Why does feminism get a bad rap?

[Jamaal510]

I was just thinking about this as I watched one of TheAdviseShow's videos about how a 17 year old girl's father assaulted her 19 year old BF. Towards the end, the host (Phil) began blaming feminism for this issue, stating that feminists don't want parents to be protective of their children. There were also plenty of people in the comments going along with Phil's comment--one of which mentioned a CT about feminism being started so that women can "smoke cigarettes and join the workforce." I responded to that commenter, but it was a waste of time; the person replied with mostly playground insults and slurs. On other videos I've seen related to women, it has been fairly easy to see YouTubers and YouTube comments that are insensitive and are anti-feminist (with people claiming that feminists all hate men, are all lesbian, etc).
I don't know exactly how to articulate this, but I don't get why so many people have such a clouded view of feminism and judge all feminists by how a small minority may act. Last time I checked, it is about promoting a level playing field for women, sensitivity towards their concerns, and allowing them to be more independent. They're fighting for equality and acceptance just like how minorities and the LGBT community are. This is one big reason why it sort of raises a red flag for me (even as a guy) whenever I hear someone bad-mouthing feminism.
Your thoughts?

[raccoon]

1. Many people are uninformed about feminism, and have ridiculous ideas about it such

as those you mentioned.

I hate it when women say, "I'm not a feminist." I want to scream, "Dammit, women had to fight for you to have the right to vote/get credit in your own name/become a doctor, etc. "

[Jamaal510]

8. Yeah it's sad

to see adults who are so uninformed about it. A bunch of them online rail against feminism, and don't even know what they're talking about.

[Starry Messenger]

2. This is a good question:

"I don't get why so many people have such a clouded view of feminism and judge all feminists by how a small minority may act."

Probably for the same reason that racists hold up one or two examples of people from the Black activist community that they claim represents everything they hate.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. Along with the misinformation, I think many men fear losing their

perceived authority over women. Or maybe they're afraid women will decide that they don't need men at all. That's the impression I get from some men I know.

[Android3.14]

4. "clouded view of feminism"

If people welcomed feminist ideals, there would be little need for feminists. It's not that feminism has a bad rap. It's that we have so many assholes who feel threatened by the strange concept that everyone deserves respect.
Sounds to me that you need to find a better class of shows.

[F4lconF16]

6. Yup.

It's not that feminism has a bad rap. It's that we have so many assholes who feel threatened by the strange concept that everyone deserves respect.

[Jamaal510]

9. That doesn't sound

It's not that feminism has a bad rap. It's that we have so many assholes who feel threatened by the strange concept that everyone deserves respect.
Sounds to me that you need to find a better class of shows.

too farfetched at all. I don't think enough people these days have been taught how to respect others and be considerate. And yeah, I don't think I want to mess with Phil's show anymore...don't get me wrong--on some other topics, he makes decent points, but his views on feminism and women make me cringe.

[rbrnmw]

5. The same reason White Privilege isn't believed to exist by some

FEAR of losing said Privilege or perceived position of being more important than women.

[Glengoolie]

7. Many folks think of the stereotype tumblr feminist nowadays...

Not a good thing for the movement as a whole I suppose....

[daredtowork]

10. Somehow Feminism got opposed to Humanism

This is one way I think all the Men's Rights/4chan culture jamming ultimately seeped into the public consciousness, and people began to think, "Hmm - is being a feminist too aggressive? Is it making a big deal over nothing? Is it about PRIVILEGING women? Is it about nerd-shaming..."

Think of this as the equivalent of GOP propaganda that associates welfare with race, crime, and drugs/alcoholism until the average white person sees a poor black person on welfare and automatically sees criminality and drugs/welfare. Men's Rights groups have been relentlessly attacking and demonizing feminism for years. Their misogyny has infected the public consciousness and transformed into various stereotypes of the Bitch Feminist. The average "reasonable" reacts and says "I'm not for that - I believe all humans are equal! I'm a Humanist, not a Feminist!"

The situation is somewhat akin to #BlackLivesMatter vs. #AllLivesMatter. Of course, all lives matter, but protesters are focusing on black lives right now because black people have specific problems, and they can point to statistics that show black lives mattering less than white lives.

Women also have specific problems that also don't apply to all humans. Feminists focus on those problems. Feminists might be particularly interested in the ongoing prevalence of violence against women in certain countries and how this is handled/ignored/furthered by the State. Feminists might be interested in wage discrimination based on gender or labor conditions that would only apply to women. Feminists might be particularly interested in defending access to birth control or abortion clinics or ovarian cancer research. Feminists are highly focused on problems specific to women.

Not all Feminists have the same agenda - religious or political beliefs might shape what they believe is most beneficial for women. But all women should be Feminists because that means they responsibly attend to their own needs as women. Women who reject Feminism are rejecting the interests of women as a class and they are deluding themselves.

I'm really grateful that #BlackLivesMatter gave women a high-profile example for explaining what Feminism is. While we are all #Humanists, women have to be #Feminists to focus on women's problems within the larger community.

I'm proud to call myself a Feminist. It's the responsible thing to be.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

11. Sound's like he's spot on - most feminists *don't* want men to assault their daughter's boyfriends!

I sure as hell don't.

And yes, a significant part of the driving force beyond early feminism was to let women join the workforce.