Just to add: I have been called a "man-hater," but the reason it's important to blame misogyny or male violence on patriarchy, rather than "masculinity," is that calling those behaviors "masculine" sends the message men are Inherently Bad, rather than incentivized to be bad by our political system. - ThreadSky

judedoyle.bsky.social • 2 days ago

Just to add: I have been called a "man-hater," but the reason it's important to blame misogyny or male violence on patriarchy, rather than "masculinity," is that calling those behaviors "masculine" sends the message men are Inherently Bad, rather than incentivized to be bad by our political system.

Reposted from Jude Ellison SeriousAuthor Doyle

Back on the hobby horse! "Masculinity" -- a code of male behaviors and ways of being that All Men supposedly participate in -- is an inherently anti-queer concept, and also, not real. Patriarchy, a system of gendered power, is real. We say "masculinity" when we mean "patriarchy." It drives me nuts!

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msicism.bsky.social•2 days ago

It also erases butches and other non-male aligned masculinities. Let’s be specific out there!

drtaragoddard.com•2 days ago

I agree about patriarchy, but it is also why I am always specific about "toxic" masculinity versus healthy or positive or whatever. Because masculinity IS a thing (and not just equal to male/men), and it seems useful to also address it and how when toxic, hurts both men and women. What do you think?

judedoyle.bsky.social•2 days ago

I think "toxic masculinity" has become one of those social-justice catchalls that no longer means much, like "emotional labor." There's also an army of grifters promising to Detoxify Masculinity by changing superficial aspects of dudes' gender presentation without really engaging political reality.

drtaragoddard.com•2 days ago

Absolutely agree about the grift and superficiality of efforts that don't address the underlying systemic issues. But for me, just like with emotional labor, I think rather than abandon terms we should be explicit and specific when using them. Obviously depends on the context and ability for nuance.

judedoyle.bsky.social•2 days ago

"Masculinity" is individual, "patriarchy" is a structure, and you don't get anywhere without engaging the structure

drtaragoddard.com•2 days ago

I think of masculinity NOT as an individual attribute, but as a framework or structure. Being "masculine" may be individual but "masculinity" describes an external ethos, in the sense of beliefs and practices of a group. And patriarchy is a higher level structure that dictates a certain masculinity.

judedoyle.bsky.social•2 days ago

Like: If men are just Bad, and "masculinity" is indistinguishable from dominating women, then feminism has no point or hope. Things will be bad as long as there are men, and there will be men as long as there are people. If our *political system of gender* is the problem, we can change that system.

aliengeometries.itch.io•1 day ago

I've also seen some echo chamber, feminist as in "pro concept of woman" types delve even further into this idea and propose not just that men are inherently violent but that, uh, "would it really be so bad to accept that women are inherently biologically susceptible to violence and domination?" 😬

aliengeometries.itch.io•1 day ago

They're stuck in self-harming defeatism—not surprising when your stated enemy is literally necessary for your survival and you may struggle with attraction to them. They talk about it like it empowers them towards… inaction? Like, the inevitability of female victimhood is a relief? It's really sad.

glittertooth.bsky.social•2 days ago

ty for articulating this. I got called masculine all the time pre transition because it's an extension of patriarchy and racism, not because I was actually performing the one secret rule of true masculinity.

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