Misidentifying Misandry: A Deeper Dive Into the Nuances of the Patriarchy

Article here. Excerpt:

'Recently, a letter to the editor was published about the “misandry problem” at Wesleyan. While the letter rightfully points out the damaging effects the patriarchy has on men, as it does on people of all genders, it ignores the bigger picture of why and how we should combat toxic masculinity. It equates misandry to other forms of oppression and ignores nuances within the vast gender spectrum, which detracts from solving the problem brought up within the letter. The path to ending toxic masculinity lies in the liberation of all non-men.

At Wesleyan, jokes about men are frequent. While they may be bothersome, they cannot be equated to the sexist treatment that women receive. In fact, it is healthy that non-men feel safe enough to make these jokes at Wesleyan. It shows that our school is beginning to foster an environment where non-men can freely express themselves and gain respect. When jokes about men are made, it is often from someone holding less systemic power, who has to fight to be treated with the same amount of respect.

Jokes made about men do not have the same power and weight behind them as jokes about non-men; a joke made about a man is not going to take away his inherent systemic power. Meanwhile, there is an entire system of oppression existing behind jokes made about non-men. There is a difference between punching up and punching down. Until there is equality for all genders, jokes made about men are a way to reclaim power for marginalized people.'