right to free speech of anyone who points out what gruesome idiots they are.
The people arguing that DSK should not receive a fair trial are those asking for his economic and gender privilege to translate into legal privilege. They need to take a good long look at themselves in a non-funhouse mirror.
This comment is also posted on Choice in Dying http://choiceindying.com/2011/06/24/a-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing/:
Slightly off topic, but I draw your attention to Joseph Hoffmann’s post “Devils”
Hoffmann claims, “for two thousand years the Church has been a kind of hothouse for evil,” and offers six examples from “our own time”:
http://rjosephhoffmann.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/devils/
I think we need to email Brendan O’Neill, propose an inter-gender coalition, and get to work on some bridge building. Rapists are people too, so stop being so goddamned shrill about it!
Deplorable!
Wiz5 @6: Bye-bye, good riddance.
well here’s another one to show the universal respect that abounds for women
http://www.politicususa.com/en/sophomore-threatened-with-rape-for-criticisms-of-michele-bachmann
Well done Dave!
The Spiked crew are so bizarre. I know that’s common knowledge, I know it’s been pointed out a million times…but it still bears repeating.
Hahahahaha – brilliant, Rosie.
http://rosiebell.typepad.com/rosiebell/2010/10/mediocs.html
Spiked works this way:-
What would really annoy a Guardian reader?
ABC
So let’s write CBA!!! Aren’t we clever?
As some stances a Guardian reader takes eg towards “offensive” speech annoy me as well I can be on Spiked’s side now and then. But this constant liberal baiting is idiocy.
Thanks for quoting me, Ophelia. As Clive James said, you haven’t been flattered until you’ve been quoted. As a follow up to that piece what I said facetiously about the EDL did come true.
“for many liberal campaigners, this 90-second interview with one ‘thick EDL bastard’ represents the views and the intelligence of the EDL in general. Far from going on a march and speaking to EDL supporters about their views to understand them better, this one short internet clip is seen as enough to confirm all their smug prejudices: EDL members are badly dressed, incoherent, pissed-up yobs whose anger is more bestial than human.”
http://rosiebell.typepad.com/rosiebell/2011/04/a-sure-fire-bet.html
In fact EDL members are badly dressed, incoherent pissed-up yobs – also they are racist thugs. You don’t have to a smug lliberal Guardian reader taking exception to bad clothes sense to think so.
Sorry – I see that piece is tangled. When I said “What would really annoy a Guardian reader?” I meant, “What does a Guardian reader think about X.” However, I think you will get my gist.
There’s no point being “on Spiked’s side” because Spiked is a collection of attention-seeking fools. Yes, occasionally they will support a position one also supports, but only because it meets Spiked’s contrarian quota for the week, not because of any capacity of theirs to recognise or respond to a coherent argument.