To say Gavin McInnes took a bit of heat last week would be stating it mildly. The co-founder of Vice (yeah, I didn’t know what the heck that was either) and the oft-proclaimed “Godfather” of the hipsters stuck his foot in it at a HuffPost Live panel. The panel’s objective? Define masculinity in a post-feminism world.
The panelists debated male “toughness,” suggesting women can be just as tough as men. McInnes responded, “We’ve trivialized childbirth and being domestic so much that women are forced to pretend to be men. They’re feigning this toughness. They’re miserable.” The rest of the panel clearly disagreed and refocused their efforts into proving McInnes was exactly what is wrong with men, society, and masculinity. The discussion quickly dissolved with panelist Mary Ann Franks being called an “f****** idiot.”
Responses to the video were varied. By “varied” I mean they didn’t all refer to him as a d-bag. And they didn’t all contain four letter words. One website, a treasure trove of girl-power, man-hating, ranty goodness, could only call his views “misogynistic.” Ironic considering the same website offered an article entitled, “The Burqa as a Modern Style Statement.”
In a follow-up interview with The Daily Caller, McInnes attempted to clarify the point he was trying to make. “I think a lot of women smash through the ‘glass ceiling’ and get to where [men] are and they go, ‘wait a minute, I thought you guys had brandy and went to strip clubs, you’re going over expense reports?’ And they see their friends from their small town with 3 kids going to soccer practice and they think, ‘That looks kind of cool, actually.’”
The birth of his own children changed him. By his own admission, McInnes went from pro-choice to pro-life. He thinks most women that experience motherhood would make the same decision. “I’m sick of women who haven’t experienced [child birth] trivializing it.” He goes on to say, “I’m not saying that you have to have babies and you have to stay in the kitchen and you can’t have a life. Nobody is saying that. That is a totally unreasonable thing to say. That is a fascist, communist thing to enforce. All I am saying is: Why are you trivializing such a miracle?”
Why, indeed?
What is it about feminism that makes such a mockery of motherhood? Is it because it’s a solely female role; one that makes women (*gasp*) different than men? Feminists regularly rant on the merits (there aren’t any) of “reproductive justice.” They demand free birth control and ready access to abortion clinics as if it were a human right. (It’s not). Sandra Fluke helped perpetuate the mythical war on women, whining that as a law student her birth control costs were $3000 a year. (Gold-plated chastity belt)? In all seriousness, it does make one ponder exactly what kind of birth control costs an average of $250 a month. The obvious answer sickens me.
So many things devised to stop motherhood dead in its tracks. How many millions of dollars have been wasted on campaigns aimed at young women, urging them to support “choice?” Ladies, with all due respect, what the hell? That is the best you can come up with as a feminist? The ability to have sex when and where you want without getting pregnant? THAT is your defining issue?
Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia women were apprehended for daring to get behind the wheel of a car. Girls have been attacked and even murdered on their way to school in Afghanistan. Right this minute a young woman in Somalia is likely undergoing female genital mutilation surgery.
But go ahead, feminist, bash a man for daring to say that women have the unique privilege of being mothers. Vilify him instead of the governments that allow clerics to rule their countries and treat their women like little more than chattel. Tell me again about the war on women here in the U.S. as you ignore the ten year old girl in Yemen, set to marry the 45 year old man her parents sold her to.
You are right. There is a war. But McInnes isn’t your enemy. Neither are Republicans or pro-life advocates or any living thing that has a penis. I’d suggest you stop focusing on what other women do with their ovaries and start helping the people being victimized just for having them.
Links:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/27/saudia-arabian-women-drivers-campaign-ban
http://dailycaller.com/2013/10/23/godfather-of-hipsterdom-feminism-makes-women-miserable/
http://www.refinery29.com/2013/10/55945/gavin-mcinnes-anti-feminist-rant
Image: Courtesy of http://www.indizoom.com/2013/01/amazing-health-benefits-of-dates.html#axzz2jCzOA9hw
