Sexism & Trolls in Modern Entertainment
Have you been watching any TV shows in the last five years? And if so, are there any shows that have gotten a ton of backlash online for simply changing a role? There are hundreds of thousands of tweets about a particular show or something that it is driving people crazy. But what in the world are they ranting about??
These shows in particular are covering one area in common: sexism in modern television. But what is sexism? Sexism, by definition, is discrimination or devaluation based on a person’s sex or gender, as in restricted job opportunities. This term is unfortunately used on women more often than men, but it can be used both ways. Modern television shows, according to some people, seem like they are forcing sexist ideas down their throats, or are becoming ‘too PC’ for their taste. If the producers or creators behind the scenes make the smallest of changes, or write a particular episode from a perspective never before seen, the critics jump on board and try to smash the idea to pieces.
And this act of sexist attacks has happened on more than one occasion. And it always seems that men are the main suspects in the attacks, mainly due to the fact that they cry and whine about “their favorite show being ruined.” These activists are called Men’s Rights Activists (MRAs), and they closely self identify with the “red pill”. This references a scene in the Matrix in which the protagonist is given two choices: to consume “the blue pill”, which will allow him to continue living somewhat happily in a false reality, or “the red pill” and realize that he has been living in an elaborate lie (https://junkee.com/roasting-sexist-doctor-who-fans/113199).
According to CJ Pascoe, men who fail to conform to traditional definition of masculinity transfer their failure onto people who are deemed culturally inferior to them. These groups of men participate in homophobic, sexist, transphobic “practices in fandom cultures”.
A good example of this trend of MRAs in action is happening with the most recent series of Doctor Who. This series is a big move for the BBC, with a new showrunner taking the wheel and changing up the foundation of the show by switching some things around. The biggest change being the newest incarnation of the Doctor, played by the brilliant actress Jodie Whittaker. This change in particular has strongly divided the fanbase, with some saying she was a brilliant choice for the part, but others (like the MRAs) strongly believing she does not belong in this role and is “ruining the show”. They strongly look at the show ratings and compare them to other series to prove “that the show is failing due to this stupid decision by the BBC to be PC…” However, the show ratings actually prove that this is the strongest series so far, with over 8.2 MILLION viewers for Jodie’s debut, an hour long premiere, this past October.
And the MRAs do not just attack in person or through YouTube comments, they also take to social media, attacking anyone and everyone who they deem “culturally inferior” and try to drag them into the ground. However, some people are fighting back. YouTubers in particular are making videos calling out or fact-checking the MRAs for their misinterpretation of the facts that everyone else is seeing as brilliant television. There are so many examples in films as well. Star Wars was getting such a strong backlash when the most recent trilogy started in 2015, with Rey taking on the lead role from Luke Skywalker, throwing some men into a tizzy.
To the MRAs and anyone who dares to try and insult characters just because they are female, or different than your stereotypical protagonist: everybody needs a role model. Women have been looking up to men for decades, centuries even, and it is time for the roles to be reversed. Men can have female role models; there is nothing wrong with that.
And here is an added little bonus. Here is a video from the TV show The Last Leg, in which they talk about the casting of the new Doctor and sexist backlash (WARNING: swear words throughout) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPmzDEoAqk4
