Men have always harboured one belief – that women,
especially feminists, are out to get them. Okay, let me rephrase that, men who
have been conditioned by the patriarchy have always harboured this belief.
Little do these men know how unfortunate they are.
Too complicated? Let’s break this down.
Arvind Kala’s recent article on The Quint talks about how men have it really bad and women (especially feminists, those horrible people) just don’t see this obvious fact.
Proof of the Oppression of Men
His proof comes, apparently, from the latest data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau, which shows that only 5 percent of prisoners in India’s jails are women. He adds, “If this isn’t a misfortune for men, what else is?”
Of course, this self-evident fact of the misfortune of men couldn’t possibly be accompanied by the thought that perhaps men have more opportunity to commit crime because they’re not stuck at home? No, of course not. All those poor men languishing in prison – what a shame.
He also argues that more men have been committing suicide for years. Also, apparently, men are jinxed. “It seems bad things keep happening to them,” Kala writes. Accidental deaths from lightning, road crashes, drownings, accidental fires, electrocution, snake-bites, food poisoning – all of these affect men more. This could have absolutely nothing to do with the fact that society dictates that women’s places are in the house, could it? Of course, not.
Women don’t commit as many crimes or expose themselves to the possibility of lightning or drownings, not because they’re stuck at home taking care of the kitchen and the kids. No. It’s because it’s all a secret conspiracy against men.
And those poor male farmers who kill themselves while female farmers “live on”. All this is the fault of the feminists. This, along with the fact that men are the ones slaving every day in the office as women (who have the luxury of staying at home) reap the benefits of their salaries.
“The male viewpoint goes largely unrepresented” in mainstream media according to Arvind Kala. Of course, none of this has to do with the fact that society itself has oppressed women to the point where their presence in the workplace is seen not only as an anomaly but also as a blight on their character.
After all, what self-respecting, virtuous woman steps out of her home to earn a living? But if she spends her time at home, then she’s mooching off her husband/father/brother or whichever other male family member ‘takes care of her’.
Mr Kala May Be a Feminist Yet
Kala thinks the poor men who are forced to live up to the stereotype of masculinity, which involves being emotionless, earning a living and supporting a family, should be pitied and there should be change. Well, looks like that’s one thing on which he agrees with the feminists.
Yup, looks like Mr Kala has never actually read one those (horribly anti-men) feminist texts that speak not of women empowerment alone but also of the equality of the genders. They speak of how all genders – men, women and however else one identifies – should be treated equally. This includes equal privileges and equal burdens to bear, by the way. No, Mr Kala, feminists don’t favour the women. Sorry to burst that bubble.
And assuming men who work in the office (or in the fields) work harder than women who work at home and take care of households, cooking and kids is a blind approach that once again trivialises the same segment that he thinks are privileged.
The danger of articles such as this one is that they strengthen the beliefs of millions of people and propagate a social order that is oppressive for everyone, including men.
Men have it bad, yes. So do women. It’s not a contest. And that’s what feminists are fighting against. Ask me. I’m a feminist.
P.S. Mr Kala, the argument against ‘Mrs’ as a female honorific or using ‘firefighter’ instead ‘fireman’ doesn’t “arouse mirth”. But the fact that you think it does shows that behind every joke lies an iota of truth that impedes social change.
And a final thought for you. You’re not only helping society to continue oppressing women, you’re also oppressing men.
This is a rebuttal to Arvind Kala’s article: Enough About Women. Let’s Talk About the Men, Shall We?
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)