So I did find the time to finish this before the weekend. Yay!
So as you can see in the image above, some MRA has made a lovely “infographic” about how women really have all the privilege, hence feminism is a lie and men are really the most oppressed class in history.
As you can also see, this is also extremely misleading, and it abuses statistics in order to tell a story that is essentially one big fat lie.
Let’s debunk and/or mock each point, one by one. Preferably mock, but let’s get some factoids up here too, because this thing is ASKING to be mocked and debunked.
Lower chance of being a murder victim.
Really? That’s a female privilege?
Just how do you plan to resolve that, MRAs? Murder more women?
Lower chance of committing suicide.
Please insert your choice of expletives here.
Okay, let’s be serious for a second here.
Women are more likely to attempt suicide. Men are more likely to succeed. Women are also more likely to have suicidal thoughts.
It’s not a “less chance of committing suicide”. It’s “because of gender roles, men are more likely to take more risks and to succeed in their suicide attempts”.
Of course, in the MRA world, attempting to commit suicide by a woman is because she just wants attention. Women don’t seriously want to die, they just want attention.
As someone who has suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts, I’d like to take a moment and say <insert curses of your choice here>.
Lower chance of physical assault.
I went searching for some sort of statistics for this, and most of what I’m getting when I Googled “physical assault statistics gender” link to domestic violence pages.
I did find this on PubMed, although the survey in question was conducted in Norway, and not the United States. It does state that the majority of violence in the sample studied was men attacking other men, but the next highest statistic is men attacking women.
And then we get to domestic violence, because it made up the majority of searches.
The problem isn’t that women aren’t getting assaulted as much (although that’s the implication), it’s that men are more likely to commit violence as a whole.
Although, again, MRAs, what’s are you proposing to do? Beat up more women?
Oh <bleep>.
Longer average lifespan.
Wait, that’s a female privilege how?
It’s not like I choose to have a longer lifespan, you know! And it’s not like society points at women and says “live longer!”, right?
Less work related injuries.
Less work related deaths.
Wait, that’s a privilege? Are you seriously whining that women aren’t dying in larger numbers, MRAs? Seriously? What the hell is wrong with you?
Shorter/easier criminal convictions.
Because obviously it’s our fault that male judges tend to be more paternalistic and give women shorter sentences, right?
MRAs, if you want women to be treated equally in terms of sentencing, put more female judges on the bench. Women tend to be harsher in terms of sentencing. (Now if only we fixed the racism. That would be nice.)
Circumcision is illegal.
In male circumcision, men can still use their penis. It’s safe. There’s some evidenece of benefit in the reducing the transmission of HIV. And it doesn’t seem to decrease sexual sensitivity, harm sexual function, or reduce sexual satisfaction.
In female circumcision, there is absolutely no benefit. It’s often done in unsafe conditions, which runs the risk of infection and death. Women are left with reduced sexual satisfaction/sensitivity, in some cases their vaginal opening is closed shut, it can cause complications in pregnancy, etc.
The two are not equivalent. So, MRAs, please shut the hell up.
Draft immunity.
Okay, three things.
- We don’t have a draft. MRAs, learn to use a dictionary.
- Most countries in the West have made compulsory enlistment illegal.
- Because feminists aren’t working to open the Selective Service requirement for women, if not outright opposing the requirement as a whole.
Let me make this clear now. I don’t like the fact that the Selective Service Registration requirement exists. I wish it didn’t, because we don’t need it. Also, I’m a pacifist.
But if it has to exist, I want women to be required to register for it, just like men are required to register now. That would be fair. That would be gender equality.
Divorce/family court bias.
Because it’s our fault that the stupid gender role of “women take care of house and home and kids” exists.
However, it’s happening less frequently now, judges try to judge the best interests for the kids, and oh yeah, a large amount of families are getting joint-custody.
And if it’s in the best interests of children to be with their mother (because daddy’s an abuser or whatever), they’ll award it to Mom.
And of course, with alimony, whoever gets more money gets the alimony payment if awarded. Figuring who pays child support and how much takes into account various factors. And here’s some context on how big the payment is.
I should also note that advocating murder, running out of the country, and whatnot isn’t going to help convince a judge to give you custody of the kids or whatever.
More scholarships available.
Maybe it’s because MRAs, like you, tend to think that women are too stupid to deserve college educations? It’s not like we were asking for it.
High college acceptance rate.
Uh huh. From the article:
Consider some of the numbers at leading schools: At Vassar College in New York State, a formerly all-women’s college that is still 60% female, more than two-thirds of the applicants last year were women. The college accepted 35% of the men who applied, compared with 20% of the women. Locally, elite Pomona College accepted 21% of male applicants for this year’s freshman class, but only 13% of female applicants. At Virginia’s College of William & Mary, 7,652 women applied for this year’s freshman class, compared with 4,457 male applicants. Yet the numbers of each who gained admittance were nearly the same. That’s because the college accepted 45% of the men and only 27% of the women.
A 2007 analysis by U.S. News & World Report, based on the data sent by colleges for the magazine’s annual rankings, found that the admissions rate for women averaged 13 percentage points lower than that for men.
Higher college admission rates my ass.
Less likely to drop out in college.
Then work harder, you dumbass. Blaming women isn’t going to get your grades up.
Emotional encouragement.
Because it’s the women’s fault that the gender role of “men are supposed to be unemotional” exists.
That’s not a privilege, that’s a gender role that’s biting men in the ass.
Hypergamy.
Dude. Men can marry other people because of money too. It’s not a female privilege.
Also, seriously? Are you really going to say that all women are gold-digging sluts?
Cheaper healthcare.
Bullshit. Quote:
Among adults who had at least one health care expense, the average expenditure per person, including expenses covered by insurance and those paid out-of-pocket, was slightly higher for women ($5,635) than for men ($4,952). However, men’s average expenditures significantly exceeded women’s for hospital inpatient services ($18,984 versus $12,997, respectively). Women’s expenditures significantly exceeded men’s only in the category of office-based medical services ($1,556 versus $1,323, respectively). The overall mean health care expense was greater for women because of the greater percentage of women incurring more expensive services. For instance, 10.8 percent of women had hospital inpatient services, compared to 6.4 percent of men, which contributes to a higher mean expenditure overall. Hospital inpatient services include childbirth delivery.
It depends on what service you’re getting. Overall, women tend to pay more.
Also, study shows women pay more for the same healthcare coverage.
Better healthcare.
Dude, we get the same healthcare as everyone else. If you think your care sucks, speak up about it or change health care providers.
Control over 60% of US wealth.
Because obviously women use the money to buy bonbons at Costco.
I want to see the context of this number.
Reproductive rights.
Because there’s a movement trying to strip men of the right to masturbate, just as there is a movement to restrict a woman’s right to choose.
Men, you have rights to your body too. No one’s going out there to deny you your Viagra. In the meanwhile, we have to have articles like this because there are people out there trying to deny women safe abortions and birth control.
Women’s shelters.
Because it’s a privilege to have to find safe harbors after one leaves an abusive relationship, because if you don’t, your abusive partner could try to kill you.
*rolls eyes*
White House Women and Girls Council.
Because Congress isn’t already 81.7% male.
Police deference during domestic disputes.
Because it’s a female privilege to be more likely to be abused by their male partners.
Men get abused too, but not to the extent that women are.
Better employed for same experience
[citation needed]
Also, define “better”.
Gynocentrism.
Assumed primary parental figure.
Because presuming that women are meant to be homemakers is a privilege.
Positive sexual encouragement.
Uh huh.
Less mental health referrals.
Referral for which mental disorder?
Safer work conditions.
OSHA doesn’t make work conditions safer for men AND women?
Less productivity pressure.
Because obviously presumed to be lazy good-for-nothings who spend their days sitting on couches eating bonbons is a positive thing, right?
More, better contraceptive options.
Dude, that’s not a privilege. It’s because it’s much easier to prevent pregnancy in women, who are the ones to actually get pregnant in the first place.
Not assumed to be a pedophile around kids.
Because this post by LaidNYC is going to help you guys not look like child molesters.
Not avoided by strangers of the opposite gender.
Because being street harassed by random dudes is SUCH a privilege.
Are women supposed to be pleased if someone yells “nice tits!” or wolf-whistles at them when they’re walking down the street?
Better education.
Wait, I thought that we all went to the same schools together?
Also, women around the world get better education than dudes? Really?
Less likely to be homeless.
Because society encourages men to lose their house.
(It’s true that the majority of homeless people are male. But a large amount of the women who are living out on the street happen to be survivors of domestic violence.)
Less likely to be unemployed.
Maybe it’s because there’s not so many women looking for jobs?
Less likely to abuse drugs.
More women who have been arrested were abusing and using drugs. Otherwise, technically it’s accurate that more men report using drugs.
However, is that really a privilege? Or is it gender socialization biting men in the butt again?
More likely to be helped/treated as victim.
Because being more likely to be abused or raped is a good thing.
Less often admonished by teachers.
Because it’s out fault that teachers don’t often pay attention to us.
Given extra attention in class.
That’s bullshit. Boys get more attention in class as a whole than girls.
Less likely to be depressed.
Bullshit.
Less likely to have a mental illness.
Which ones?
Less likely to abuse alcohol.
Because we should force women to abuse more drugs! Equality, yo!
‘The Sisterhood’
What’s that? Is that like Big Pharma?
Less pressure for financial achievement.
Because being expected to be stay-at-home housemakers forever eating bonbons and wasting husband’s money is a good thing.
Also, has this guy never stepped into an Asian household?
Feelings given more inherent value.
So the solution is disregarding women’s feelings?
Also, because female hysteria was not a thing, ever. Or the “oh, it’s all in your head” excuse when a woman complained of PMS.
Safer workplace conditions.
Again? Did you run out of things to complain about? Poor MRA.
Expected to choose easier career.
Because being considered to be too stupid to handle STEM, for example, is a good thing and a privilege.
Priority during emergency rescue.
“Women and children first” has no basis in maritime law. It doesn’t exist.
Punished less for changing your mind.
What the hell does this even mean?
Less likely to transition gender identity.
Because it’s so much better to be a woman! Get it?
</sarcasm>
Less enforcement of heterosexuality.
That’s only because men think that lesbian sex is hawt and they want to fap to it. You know, cause while one woman is good, two women is better!
Yay for objectification of someone’s sexual orientation!
Less likely to experience dysmorphia.
Is this the same as the transitioning gender identity one?
General immunity to sexism allegations.
Since when? If a woman’s being a sexist asshat, she’ll be called a sexist asshat. You don’t see any feminists calling Phyllis Schlafly a woman who’s not sexist.
(I’m aware of arguments that say that women can’t be inherently sexist because in order to be sexist you need to have power and a privileged position in society. I don’t honestly buy into that argument, although I’m aware that systematic oppression is worse. If someone’s using a sexist argument without irony, they’re sexists. Period.)
Less likely to live in poverty.
Liar.
Less likely to emigrate for work.
Say what now? I am so confused, citation needed.
Less likely to be killed in war.
Because women are considered too weak to hold a weapon, you dumbass. It’s not like feminists have been fighting for the military to allow women to serve in combat roles alongside men for a long while.
Exclusive school groups and clubs.
Because men don’t have their own exclusive groups? I’m aware of at least one male-only Greek frat that operates on my school campus.
“Having it all.”
Women’s Studies Departments.
Because most of what you learn in regular history courses isn’t all about men.
More likely to have a teacher of your gender.
Men are more likely to have a doctor of their gender too.
If you want more male teachers, get more men interested in teaching.
Not commonly considered privileged.
Uh, because we’re not, except in the fevered minds of MRAs?
Feminism.
Because feminism doesn’t try to help men. *eye roll*
MRAs: using false equivalency to whine about feminism since <year>.
The Feminist Skeptic 