Since long I’ve held silence a remedy for harm. – Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Some of you have asked for my take on the Hugo Schwyzer meltdown; others have (perhaps more perceptively) asked why I haven’t said anything about it. After all, I’ve never made a secret of my distaste for men who brand themselves “feminists”, nor my disdain for the social constructionism Schwyzer has championed for years, nor my disgust with specific elements of his catechism. And let’s face it, my opinion of most of the sites he has written for (such as Jezebel and the Good Men Project) couldn’t be much lower than it is.
But despite our professional differences, he’s always been polite and respectful to me when we’ve “met” online; I recognize that this was part of his public persona, but it doesn’t change the fact that (to my knowledge) he’s never done anything to hurt or defame me. And though he has professed some very silly beliefs, sex work prohibitionism is not among them. Simply put, he isn’t my enemy and never has been; he’s just one of many people I barely know who has some dopey ideas and made some really poor decisions. Furthermore, I don’t generally take delight even in the downfall of enemies, viewing them as problems to be solved rather than objects of hatred. So my reaction to the collapse of Schwyzer’s public life isn’t pleasure, or satisfaction, or even neutral interest; though I can’t say I feel sorry for him, I also don’t relish seeing anyone who isn’t unquestionably evil so thoroughly humiliated.
There is one other factor in my decision to say as little as possible about the matter: I am on friendly terms with some of the other actors in this tawdry little drama, and have been watching it unfold in slow motion since before Christmas; frankly, I’m amazed it took so long to reach its climax, and though there were obvious signs by mid-July I wasn’t exactly sure when it was all going to boil over. But as I watched I was keenly aware of one thing, just as I have been every time I’ve watched sexual intrigues burst open like rotten fruit: I don’t actually know what happened between these people. I know what they’ve told me, and what I’ve seen, and what others have said they believe, and what my best judgment tells me about the whole thing; but I do not know anything with certainty, and therefore feel that it’s better I not take sides. Others in the sex worker rights community feel differently, and that’s their right; I don’t hold it against them, just as I hope they won’t hold my judicious neutrality on the matter against me. Frankly, I see nothing to gain and much to lose by expressing anything more than the opinion that I wish the whole sordid affair had been kept entirely private amongst the participants from start to finish; for me, this discolored tapestry is a thing better left alone.
Boy I wish I knew some evil people.
Then I could smash them and feel righteous, instead of guilty, pathetic and dirty.
Maybe the problem is that I’m the most evil person I know.
What I never understood was why anyone ever paid so much attention to Schwyzer in the first place. I’m yet to see anything from him that was particularly wise or witty nor amazingly ignorant and offensive.
Not by internet standards anyway.
The ‘male feminist’ thing seems pretty straightforward to me.
Women liberating women is feminism.
Men liberating women is paternalism.
Men who think they’re feminists need to check their privilege ;).
Yeah, I have no opinion on this either, except to say that anything Gawker related (including Jezebel) is normally bad for everything. Politically, they generate heat and no light. The articles I read on Gawker empire sites make me feel like my IQ has decreased.
Look, I may hate sites like Counterpunch for publishing Dines and Brennan drivel, but at least it’s a political site. I may hate the New York Times for publishing Kristof, but i recognize it’s a real newspaper.
Gawker empire stuff? The gravitas I’d expect from an issue of Tiger Beat, but that’s probably unfair to Tiger Beat.
Schwyzer published silly opinions about “hot” topics like whether imitating popular acts from pornography was appropriate for private bedrooms and saying “hey, it is!” Which, you know, “Duh!’ but it was bound to get the Dines fan club in a tizzy. Which generated controversy page hits for Gawker, which made their advertisers happy. Hell, in some ways the whole gossip column mess following his meltdown is exactly Gawkers stock in trade.
Here’s an example of what I mean:
Miley Cyrus’s X-Rated VMA Performance Horrifies Everyone Everywhere
They thoughtfully included pictures so I can see:
1. It isn’t horrifying or X-Rated
2. It’s typical MTV shenanigans
3. By including pictures they get to have their cake (oh, look at what a bad, BAD girl former child star Miley Cyrus has become! Our pearls could not be more clutched!!!) and eat it too (in fact, we are so horrified we’ll titillate you with some sexy pictures!!!)
But later on they’ll probably describe Lady Gaga wearing a dress made entirely of meat as edgy, daring and challenging the male manocracy, no matter what any MAN has to say about it!!!
It’s taking middle class fashionable “liberal” opinion and pretending it’s being daring and smashing “teh patriarchy.”
Sorry… I realize this contempt is so caustic it needs to be in a container marked corrosive….
I’ve no idea who Hugo Schwyzer is, and no idea about Miley Cyrus (sorry, Miley). But I do like her style. You know something, permed, blue-rinsed pearl clutchers? Girls like sex.
When you say things like that, it causes pearls to be clutched and gasps. “Girls like sex” harumph!!
I’ve never heard of this “Schwyzer” guy … and, is it just me, or does this guy have a “punch me” kind of face?
I see he’s wearing a “Vegan” hoodie in the pic … cute.
Some people jump on the right bandwagon to take advantage of the idiots on the right – like Jim and Tammy Faye Baker and Jimmy Swaggart. Couldn’t tell ya how much of my poor grandma’s money Swaggart got. It was a lot though.
Then you have people who jump on the left bandwagon to take advantage of the idiots on the left – like this Schwyzer character.
The common thread – is that they are unprincipled people who are in it for a buck. Or, in AlGore’s case – MILLIONS of bucks. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton – throw them in that category too.
To understand Gawker politics, you just have to figure at one point he was washing the chili dog stains out of his Vegan hoodie.
Much like he wrote an article saying guys should only date women their own age while dating a much younger woman. (Hey, I’m a proud cradle robber myself, but mendacity irks me.)
In fact, the Ayn Rand character most likely to own Gawker media is Gail Wynand.
Ha! Totally agree.
Barely heard of him either. But after reading the Buzzfeed link Maggie opened with, I get some sense of what he’s about. Four words: me, me, me and me.
Internet narcissism: It ain’t yer grandpa’s asshattery. It’s got an audience of millions!
Maggie, the more I read you the more class I see you have.
Thank you! 🙂
It also reflects well on your brains….
I don’t necessarily feel good or bad for Hugo Schwyzer, but his breakdown is something that should be the nightmare of a lot of unstable male feminist apologists.
I think that the medication helped him see his true desires without the cloud of self-deception. Unfortunately he interpreted this as “I am a fraud” rather than “Feminism is a lie”.
I already wrote to you personally to thank you, Maggie, but again, thanks for helping me with your articles to stop feeling guilty for what I am, thanks for helping me to accept my masculine sexuality and for helping me leave what turned out to be just another religion.
I like this article:
On Older Men, Younger Women, and Moralistic Claptrap: Hugo Schwyzer owes Johnny Depp an apology.
Keep this in mind:
” But the very same week I wrote that I was sleeping with a 23-year-old affiliated with the porn industry, not a student of mine, but who I met through the porn class.” — Hugo Schwyzer
Mmm-hmmm…
I expect this man to run for President, and win, someday.
Or at least, mayor of New York City.
“Maggie, the more I read you the more class I see you have”
Precisely what I was thinking.
+1
Miley Cyrus has teamed up w/ Juicy J- aka the realest outta Memphis. Can’t knock that.
This Schwyzer dude never said anything profound. Not once did he suggest anything remotely feasible. He’s a total lame.
Yes…….i`ve been reading and watching Hugo for a few years……He never did make any since to me either. He didn`t seem to like porn untill he found out some women like it to…… then it was all better.??????
Know nothing about him. Hope he has a good life and leaves this behind him. And stays out of the public eye.
Sure this has been brought up, but on the off chance that it hasn’t:
I just signed the petition “California Victims Compensation Fund: Remove Regulation 649.56” on Change.org.
Thanks!
I signed it and put it on my Twitter also.
Thanks, Baby. The world could use a few more of you.
Dear Sailor Barsoom, thank you. The world can use more of YOU also! This is one of the things that blows away the ###*** that Laura thinks she’s better than whores.
🙂