General Discussion

This anecdote makes me sad even though I can see it happening inside and outside internet spaces. I fear it’s going to be hard to pull these boys back. I’m sorry, but I feel a bit of a late night rant coming on. I had such high hopes after #metoo and BLM until this engineered and monetized social network of performative toxic masculinity and dehumanization of others caught fire. There’s even room to partially elevate the marginalized if they join in the bigotry and hate.
Dehumanization is a strong drug. It seems a lot of political and religious structures understand the power the few can accumulate and retain if they marginalize sizable groups by race, ethnicity, gender, or class. Gender or sex seems to historically be any easy target. Give males a privileged position and dominion over their future “partner” and children and see how much they will allow their church and state control their actions and livelihood. Bonus control if you can find a racial or religious other to scapegoat. Promise one segment a privileged set of moral rules and economic opportunities and they might not notice the foot that’s on their neck in turn. “What? I get to objectify and demean others now and forever? I am guaranteed the biggest piece of chicken at dinner in my house and any shortcomings in my life are attributable to the failure of my government to sufficiently marginalize the marginalized? Sign me up.” At least one step back. I can’t wait until the two steps forward part.