To answer the question in my title, no. No, it is not. “Meninism” is an anti-feminist, pro-men’s rights movement. Originally, it started out as intended satire against feminism. However, men who believed themselves to be victimized by feminism began to use it unironically; some even designed apparel.
While there are legitimate men’s issues, they are not the kind that warrant an attempted political movement. Feminism was originally based largely on a lack of equal rights; there needs to be a movement in order to gain those rights. However, the men’s issues, including higher suicide and homelessness rates, drug addiction, etc., are not based on the lack of fundamental rights.
Obviously, feminism has evolved to include issues that are rooted in society but not necessarily in law. Likewise, meninism addresses corresponding issues. However, their problems are still constructed
Here are some common grievances listed by meninists and a counter argument for why they are either wrong or handling the situation incorrectly.
1. Men get raped too.
Yes, men do get raped, and it is just as awful as a woman being violated. However, to argue that feminism ignores this issue is ignorant. Men comprise about 10% of rape victims. 93.7% of those victims are estimated to have been raped by another man. This is still supportive of the feminist idea regarding masculinity and rape culture. Furthermore, despite using this argument, men are still not supportive of male victims. When Shia LaBeouf came out and said he was raped during his art performance, #IAMSORRY, he was met solely with scorn. And those meninists were nowhere to be found.
2. Men get unfair treatment in custody cases.
There’s no denying that after a divorce, women are more likely to have primary or full custody of any children. However, this doesn’t mean that there’s necessarily a bias against men. Most custody cases are settled outside of court.
In 51% of custodial cases, both parents came to the conclusion (on their own) that the mother should have primary custody. Another 40% are decided with some mediation, but still without going to court. That means the courts only have influence in 9% of custody cases. Women are more likely to have custody because their ex-husbands are more likely to give it to them.
9% is still a reasonable chunk, almost 1 in 10. That’s still a lot of room for bias. But is it really bias if it’s truly in the best interest of the child? Women are more likely to initiate divorce, but that’s hardly surprising. Statistically, men are more likely to be addicts, gamblers, abusers, and cheaters; at least two of those things suggest that they might not be the best choice for a custodial parent.
3. Men have to face impossible beauty standards too.
Action figures are often cited as the male equivalent to Barbie dolls, with bulging muscles and an aura of hypermasculinity. The distinction is that GI Joe is not a female fantasy; it’s still a male one. Certainly, there are some women who are most attracted to someone with a GI Joe type build, just as there are men who are most attracted to Barbie doll like women. But despite physical attraction, there is not the same widespread expectancy for perfection thrust upon men. Yes, some women want GI Joe, but they’re few.
But of course, GI Joe and Barbie are not real. Let’s look at real people, actors and models for example. Actors are allowed to age, but their significant others in movies never do. George Clooney and Richard Gere’s characters have been wooing 25 year olds for decades.
Models are a whole different matter. Yes, male models are unrealistic aspirations for the typical man, as are female models. But how many boys and teenagers treat these models as role models? How many can even name any? As opposed to little girls, who actively treat models as role models, as people they want to be. Even in this “post supermodel” world, models still have cult followings (think Miranda Kerr or Cara Delevingne).
Meninists have some good points. Just as there are issues specific to women, there are issues specific to men. However, their movement is a joke. They could be making a difference or drawing attention to societal problems, but they don’t. Instead they sit on the internet, complain about how unfairly women treat them, spend too much money on stupid shirts, and ignore the real enemy: not women, but the patriarchy.
When you look at men’s issues, they are not caused by women. They’re caused by the notion that men have to be hyper-masculine and “tougher” than women. This is only rarely the fault of women; these absurd ideals are nearly universally perpetuated by other men.
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