Misogyny & Misandry with Michael Kaufman and Jude Kelly | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Women and men discuss the definitions and experiences of misogyny, highlighting the need for men to take responsibility and challenge this pervasive issue.

Key Insights

• 🤕 Misogyny is a spectrum of behaviors, ranging from casual sexism to active desire to hurt or humiliate women.
• 🧔‍♀️ Popular entertainment often perpetuates misogyny by portraying women as victims or objects of abuse.
• 🫱 Misogyny becomes more extreme in cases of war and violence as it is used as a weapon to assert dominance and control over women.
• 💅 Men need to take more responsibility in acknowledging and challenging misogyny in order to create a more equal and respectful society.
• 👩‍⚕️ There is a need for women and men to have open conversations about misogyny and work towards dismantling the power structures that perpetuate it.
• 😚 Women often face challenges in speaking out against misogyny due to fear of retaliation and losing their livelihoods.
• 💅 Men's groups that promote misogyny are dangerous and must be confronted.
• 🧔‍♀️ The gains and losses of patriarchy need to be reexamined, as not all men benefit from the power structures that oppress women.
• 👩‍⚕️ Women must continue to speak up and support each other, while men must actively engage in conversations and work to change societal norms.

Transcript

we we met for lunch a few months ago now and we talked about what we'd like to talk about and I said I'd really like us to discuss misogyny because um it's a term which is rarely discussed actually although people raised it as a word and then sort of put it back down again and we and then uh we just we realized that we could talk about misry as wel... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: Why is misogyny a term that is rarely discussed in society?

The conversation around misogyny is often brushed aside or not taken seriously, possibly due to discomfort or an unwillingness to admit its prevalence in society.

Q: How does misogyny manifest in popular entertainment?

Misogyny is seen in horror movies where blonde girls are portrayed as victims, as well as in the demeaning and objectification of women in various forms of media.

Q: Why do some men find enjoyment in watching women being humiliated?

This may be due to a psychopathic or sadistic nature that is fascinated by the idea of victimizing women, which has become normalized in entertainment.

Q: How does misogyny become more extreme in cases of war and violence against women?

Misogyny is used as a way to exert power and control over women, with acts of violence specifically targeting women to reinforce the message that they are less valuable and can be easily hurt.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The conversation begins with defining sexism and misogyny as a spectrum of behaviors, with misogyny being the active desire to humiliate or hurt women.

• The discussion explores the experiences of misogyny in popular entertainment, where women are often portrayed as victims or objects of abuse.

• The conversation also delves into the use of misogyny as a weapon of war and the baffling acceptance of hurting women specifically because they are women.