Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry calls out misogynists

[ismnotwasm]

(Credit: Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com)
Lauren Mayberry, the lead vocalist of Scottish electro-pop band Chvrches, has written a poignant Op-Ed in the Guardian that’s all too relatable for women: the misogyny of the Internet. The band’s Facebook page has more than 100,000 “likes” on Facebook, and Mayberry, out of a sense of loyalty to her fans, personally reads every single message. For a long time, she ignored the sexist ones — until last week, when she posted this on Facebook, asking fans to “Seriously. Stop.”

While she received many comments of support, Mayberry’s post also resulted in … you guessed it … further misogyny:

“This isn’t rape culture. You’ll know rape culture when I’m raping you, bitch”

“I have your address and I will come round to your house and give u anal and you will love it you twat lol”

“Act like a slut, getting treated like a sluy [sic]”

“It’s just one of those things you’ll need to learn to deal with. If you’re easily offended, then maybe the music industry isn’t for you”

“But why should women ‘deal’ with this”? asks the singer, who has decided that it is not “all right for people to make comments ranging from ‘a bit sexist but generally harmless’ to openly sexually aggressive.” In other words, rape jokes aren’t “just jokes.”

“That it is something that ‘just happens,’ she explains. “Is the casual objectification of women so commonplace that we should all just suck it up, roll over and accept defeat? I hope not. Objectification, whatever its form, is not something anyone should have to ‘just deal with.’”

Cyberbullying, even in the form of anonymous comments on the Internet, has a real impact on real people and these messages undermine the hard work that Mayberry has prided herself on — messages that, by and large, her male peers don’t have to deal with. She writes:

More:

http://www.salon.com/2013/09/30/chvrchess_lauren_mayberry_calls_out_misogynists/

[Scootaloo]

1. That first comment...

Leaving out, if we can, the horribleness of the threat itself... one must wonder, how fucking stupid are you, really? "There's no rape culture, threat of rape!" is just about the STUPIDEST thing i have ever, ever seen.

People like that must need to use an egg timer to remind themselves to breathe.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. good lord.

face/palm.

[seabeyond]

3. "twat, slut, bitch" all endearments. glad we "own" those words. yes sirree. nt

[redqueen]

4. And of course the ubiquitous promise, 'but I don't hate men!'

I'm so fucking tired of this bullshit game men and their handmaidens play.

We should start ignoring the 'you just hate men' bleating, because fuck anyone so fucking dishonest/stupid to try that shit.

Oh, sorry, I meant SOME men, of course! I can't believe I forgot to jump through my hoops to not offend those who insist on special attention!

[seabeyond]

5. married to them, raising them, taking care of them as they age. ya. i already thought we ignored

that, lol.

it is only the newbies to these discussions or those that are comfortably wrapped int he patriarchy that feed the need to qualify, surely.

Oh, sorry, I meant SOME men, of course! I can't believe I forgot to jump through my hoops to not offend those who insist on special attention!

sigh... lol.