In what has to be my first WTF moment of the feminist blogosphere (ugh, I do not like that word, it sounds sort of a marketeer’s invention), I just noticed something appalling.
Sady Doyle’s #MooreandMe campaign attracted a fair share of trolls and no small amount of grief and attacks towards her. Some of the attacks came from feminists themselves, which is unfortunate and sort of unexpected (why some people feel the need to express their opinions, however inane, on every topic out there is beyond me; and frankly, some of the attacks smelled like an opportunity for hits and fame seeking).
One such petty attack came from a blogger that had previously written to Sady expressing how she was a model and someone the blogger sort of wished to emulate. Fair enough, we all have models and sometimes those models do not do exactly what we hoped they would do, or they disappoint us, or they change their views in ways that are no longer representative of what we believe in.
But, from having a mild disagreement with someone (as the blogger in question claims), to writing a post that includes the words “FUCK YOU” to then dragging around more words (hurtful and missing the point words) to then posting comments on the subject where you attack the campaigner in question in pretty mean ways, there is a long distance. And a huge rhetorical difference.
And that would be the end of it, usually. And most people would not even know who you are or that you attacked someone’s good intentions and incredible efforts (however imperfect those might be, but undeniably rooted in “seeking justice”). Because, you are a semi obscure blogger out there (like the vast majority of us), who might have a semi regular reading base, but said reading base is by no means of the caliber of Tiger Beatdown.
Except. You, the semi obscure blogger, once had a platform that was considered a pioneer space in blogging feminist discourse. You were never one of the most recognized names in said platform, and you never left a too lasting impression because you are not Bitch PhD. Bitch PhD offered you a place to blog and for a while, you played in the big leagues. Except Bitch PhD closed down. Months ago. But now, you want to run on the #MooreandMe speedcar but yeah, your blog is not that well known and you have already insulted the person behind the campaign and that didn’t get you as much attention as you might have hoped for. So, what do you do? Just for the sake of attacking one blogger, you re-open Bitch PhD. For one, single, self serving post, where you throw dirt at someone who put herself and her reputation (and her career as a writer) out there, you re-open a blog that had been deemed closed, finished, done. Because it is a platform with much more collective respect than your little blog will garner and because it was, indeed, one of the first of its kind and the one that inspired many to start their own spaces.
Way to use something valuable for your own self serving purposes, semi obscure blogger. Great attempt at making #MooreandMe all about you. With allies like you, the feminist blogorrhea will surely have a prosperous 2011.
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