Lifestyle
I was in high spirits last week!
It would be an understatement to say that I was at a loss.
You may remember in my column last week that I was asked why certain types of men seem so angry right now.
It followed a damning rant by a former Married at First Sight contestant – who I won't name again as he's lathered up to get another five minutes of fame – after the incident, the woman She is said to be in a “danger zone” and unable to get married. She is 27 years old.
Yes, that's totally ridiculous.
But what it really highlighted was the recurring narrative that there are angry men hellbent on tearing women down at every opportunity.
The malice and anger behind his rant was obvious.
So, I called out to him.
When it was published, I mentally armed myself.
I was prepared to be inundated with furious messages and comments from followers of these “toxic men.”
I expected a strong backlash, even though I thought it was a very fair opinion.
Thankfully, I've become immune to the common comments pointing out my “saggy breasts” or “high forehead” or my horrifying age.
I'm 39 years old.
To be honest, their intelligent rebuttal is not about Gandhi itself.
What I didn't expect was what happened next.
Men filled the comments section and my DMs with messages of support, agreement, and mutual venting of anger.
Many said they were tired of these misogynistic abuses and feared that women would think they were being painted with the same brush.
Some of them had some level of fame and had the courage to post from their very public Instagram accounts.
Comedian Merrick Watts also wrote: “Never trust a man who doesn't like women. There's something wrong with them.”
The simple yet impactful comment received a flood of likes.
you love to see it.
Chef Colin Fassnidge backed that up with his own insight: “There weren't any good father role models back then…” which I think is pretty accurate.
Other men said, “As the father of two teenage girls, I am saddened by the presence of creeps who spread such vile ideas.'' We continue to develop people to understand that they deserve to be treated with respect.”
And another: “They're not men, they're boys. Such a shameful act,” and “I certainly don't understand why these so-called 'men' are so angry at women.” Maybe I was lucky to have a father who respected women and treated his wife and mother accordingly. ”
They went that way many times.
One woman also wrote: Bravo, maybe all is not lost. ”
And I think she got it right.
I'm not going to lie. I may have gotten a little emotional.
It turns out that most men are also fed up with angry gremlins that breed hatred everywhere.
They, too, think what these toxic trolls are saying is completely ridiculous and, frankly, dangerous.
Many people asked what they could do to help, and the answer is: Join us in the protests, speak out when our friends spread beliefs and behaviors that can be harmful to women, stop turning a blind eye to problematic behavior, and speak out when our friends say As in, “Remember that the standard you pass is the standard.” You accept. ”
I'm not discouraged by the current state of men; in fact, I'm encouraged by it all.
I loved sharing my disbelief publicly.
It felt like the beginning.
It's a good step in the right direction.
Last week, I asked men to help me solve this problem. And I'm honestly so proud to see them do just that this week. In large numbers.
Let's continue.
Jana Hocking is a columnist and collector of the boyfriend variety. @jana_hocking