Mata Hari —
How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good. My parents came and built an outdoor playhouse for our girls, we went to a new swimming pool that was pretty neat, I was banished from Facebook and we celebrated my father-in-law’s birthday.
All-in-all a pretty full weekend.
Hey, you know who I feel terrible for?
Yay-Rapists.
What’s a Yay-Rapist? It’s any one of the sick fucks on Facebook, or in real life, who think rape jokes are funny.
As you may have heard, I’ve started this petition to pressure Facebook into removing Yay-Rapist groups, but since they have done nothing for the past 110 days to remove this group, I decided to do a little reverse trolling.
What I didn’t realize is that these poor, oppressed Yay-Rapists are actually very, very sensitive. And I must have hurt their feelings because they reported me to Facebook and I was banished because my behavior was “identified as harassing or threatening to other people on Facebook” according to the explanation FB provided me.
Now, granted, I was definitely harassing them, but the people I harassed were mocking, trivializing and condoning rape.
I was pissed.
Seriously pissed.
So, here’s what I wrote:
Damn, that last one got cut off! Argh! That was a good one too.
Poor Yay-Rapists, with their sensitive feelings. They just couldn’t take the heat, so someone reported me and Facebook banished me to PROTECT THE RAPE GROUP from my harassment.
So, for 110 days, Facebook has done NOTHING about a group that mocks the destructive impact of rape, yet one person attacks these callous asswipes and they jump right on it.
Priorities, priorities.
Am I the only one who finds this disturbing?
Anyway, if you’re interested… someone slightly similar.
July 19, 2010 at 10:01 am
[...] took screen caps of my comments and these are the ones that warranted my [...]
July 19, 2010 at 11:09 am
I have tried to come up with some kind of response to this, but it keeps trailing off into an incoherent rant.
Gah!
July 19, 2010 at 11:32 am
It’s infuriating isn’t it? I guess that’s what these groups really enjoy: watching the impotent frustration of people who are so infuriated by their cruelty (aka “doing it for the lulz”). I wish there were a decent alternative to FB.
Peace,
Shannon
July 19, 2010 at 11:24 am
It was probably the “I hope you die” comment that got you the banhammer. Frankly, I’m with facebook on this one. Most of the people in this group are just stupid kids with a sick sense of humor. Which means they probably don’t deserve to be attacked by Reavers.
What disturbs me is the selective application of the hate-speech policy. Whether or not you deserved to be banned, the “Yay-Rapists!” certainly do.
July 19, 2010 at 11:31 am
I’m curious of the same coverage will be applied to a “joke” about lynchings. Are racist jokes allowed or just sexually demeaning jokes?
And I get that I was pretty cruel and spiteful in these comments, but I was pissed, for one, that people just don’t get it. I don’t really hope they die, I just couldn’t think of words strong enough to express my contempt. I still can’t.
Peace,
Shannon
July 19, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Thanks for your responses, both here and on FFF.
Frankly, I think we do need to pull our punches a little. Nastiness is incredibly cathartic, but it’s not good strategy. Frankly, I think old-fashioned mockery will get us much farther. I still remember your description of one fat-hating frat-douche as a nuked Ken Doll. Priceless.
As infuriating as all this is, it’s important to keep things in perspective. The people in “Rape-Yay!!” facebook groups are participating in rape culture, but that doesn’t mean they’re morally equivalent to rapists–not even close.
What they deserve is not some sort of cosmic retribution; it’s a slap on the wrist, and a healthy dose of perspective.
On a related note, I thought you might enjoy this cartoon.
http://overcompensating.com/posts/20100302.html
The rape/lynching comparison is an interesting one. I’m curious to see what facebook will do.
July 25, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Well, so far they have actively ignore reports to a test lynching “joke” group I created. I know they’re refusing to delete it because I’m able to report it multiple times, whereas with the gay hate groups I created, I was notified that I could only report the group once. However, I think they’re wise to my strategy, based on the conversation I’ve had with the FB rep.
As far as Yay-Rapists… I don’t know. I’m pretty new to the whole “rape culture” concept and it’s pretty staggering. Maybe they’re not the moral equivalent of rapists, but they are enabling rapists to a certain extent. I don’t know, it’s just so reprehensible. I just don’t get the mindset. Come on Karma, kick some ass.
Insightful, funny comics. Thanks for sharing.
Peace,
Shannon
July 19, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Crap! My google-fu is not good today. This is the comic I was trying to link to; check out the text below the comic for an incredibly righteous rant.
http://overcompensating.com/posts/20081211.html
July 19, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Now you’ve drawn attention to that group, maybe FB will do something about it? I won’t hold my breath.
July 25, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Don’t hold your breath, but do help us raise awareness.
Even if FB doesn’t change its policy, we can, maybe, make somebody aware of the impact this shit has on real people.
Peace,
Shannon
July 26, 2010 at 10:04 am
[...] I was banished from Facebook for wishing undignified deaths on Yay-Rapists, I received a message from Marilyn Wann asking me to clarify my intentions as a Fat Activist (which [...]
July 29, 2010 at 9:10 am
I love you.
July 29, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Well thanks! I love you too.
Peace,
Shannon