The truth is that street harassment isn’t about sex. It’s about power. It’s about taking pleasure in degrading another human being. Most harassers know damn well that shouting sexual slurs is a lousy seduction strategy. But whether they harass alone or in groups, most men who openly stare, yell, whistle (or worse) aren’t interested in getting laid, though they might happily jump at the chance if it were miraculously given. What they want is the thrilling reminder of their own masculine power –- a power they feel more permission to use when the weather is warm and women seem to be wearing fewer clothes.
There’s more where this came from if you have a few minutes for sheer pleasure and renewed faith in humanity.
The full article for Jezebel can be found here.
Hi, I’m not trying to be mean but this is a full on Schwyzer hate blog so education!
- He’s racist. Because only WASPs understand ‘elegance’, ‘self-reliance’, and ‘a sturdy work ethic’.
- Still a racist. He’s not saying men of color are prone to jealousy and violence unlikes WASPS but it’s really a person of color thing to associate violence with love.
- Though his WASP-y self DID try to murder his ex-girlfriend out of love so maybe it’s a WASP thing after all!
- Capitalized off Trayvon Martin’s death despite you know, racist tendencies and violent urges.
Why Male Privilege Doesn’t Feel Good
Many men make the mistake of equating the role of the oppressor with a sense of personal fulfillment. If they really were oppressing women, they assume, if they really were part of a dominant class, they’d experience a greater degree of happiness and satisfaction. After all, if there really was a patriarchy, isn’t it supposed to benefit men? If men really did systematically take part in the dehumanization and degradation of women, wouldn’t more men feel the tangible benefits of that oppression for themselves? In other words, they ask the plaintive question over and over again: “How can I be an oppressor when I feel unhappy and powerless?” If most men are leading lives of “quiet desperation”, then surely those same men cannot also be agents of injustice. Right?…
Hugo felt so powerless he tried to kill his girlfriend.
Oh wait no he did that because his god complex told him that she would be grateful.
This is problematic.
There is so much more this 44 year old economically secure straight white college instructor could be doing than wearing a hoodie to demand justice for Trayvon Martin.
Like calling up his travel agent and stating I will no longer spend my vacation money in Florida; a state with laws that exist to protect murders like Zimmerman is not a place I will take my family for vacation. And then asking all of his over privileged friends to do the same. Tweet that out to your followers, Hugo, make that your facebook status. Fuck Florida I’m not spending any money there. No more Disney World for my family till the DA presses charges and the laws are changed.
I’m a broke single parent/college student. Those threats don’t mean shit coming from me.
He could publicly divest in Florida orange juice or the NFL or NBA, etc.
He could dedicate time in his classroom for young men of color to speak about the harassment they experience from white people/law enforcement on a regular basis- and the rest of the class members are instructed to just listen, not dissect or critique or make it about themselves in any way. Just listen to the black and brown people speak.
Hugo Schwyzer walking while white-but in a hoodie- means nothing. I’m white, I wear hoodies all the time. My white privilege negates any bias against my clothing choices every day.
Having a million brown skinned people show up en mass wearing hoodies makes a very clear statement of “You going to shoot us all?” because in the eyes of so many white people, especially those in positions of authority, all people of color are deserving of suspicion. There is a risk being taken by any black or brown person just walking down the street, wearing a hoodie increases that risk.
It’s kinda of like that “We are all Troy Davis” bit all over again. No, we are not all Troy Davis and those of us who aren’t need to fight the system with the tools we have access to. We don’t need to feel guilt or shame, we need to feel anger and resolve. We have to make phone calls, send emails and share our disgust and outrage with everybody we can. I’ve spoken to my two white sons about how this other boy was shot and killed because of racism. That the laws that are protecting the murderer were written and upheld by racist white men. And we’ll keep talking about it.
My heart breaks for Trayvon Martin’s family. I couldn’t listen to the 911 calls. I got nauseous when I read the Change.org letter from Trayvon’s parents. I was literally made sick by them having to plead for an arrest. So, me, as a white person, wearing a hoodie will do what now? Show that I stand in solidarity with common fucking sense unlike how many millions of white supremacists? Awesome.
Oh, Schwyzer.
Being a scumbag.
Hijacking other people’s movements for his own publicity. Capitalizing on the murder of a young boy and profiting from his own attempted murder.
What. A. Shock.
Male-identified allies SHOULD BE:
- Assisting feminist leaders.
- Supporting feminism and standing up for women in contentious, hostile spaces. (Not speaking for them - standing up for them.)
- Listening more than speaking.
- Asking, “How can I help?”
- If in a role as a candidate for a graduate degree in gender studies, or a professor in W&GS, centering women in discussions - always, always, always - and going out of your way to include women speakers.
Male-identified allies SHOULDN’T BE:
- Acting as feminist leaders.
- Speaking over women in contentious, hostile spaces, if not asked or requested to do so.
- Speaking more than listening.
- Asking, “But why don’t you accept me?” with the insinuation that support is conditional on being coddled.
- If a candidate for a graduate degree in gender studies, or a professor in W&GS, centering every conversation on you and your penis, and what ~* other dudes *~ think about feminism. Being sure to talk over women at every turn, and focus class discussions on jizz facials.
In response to this, and the ensuing controversy.
As of this moment, legally gagged from further publicly discussing specifics of my pre-sobriety past.
-Hugo Schwyzer via his Twitter account
Posted: 4:24 EST on Jan 24, 2011
OH NO HE MIGHT BE ARRESTED AND TRIED FOR THE CRIMES HE ACTUALLY COMMITTED.
Where is the justice when a rich white man can’t talk about how he tried to kill a woman and not get lauded for it.
(Source: hellnohugo)
Jezebel snarks and condemns Jay-Z for his “change of heart” about the use of the word “bitch”. From the article:
You’re 42 and you didn’t know that it’s not all about you?” And in that vein I’d like to direct an eye-roll in the direction of Jay-Z, also 42, after he wrote a poem to his newborn daughter Blue Ivy stating that he’ll no longer refer to women as bitches in his song lyrics. Because it was totally fine before, apparently.[…]
While positive change is great and all it’s still a few hundred shades of irritating that he wasn’t smart enough to realize this before he had a child. So excuse me if I withhold my slow clap.
Yet, the guy who actually writes for them, who built a freaking career on exactly this narrative of change and redemption after doing ostensibly worse stuff than calling a woman names, does get a free pass and is sold as “valuable” and “a necessary voice”?
THIS TOTALLY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE, YOU GUYS
EVERYONE LOOK OVER THERE
He is a rapist. And when men “accidentally” rape women he says that the survivor is partly to blame for not making it clear enough when she wasn’t consenting.
He tried to murder his ex-girlfriend.
He thinks it’s dangerous to be a feminist all the time, comparing it to being in a cold body of water.
