Now, I know I used a couple big words in the title, but I promise I’m not going to get super in depth here.
International Women’s Day is on March 8. Now, Google trends show the only real interest is on March 8, as people google to figure out what the heck they’re supposed to be doing. But, if you look at the trend for International Men’s Day (November 15), you’ll notice a small peak on that day. You’ll also notice another similar peak in March.
Now, some people might genuinely be wondering when International Men’s Day is, as there are also searches on November 15 for International Women’s Day. When you hear that a certain group of people is being celebrated, it’s normal to look up whatever other group comes to mind first. What isn’t normal is that there is nearly the same amount of searches for International Men’s Day on March 8 and November 15.
Yikes.
International Women’s Day was first started to celebrate women’s suffrage somewhere in Germany or Russia (the exact start is unclear because it has gone under a propaganda re-write SEVERAL times), then the Feminist movement basically took it worldwide.
Yes, the day is mostly about fake feel-good nonsense and buying things, but that’s not what matters to me.
What matters to me is that every single year, I hear this exact phrase at least once: “International Women’s Day? When’s International Men’s Day, huh?”. Well first off bud, November 15: write it into your calendar.
Secondly, why do you have to make it about you?
Which brings me to the trend of What-Aboutism. What-aboutism (the Wikipedia definition here) is basically when somebody doesn’t like what you’re saying, so they try to catch you in hypocrisy by asking you about something else, usually unrelated or something with an obvious answer to anyone with two brain-cells to rub together.
Basically, they don’t have any good arguments, so they make it about something else so they can “win.”
This is why I don’t talk to men on the Internet. And sometimes they get really offended that I won’t talk to a stranger about something I already know. If you’re a man and you’re thinking “Hey, not all men do that,” congrats! I’m directly talking about you.
A lot of the things men will bring up in conversation with me are things that I would like to address, but they do it to shut me up. If you haven’t noticed, dear reader, I don’t like that.
If you don’t want to hear me talk, don’t talk to me. It’s not that hard.
If a woman is talking about how sexual assault scenes in films and shows are upsetting to her, and she won’t watch anything that contains them, don’t ask her how she could watch a show with racism in it. Yes, there should be less racism in shows. Yes, graphic racism scenes in bits of media have similar effects. But are we talking about racism right now?
No.
Racism in television deserves its own discussion, and the people qualified to talk about the first topic may not be qualified to talk about the second. You aren’t helping. You’re being a dick. One that I probably make fun of to my friends later. And you’re going to get blocked, because I don’t owe you conversation if you plan on being a dick the whole time. Hell, I don’t owe you conversation even if you’re nice.
So, ladies (and non-binary pals, and/or anyone else who constantly has to deal with this), just remember the wise words of one Miss Taylor Swift: “If a man talks shit, then I owe him nothing.”
Anyways, stream Folklore and Evermore.