I have had the flu and a fever the last two weeks and only just heard about the horrible gang rape in Ohio and watched the leaked Anonymous video. It's sad but I have heard stories exactly like this growing up, girls telling each other these stories as warnings, then in college. The video really got me thinking though, as well as http://feministing.com/2013/01/23/gender-and-empathy-men-shouldnt-need-to-imagine-if-it-were-your-wifedaughtermother/ this article a colleague posted on Facebook. One of the biggest reasons that bronys are made to feel ashamed of themselves is for the same reason this atrocity happened.
In the video, one boy begins really trying to get the main kid on camera to stop making jokes about the passed-out drunk girl that is currently being raped outside (although why isn't he doing anything to actually stop the rape? Whatever, another story). The linked article points out that not only did he have NO empathy for the girl, but why should we have to ask questions like, "What if it was your daughter, or your sister?" to begin with? The article states "The idea that a woman would need a reminder on how to empathize with someone–as well as way of mentally replacing the object of empathy with someone else who is more personally valued to them–seems slightly ludicrous. "
Yes, it is, isn't it? I hear bronies complain about stereotypes on this board but I'm beginning to think it actually is a really big deal for men to be so ashamed and so hateful of the "feminine" and "girly". Empathy is, in our society, very much directed as a woman's job. But if Bronies can accept that it is a male's responsibility to be empathetic as well, then you do deserve more support. (The sexism still is still against women and you are being punished for being in their territory where segregation is supposed to be upheld, because I guess we are dirty or something).
The joking and fear about all that is supposed to be in a women's realm is so much more hateful than the casual observer realizes, because we are all so numbed to our everyday-lives. It's one thing to say, "Ignore what they say, they're just haters, Don't let it bother you, etc" -but when we see these atrocities and wonder why...Well do you still wonder why? These little annoying comments people make about you are really symptoms of a much bigger issue and problem, and it is important to talk about and work through with society. They really hate women. They don't even care about other people in general because empathy is designated a womanly trait.
Now I'm too angry to even finish this post because of all the rage suppressed during watching that video!