'Young men in Ireland need feminism'

DredFX · 19-11-2016 02:26PM #1

Blindboy from the Rubberbandits (this isn't a joke, I promise) appeared on the Late Late yesterday, and one topic he broached was the need for feminism in young Irish men.

The most prominent issue he notices when speaking to men in Limerick is their fear of being unable to offer anything to women, or to provide for them, which Blindboy feels is a patriarchal value that will bite men in the behind if they don't consider feminism.

Snippet from the interview here, if you haven't seen it.

So, fellas, have you felt these kinds of pressures before, and do you think opening your mind to feminism would help ease your fears?

nice_guy80 · 19-11-2016 02:32PM

Errrr no

Its women who generally need to cop themselves on
They have unrealistic high expectations from life

Dirty Dingus McGee · 19-11-2016 02:33PM

I'd imagine that regardless of feminism etc there is a still a pressure on men to be the main earner in the relationship pay for things etc even if women don't want to admit it, I'd imagine it still exists for an awful lot of women.I don't think feminism is really going to change that.

RobertKK · 19-11-2016 02:36PM

I just treat women like I treat anyone else.

I am a feminist in the views of Blindboy as he said 'of you have a problem with a woman paying for a meal' then you are not a feminist. I am happy if a woman wants to pay, I am not in favour of sexism which favours either sex.

SEPT 23 1989 · 19-11-2016 02:36PM

Its instinct to put a roof over your family's head and feed them

No pressure about it

conorhal · 19-11-2016 02:37PM

Uh... So he's gone full Russell Brand then...
I just can't stand comedians who, once they achieve a certain level of fame that affords them a platform, devote more of their time to hectoring their audience rather then making them laugh.

weldoninhio · 19-11-2016 02:38PM

DredFX wrote: »

Blindboy from the Rubberbandits (this isn't a joke, I promise) appeared on the Late Late yesterday, and one topic he broached was the need for feminism in young Irish men.

The most prominent issue he notices when speaking to men in Limerick is their fear of being unable to offer anything to women, or to provide for them, which Blindboy feels is a patriarchal value that will bite men in the behind if they don't consider feminism.

Snippet from the interview here, if you haven't seen it.

So, fellas, have you felt these kinds of pressures before, and do you think opening your mind to feminism would help ease your fears?

They seem to have become the "voice of the snowflake" for some reason. Full of chat about the issues but not so full of chat about the solutions.

Edups · 19-11-2016 02:39PM

Oh here we go again another feminist thread where we bash the wimmin.

Royale with Cheese · 19-11-2016 02:40PM

I preferred the rubberbandits when they just sang songs about sniffing bags of glue and riding fat birds. Getting pretty tired of being preached to by them now.

DredFX · 19-11-2016 02:41PM

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

I'd imagine that regardless of feminism etc there is a still a pressure on men to be the main earner in the relationship pay for things etc even if women don't want to admit it, I'd imagine it still exists for an awful lot of women.I don't think feminism is really going to change that.

Fair point. Men, on average, aspire to better-paying fields than women, instigate the majority of relationships, and don't have to take several months off work to birth and rear a child.

Still, as the gender pay gap closes and as women's places in top CEO lists proliferate, could that paradigm change?

Not being rhetorical. Genuinely interested in knowing.

RobertKK · 19-11-2016 02:42PM

Edups wrote: »

Oh here we go again another feminist thread where we bash the wimmin.

Talking of bashing women, why are ads against domestic abuse always with the men bashing the women?

AnGaelach · 19-11-2016 02:43PM

Why are ye taking a lad who wears a paper bag on his head's opinion seriously?

DredFX · 19-11-2016 02:44PM

AnGaelach wrote: »

Why are ye taking a lad who wears a paper bag on his head's opinion seriously?

Because, horse outside.

weldoninhio · 19-11-2016 02:44PM

AnGaelach wrote: »

Why are ye taking a lad who wears a paper bag on his head's opinion seriously?

Why are you posting in a thread about a lad who wears a bag on his head??

AnGaelach · 19-11-2016 02:45PM

weldoninhio wrote: »

Why are you posting in a thread about a lad who wears a bag on his head??

Well, that's me told

Outlaw Pete · 19-11-2016 02:45PM

Well, he has Feminist 101 down pat anyway, I'll give him that.

However, the flaw in that well rehearsed feminist "logic" is that Feminism is going to lead us all to the holy grail of gender equality.. be great if it did... but all Feminism does is strive for the "rights" of women and cares not a jot about the pressures society puts on young men. If anything young men today are under more pressure than ever to conform to an fcuked up ideal.. thanks to feminism.

The crux of this fool's assertion is that Feminism is going to result in society seeing a woman as much a breadwinner than it does a man and men can then as a result skip around happy as Larry and will no longer then top themselves in the large numbers. Hhhm. So men being told they are privileged 24-7 is suppose to empower us? Make us feel good about ourselves? Please.

Goodshape · 19-11-2016 02:49PM

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

there is a still a pressure on men to be the main earner in the relationship pay for things etc even if women don't want to admit it

That pressure comes from both sides, though. The feeling that they must be the main earner in a relationship, even if men don't want to admit it.

Which is BlindBoy's point, really, about men needing feminism.

It doesn't mean men can't be the main earner, or that women must bring in an "equal share" of money, but those arrangements shouldn't be pressured by gender laws. It's simply down to the people in the relationship.

Mr Joe · 19-11-2016 02:50PM

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Well, he has Feminist 101 down pat anyway, I'll give him that.

However, the flaw in that well rehearsed feminist "logic" is that Feminism is going to lead us all to the holy grail of gender equality.. be great if it did... but all Feminism does is strive for the "rights" of women and cares not a jot about the pressures society puts on young men. If anything young men today are under more pressure than ever to conform to an fcuked up ideal.. thanks to feminism.

The crux of this fool's assertion is that Feminism is going to result in society seeing a woman as much a breadwinner than it does a man and men can then as a result skip around happy as Larry and will no longer then top themselves in the large numbers. Hhhm. So men being told they are privileged 24-7 is suppose to empower us? Make us feel good about ourselves? Please.

Yes and being force fed lies about a gender pay gap, and a non existent rape culture is really going to help young men. If anything feminism is why these young men have mental health problems. Thankfully it's now being seen for the poison it is and is dying off. Some idiot with a plastic bag over his face isn't going to change that.

LLMMLL · 19-11-2016 02:51PM

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

but all Feminism does is strive for the "rights" of women and cares not a jot about the pressures society puts on young men. If anything young men today are under more pressure than ever to conform to an fcuked up ideal.. thanks to feminism

Yeah that's why it's called feminism......

I love how people get so upset that campaigners campaign on specific issues.

I mean Fr. McVerry, activist on homelessness........ Why doesn't he care about animals???

AnGaelach · 19-11-2016 02:53PM

LLMMLL wrote: »

Yeah that's why it's called feminism......

I love how people get so upset that campaigners campaign on specific issues.

I mean Fr. McVerry, activist on homelessness........ Why doesn't he care about animals???

It's a tad different comparing that with feminism isn't it? It's not like McVerry is blaming animals for people being homeless in all fairness.

Mardy Bum · 19-11-2016 02:56PM

The word feminism appears to be a trigger word for the anti feminist/alt right crew.

Blindboy spoke sensibly about the insecurity men can feel if they do not have the whole package and the inevitable loneliness that arises from this if this issue is allowed to eat away at a fella. If you accept the point that women can look after themselves and don't need a hero then a fella who is insecure may actually genuinely connect with someone without the need for bravado or lies.

bodhrandude · 19-11-2016 02:57PM

Edups wrote: »

Oh here we go again another feminist thread where we bash the wimmin.

Agreed its become ad nauseam.

Mr Joe · 19-11-2016 02:59PM

An idiot with a plastic bag on his head telling young men with mental health problems they need an idealogy that hates them and holds them responsible for all the ills in the world. Yeah nobody buys that. And only here would people take this muppet anyway serious. Wouldn't surprise me if this guy ended up in the Dail, it's probably what he is angling for. When you think this country can't stoop any lower and become more embarrassing and cringeworthy, it always does. Can imagine the laughter internationally when they see this guy, might as well elect Dustin the Turkey next.

LLMMLL · 19-11-2016 03:00PM

AnGaelach wrote: »

It's a tad different comparing that with feminism isn't it? It's not like McVerry is blaming animals for people being homeless in all fairness.

And it's unrealistic to expect a feminist campaigner to campaign for mens issues. Nothing to do with blame.

BreadnBuddha · 19-11-2016 03:02PM

Mardy Bum wrote: »

The word feminism appears to be a trigger word for the anti feminist/alt right crew.

Blindboy spoke sensibly about the insecurity men can feel if they do not have the whole package and the inevitable loneliness that arises from this if this issue is allowed to eat away at a fella. If you accept the point that women can look after themselves and don't need a hero then a fella who is insecure may actually genuinely connect with someone without the need for bravado or lies.

I can't take anyone seriously when they try to refer to Irish men as being 'alt-right'.

DredFX · 19-11-2016 03:03PM

LLMMLL wrote: »

Yeah that's why it's called feminism......

I love how people get so upset that campaigners campaign on specific issues.

I mean Fr. McVerry, activist on homelessness........ Why doesn't he care about animals???

Most lexicographical sources define feminism as the advocacy of women's right based on the equality of the sexes. So, it wouldn't be incorrect for a feminist to care for an imbalance stemming from the male side.

Trying to compare it to homeless activists fighting for animal rights is as big as red herrings can get.

The Moldy Gowl · 19-11-2016 03:05PM

Mr Joe wrote: »

An idiot with a plastic bag on his head telling young men with mental health problems they need an idealogy that hates them and holds them responsible for all the ills in the world. Yeah nobody buys that. And only here would people take this muppet anyway serious. Wouldn't surprise me if this guy ended up in the Dail, it's probably what he is angling for. When you think this country can't stoop any lower and become more embarrassing and cringeworthy, it always does. Can imagine the laughter internationally when they see this guy, might as well elect Dustin the Turkey next.

Feminism dosent hate males. You haven't read past the headline.
I understand we can have the idea a feminist is a fat, short woman with short red hair.

He is also far from an idiot, just becuase he plays a character with a bag over his head dosent mean his opinion or what he says becomes irrelevant.
I know his persona outside of the bag and he is incredibly intelligent.

His opinion resonates a lot with my generation and his. He is 5 years older than me and my friends from limerick.

You can pass it off as a grown man with a bag on his head all you like, dosent mean their is massive hidden problems with men my age who are hiding their hurt.

Ulysses Gaze · 19-11-2016 03:05PM

Well he's struck a chord with boards.ie's favourite Irish feminist voice....

https://twitter.com/oneilllo/status/799762916773941248

Richard Hillman · 19-11-2016 03:06PM

I think he has a little bit of a point in that generally the majority of people with depression are single males that are not reproducing. The reason they are not reproducing is that they have little going on in their lives and women are on the lookout for dominant male figures, not stagnant males.

What he fails to understand is that our bioligical make up dictates that females will always want a dominant male, just like a male will always want a healthy looking female that looks perfect for bearing children. That is our bioligical make-up.

Women are only attracted to roughly 20% of men. That is pretty much the way it is for all mammals. If people are thinking about or actually killing themselves over not being able to reproduce, well then sorry but that is the circle of life.

No amount of gender pay gaps or quota's are going to reverse the fact that females are only attracted to 20% of males.

LLMMLL · 19-11-2016 03:07PM

DredFX wrote: »

Most lexicographical sources define feminism as the advocacy of women's right based on the equality of the sexes. So, it wouldn't be incorrect for a feminist to care for an imbalance stemming from the male side.

Trying to compare it to homeless activists fighting for animal rights is as big as red herrings can get.

It's pretty clear that most feminists main current concern is to address the inequalities that affect women. They are concentrated on these issues. People chastising them for not addressing mens issues with the limited resources that any campaign has are being just as silly and unrealistic as my example of homelessness.

Mardy Bum · 19-11-2016 03:10PM

BreadnBuddha wrote: »

Mardy Bum wrote: »

The word feminism appears to be a trigger word for the anti feminist/alt right crew.

Blindboy spoke sensibly about the insecurity men can feel if they do not have the whole package and the inevitable loneliness that arises from this if this issue is allowed to eat away at a fella. If you accept the point that women can look after themselves and don't need a hero then a fella who is insecure may actually genuinely connect with someone without the need for bravado or lies.

I can't take anyone seriously when they try to refer to Irish men as being 'alt-right'.

Fair enough. I was making a general comment there about the word and people's reactions to it more so that any specific reaction in this thread.

To ignore the rest of my point though because of that says more though.

'Young men in Ireland need feminism'

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