Why meninist is synonymous with sexist

Column: Treat both genders with decency

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Why meninist is synonymous with sexist

Maggie Curran, Opinion Editor


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There are a lot of ways to show the world you aren’t a good person. You could park in a parking space reserved for the disabled. You could let the door close on the person right behind you. You could yell at fast food employees. And more recently, you could identify as a meninist.

What started as a joke on social media has now turned into a society of some of the most ridiculous people known to man. The concept of meninism began as a play on the word feminism, the belief that both genders should be given equal rights and treatment. Naturally, meninism advocates exactly the opposite: the belief that men are superior to women.

How far do you believe the gender equality movement has progressed over the past century?

  • Somewhat progressed (40%, 20 Votes)
  • Equality has been achieved (32%, 16 Votes)
  • Equality is close to being achieved (12%, 6 Votes)
  • Hardly progressed (10%, 5 Votes)
  • Has not progressed at all (6%, 3 Votes)

Total Voters: 50

It began on the Internet. A meninist Twitter page was created, and soon users gathered to make jokes about the feminist agenda, most of whom were completely uninformed. Along the way, the account picked up a few actual believers. Although the page description reads “obviously sarcasm,” it is clear that those that run and follow the account are wholeheartedly against feminism. Today, the account, which now has over 800,000 followers, exists to build up the already inflated male ego with ideas of authority and the opinion that women only exist to “make a sandwich.”

In a word, it is disgusting. In this day and age, it is outrageously backwards and the most outwardly sexist movement of the twenty-first century, a title that some meninists accept proudly. Others who identify as meninists are blissfully unaware of the connotation behind their cause, misunderstanding the purpose of feminism and therefore identifying with its opposite. These are perhaps the most dangerous advocates of them all: those that have no real concept of the beliefs they fight for or against. These men, and sadly, some women, parade around in “#Meninist” T-shirts, telling the world upfront that they are either completely delusional or simply uneducated.

It is no secret that there are men who truly believe that they are better; that they were put on this earth to do whatever it is they want to do, all the while women exist to merely assist them in their efforts and maybe pop out a few kids before growing old and becoming completely useless. These men are really out there and they have been since the start of mankind. Now they have a platform to ban together and tear down the idea of equality for the sexes. It is where 800,000 misogynists join to complain about the “friend zone” and discuss how men are disadvantaged.

Either meninists truly don’t understand the reality of today, or they honestly view the world with such a narrow, selfish mindset that they consider anything less than total praise to be a disadvantage. The truth is that in the grand scheme of things, men are not disadvantaged. The truth is that women are.

Disadvantage is anything that reduces chances of success. Disadvantage is that American women are paid 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. Disadvantage is that women run less than 3 percent of the largest companies in the world. Disadvantage is that in the some parts of the world, female fetuses are aborted for the sole reason that they are female. Disadvantage is that the overwhelming majority of women will never be as successful as men purely because of their gender, and some women are never even born because they lack a Y chromosome.

To say that men are disadvantaged is to ignore the discrimination women face their entire lives. It is to forget that since the beginning of time, men have placed themselves in positions of authority and have viewed women as objects for their use. To say that men are disadvantaged, all the while mocking the efforts of feminists who attempt to bridge the gap of inequality for both men and women, is to prove that you not only have no background on what you speak of, but you also have no respect for half of our world’s population.

Bottom line: don’t claim to be a meninist. Don’t go about your life completely unaware of the constant battle women face for equality. Don’t make jokes insinuating male dominance over women. There are so many worthy causes in the world to fight for, but meninism is not one of them. Treat both genders with basic human decency. It is not difficult to be a good person.

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