The Masculine Mystique

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77367721255520073672011-12-31T14:19:43.151-05:00The Masculine MystiqueBlamed RightF*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.comBlogger331100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-70154728703181783022010-03-20T14:28:00.037-04:002010-06-16T01:19:19.710-04:00Non-Crappy Sci-Fi

So I've gotten off on a nerd tangent with the iPad. This isn't too surprising since I am a self-professed nerd. However, I do promise to get back to deconstructing masculinity very soon. I do have one last nerd post though, which will give you a glimpse of what I have been working on in addition to The Masculine Mystique.Some background first: as a small child, before I knew any better, I loved

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-38517805770122229812010-02-10T21:04:00.021-05:002010-02-28T01:19:52.730-05:00Misogyny in the iPad Backlash

Recently, Snowdevil was talking with some of her business school colleagues when the conversation turned to Apple's new iPad. Immediately, the guys launched into an angry tirade against Apple which ended in an (insincere) declaration to boycott Apple [1]. This sorry state of affairs got even worse when the guys started trading their favorite iPad/scary-vag jokes. After snickering at "iTampons"

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-3591547041432151962010-01-29T22:53:00.014-05:002010-02-10T21:17:35.803-05:00Stupidly-Named Tech

So did you hear the news?This new tech gadget was recently released by a big-name company to much fanfare. Only it is doomed to failure!Why? Because the device sucks. It's a flimsy over-hyped piece of junk with a really stupid name. The only thing holding it up is a ridiculously expensive carpet-bombing of sexist ads and the drooling tech boys that blindly buy it.It's called the Motorola Droid.

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-76250758472847542552009-06-16T20:47:00.002-04:002009-06-17T16:32:42.339-04:00"Rumors of this blog's death have been greatly exaggerated."

I know you've already heard that line about 21,000 times, but this time it's true. My hiatus from blogging is only temporary. I am in the middle of changing jobs and moving with Snowdevil to another city. It is a move that will help advance Snowdevil's high-powered-yet-socially-responsible career. Updates will be spotty for the next month or so until we are settled in.Surprised that a man would

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-19929610579956306572009-06-15T21:40:00.010-04:002009-06-18T12:03:23.868-04:00Christian Terrorists Murder Women's Health Advocate in Apartheid State

(Ownership of Women's Bodies, Part 1)"These people aren't pro-life, they're killing DOCTORS! What kinda 'pro-life' is that? What, they'll do anything they can to save a fetus, but if it grows up to be a doctor they just might have to kill it? They're not pro-life. You know what they are? They're anti-woman. Simple as it gets: anti-woman! They don't like 'em. They don't like women. They believe a

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-16024604257043737192009-06-15T21:39:00.002-04:002010-02-09T21:53:12.350-05:00Male Privilege #2 - Ownership of Women's Bodies

In Short:From prostitution, to the anti-abortion/contraception movement, to the lack of criminal penalties for rape and the marginalization of women's self-defense, to the fight against HPV vaccination, to traditional marriage itself, women are subject to a complete gender apartheid.Derived From:#1 - Rape#4 - Privilege of Violence#8 - Privilege to Make the Rules#24 - The Inviolate Male

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-24064898560796983452009-02-28T20:46:00.002-05:002009-06-17T16:45:38.079-04:00Love vs. Porn on Valentines Day

(Pornography, Part 1)"Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of withering, of tarnishing."~Anais Nin (who was also a writer of pornography)First off, my apologies for getting this post up two weeks late. (Although I have a very good reason for my

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-49252756046128963222009-02-28T16:41:00.002-05:002009-06-17T16:50:16.686-04:00Male Privilege #7 - Pornography

In Short:Men are provided with widespread access to prostitution-based propaganda that promotes their privilege to destroy the lives of women. Pornography has now spread to mainstream culture, further cementing women into the Sex Class.Derived From:#1 - Rape#2 - Ownership of Women's Bodies#3 - Prostitution#4 - Privilege of Violence#5 - All Women are Sexual Prospects#6 - Male Gaze#12 - Privilege

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-50075271590218761402009-01-25T19:12:00.009-05:002009-06-17T17:17:14.332-04:00But how can we stand in his way if he's aborted?

(Privilege to Make the Rules, Part 1)I have come to expect the anti-choice movement (and fundamentalists in general) to be reprehensibly vicious, unsympathetic, and disdainful of women. I have also come to expect a frequent dose of whitewashing from their leadership. However, I underestimated just how quickly anti-choicers could revise history:When the feminists have their way, a mother who

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-20841088454258907692009-01-25T19:11:00.003-05:002009-06-17T17:16:22.986-04:00Male Privilege #8 - Privilege to Make the Rules

In Short:Rulers write the laws and the history books, and so men write laws and revise history to benefit themselves at the expense of women.Derived From:#2 - Ownership of Women's Bodies#4 - Privilege of Violence#11 - Privilege to Define Everything#15 - Privilege of Unquestioned Majority#16 - Privilege of Women's Invisibility#20 - Privilege to SpeakExclusive to Men Because:Rules are created by

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-5052266431459593442009-01-21T22:50:00.006-05:002009-06-17T17:21:37.051-04:00They'll Do Anything to Get in the Way of a Feminist

Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas, has been actively blocking Hillary Rodham Clinton's nomination as Secretary of State, citing "concerns" over foreign donations to Bill Clinton's charity foundation, and calling for more transparency. This despite the fact that Bill Clinton had already agreed to limits on foreign donations and full disclosure of all new donors to his private foundation,

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-35841338946592949672009-01-20T23:04:00.027-05:002009-06-17T20:29:50.745-04:00One Hideous Election Sign Gone, One To Go

(Privilege of Having Potential, Part 1)"1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.""2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.""3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification."~The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in its

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-6709010157016300352009-01-20T23:03:00.001-05:002009-06-17T20:23:16.224-04:00Male Privilege #36 - Privilege of Having Potential

In Short:Men's work is valued. Men are given many more chances than women to be successful, and are praised more when they succeed.Derived From:#8 - Privilege to Make the Rules#11 - Privilege to Define Everything#15 - Privilege of Unquestioned Majority#16 - Privilege of Women's Invisibility#20 - Privilege to Speak#25 - Privilege of Space#27 - Only Male Attributes are Valued#28 - Privilege to

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-42651089319392606482008-12-28T19:34:00.015-05:002009-06-17T20:36:07.974-04:00How Do You Swear at a Straight White Man?

(The Privilege of Vocabulary, Part 3)“When a man uses profanity to support an argument, it indicates that either the man or the argument is weak - probably both”~UnknownAnonymous Internet commenter (whom, for the sake of clarity I shall henceforth refer to as, BellyacheR) had this to say about my latest blog post:BellyacheR: "Go make me a sandwich you poor nigger dyke bitch..."Nothing surprising

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-73229268200910415892008-12-21T22:30:00.011-05:002009-01-21T15:19:13.251-05:00The Secular and the Religious Celebrate the Pornification of Christmas

Part 1 - "Adult" HalloweenPart 2 - The Secular and the Religious Celebrate the Pornification of ChristmasThe Male Gaze (Part 2):The Secular and the Religious Celebrate the Pornification of Christmas"Some of us don't believe in Christmas unless we see that awful lamp made to look like a call girl's leg"~Amy Laura Hall, a professor of theological ethics at Duke University, on NPR."I was really

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-8227120546476891832008-11-27T23:28:00.014-05:002009-01-22T10:22:31.890-05:00Happy Thanksgiving, While it's Still Legal

"If the anti-Christmas forces are winning, then the war in Iraq is nothing short of total victory."~Ruth Marcus in The Washington PostOn Wednesday, November 26th, 2008, the day before Thanksgiving, I saw the following on the way to my parent's house:An aisle at Wallgreens full of Christmas lights, decorations, dancing Santas, and Christmas candy. The aisle was stocked on November 1st, before the

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-21883095951230625212008-11-11T12:47:00.022-05:002008-11-20T22:37:02.852-05:00Yet More Fraud in the Fashion Industry

#47 - All Things Designed By Men, For MenIn Short:Everything from car seats to women's fashion is designed for men's desires. Men's bodies are the default template for all products, and men's desires are the primary requirements for any design, even when that design will only be used by women.Derived From:#8 - Privilege to Make the Rules#14 - Men are the Default Gender#15 - Privilege of

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-88799061037817629572008-11-02T19:54:00.009-05:002010-03-20T23:03:34.326-04:00The Privilege Dictionary

Part 1 - "Seminal"Part 2 - The Privilege DictionaryPart 3 - How Do You Swear at a Straight White Man?The Privilege of Vocabulary (Part 2):The Privilege DictionaryIt's easier to debate any concept when all the pertinent terms are defined in your gender's favor. Here's my growing list of phallocentric and hypermasculine propaganda words that would make George Orwell proud [1].The List of Ridiculous

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-28261288586405604812008-11-01T19:03:00.008-04:002008-12-19T01:57:33.966-05:00"Adult" Halloween

#6 - The Male GazeIn Short:Men's sexual perspective normalizes the dehumanization of women and girls, and inoculates men from being dehumanized themselves.Derived From:#5 - All Women are Sexual Prospects#8 - Privilege to Make the Rules#4 - Privilege of Violence#3 - Prostitution#2 - Ownership of Women's BodiesExclusive to Men Because:Men, as a class, are protected from dehumanization while women,

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-70288393186147718802008-10-29T19:38:00.000-04:002009-02-28T15:26:29.210-05:00POLL: Are You Being Counted?

Following up on the "Reverse Bradley" post, I'm curious to find out if other women have been snubbed by pollsters. If you are interested in participating, please answer the following questions in a comment to this post. All responses will be counted, unless they are mean or pointless.What poll called you? Was it an actual news poll (Reuters, Gallup, etc.) or was it some jerk's rant disguised as a

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-38714185997458615262008-10-28T20:51:00.008-04:002009-02-19T09:51:14.152-05:00Reverse Bradley Effect Caused by Ignoring Women

Part 1 - Whitewashing Anti-Feminism in the Housing CrisisPart 2 - Reverse Bradley Effect Caused by Ignoring WomenPrivilege of Women's Invisibility (Part 2):Reverse Bradley Effect Caused by Ignoring Women"I just haven't seen good evidence that [race] is a factor in polling these days."~Scott Keeter, director of survey research for the Pew Research Center “The level of inaccuracy of the polls

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-16285850530597170162008-09-23T19:50:00.000-04:002009-02-28T15:26:29.212-05:00Whitewashing Anti-Feminism in the Housing Crisis

#16 - Privilege of Women's InvisibilityIn Short:When convenient, men can treat women as if they don't exist. Men use this privilege to take credit for women's work. Men claim opportunities and resources for themselves by ignoring competition from women. Men also use "gender blindness" to ignore the oppression of women, and to ensure that womens' deaths remain unsolved and undocumented.Derived

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-81374769374372682282008-09-17T00:53:00.040-04:002008-12-21T00:59:54.571-05:00Flying, Television, and Forced Attentiveness

#57 - Women Expected to Please MenIn Short:Men expect smiles from all women at all times. Men expect women to drop what they are doing and be attentive to men while they are talked at. Women's political views are seen as playthings for men to move around at will.Derived From:#6 - Male Gaze#5 - All Women Are Sexual Prospects#12 - Privilege to Define Women#17 - Primacy of Men's Comfort#21 -

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-91408690438842872172008-09-12T18:36:00.004-04:002009-02-19T09:54:02.580-05:00Counting Women out of US Politics

#12 - Privilege to Define WomenIn Short: Men can define or scapegoat women however they like. From hysteria to insecurity, men can project their own worst behaviors onto women and blame women for their own oppression. Men also selectively define women, choosing which women are exceptions to their stereotypes as is convenient to them. Men's stereotypes about women are never questioned, no matter

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-13665366945379078532008-09-03T21:21:00.042-04:002010-02-02T19:35:23.305-05:00Compulsory Gender Disclosure for Business School

#38 - Privilege of ScionsIn Short:Heirs to power and property are almost entirely male, and have been for thousands of years. The benefits of inheritance -influence, safety, security, and ability to shape the destiny of one's family- continue to be denied to women to this day.Derived From:#50 - Privilege of Ownership#46 - Privilege of Family Fortunes#37 - Baby Einsteins#36 - Privilege of Having

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-40843635161797607422008-07-23T13:50:00.056-04:002009-06-17T16:20:54.418-04:00The Idiot's Guide to the Principle of Intentions vs. Effects

#11 - Privilege to Define EverythingIn Short:The only perspectives and experiences ever covered in the media, analyzed by scientists, sanctified by religion, validated by politics, or protected by the law are men's perspectives and experiences. Men's claims will not be contested, even if they make no sense.Derived From:#8 - Privilege to Make the Rules#9 - Men Own Religion#13 - Privilege of Not

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-80440194262088025372008-07-15T17:15:00.008-04:002008-12-29T23:13:52.021-05:00"Seminal"

#61 - The Privilege of VocabularyIn Short:The English language contains many heavily-loaded words and phrases specifically for use against women. This makes it easy for anyone to lash out at women. On the other end, many widely-used positive words in our language have distinctly male connotations.Derived From:#27 - Only Male Attributes Are Valued#14 - Men are the Default Gender#11 - Privilege to

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-58945016148333776362008-07-15T16:29:00.010-04:002008-07-15T17:11:30.444-04:00Slow Beginnings

My original plan (to write a single, concise, well thought out, heavily researched, comprehensive post for each male privilege that I came across) is becoming too cumbersome for my comfort. At this rate it will be another two months before you see a single new post on this blog (I haven't even started to read A Room of One's Own in order to adequately cover the Privilege of Space, for example).

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-56861809060054005332008-06-11T19:28:00.076-04:002009-06-17T17:23:49.072-04:00The List of Male Privileges

I've met many Dudes who are convinced that men and women are completely equal in modern society. This belief, when aired in public, is quickly followed by the complaint that, "women have it so easy."These are ludicrous assertions.The belief that women have it easier than men is idiotic. The claim that men have no special privilege in our society is so far removed from reality that proponents must

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-1694872616309750782008-06-09T23:43:00.017-04:002009-02-28T15:25:12.748-05:00Authors and Acknowledgments

Few stories are ever the work of one author. The Masculine Mystique Blamed Right is ultimately a collaboration of many people. The vast majority of insights found on his blog come from women who bear the lion's share of suffering under the Masculine Mystique and who understand firsthand the evils that men have wrought.To that end, I would like to thank the many feminists who have helped me work

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-68519002476515860862008-06-07T17:25:00.004-04:002008-07-13T10:49:42.098-04:00Copyright Regulations

All material in The Masculine Mystique blog is original research written by the author(s) under the pseudonym, F*ck M*sculinity.The content of this blog is protected by copyright and/or other applicable laws. All uses of this work other than those described below and in the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License are prohibited.You are free copy,

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-14540981400644661662008-06-04T17:33:00.001-04:002008-08-01T09:55:53.496-04:00About the Masculine Mystique

The Masculine Mystique is the belief that a particular set of behaviors and powers are the embodiment of manhood. The Masculine Mystique has no basis in natural male biology. Rather it is a fabrication, grounded in tradition, that is used to maintain social inequity. The sole purpose of the Masculine Mystique is to preserve the power of elites at the expense of the poor, and especially women. In

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736772125552007367.post-34906029460619468332008-06-04T10:25:00.037-04:002009-06-17T01:02:43.559-04:00The FAQ

Q: What is the Masculine Mystique?A: Please read my explanation here.Q: What gave you the idea to write about the Masculine Mystique?A: Because very few men have ever looked at masculinity critically! Men have written countless books on masculinity, but few of them ever really question how our society defines manhood. Nearly all examinations of the Masculine Mystique overlook the critical

F*ck M*sculinityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00452264029125162608noreply@blogger.com0