BuzzFeed pitch? First, check your privilege

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The disdain for white males is often brazen. In the current wave of feminism, feminists chug male tears and between gulps they ask for more respect and empathy.  

Or they just call men garbage. That happens too.  

A few days ago on Twitter, BuzzFeed editor Scaachi Koul asked for stories, preferably from people who aren’t white males. Many people challenged her and called her sexist. In a frenzied caps-lock outburst she responded:

“IF YOU’RE A WHITE MAN UPSET THAT WE ARE LOOKING MOSTLY FOR NON-WHITE MEN I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOU GO WRITE FOR MACLEANS.”

When that didn’t pacify her detractors, she decided on this:  

 “HA HA ANYWAY BAN MEN LITERALLY THROW THEM IN THE GARBAGE.”

Some male saps agreed with her preference. They’ve been conditioned to hate masculine traits and they don’t want to challenge the feminist contradiction: that being a white male is both disordered (in its very masculinity) and a privilege. These men are fine with their inferiority complex and so when they’re deliberately put last or mocked, sadly, it rings true for them.  

Unfortunately, this behaviour from feminists doesn’t surprise anyone. They’ve no problem making provocative statements that are objectively unfair, and yet, they seem startled when men object to being put at the bottom of a job application list.  

When challenged, feminists manoeuver the argument into what kind of feedback they received. Instead of acknowledging what they said was wrong, or at the very least provocative, they gasp at all the hatred in the world, and leave Twitter, either permanently or temporarily as Koul has done. This helps maintain their victim status, confirm their hatred of men, and avoid critical discussion.

In this case, the Huffington Post headline yesterday wasn’t about what Koul said, it was that she was harassed afterwards. Oddly, they didn’t provide any examples. Oh, and one more thing—she used to work for them.

I rarely read BuzzFeed but I remember Koul from an appearance on CBC with Wendy Mesley. During it, she harped on how men deserved no pity. To her list of grievances she said, “When I go outside I get men stop me and ask me why I’m not smiling.” she said.

I have contradictions, too, because I was outraged and amused. Outraged for men (including my two beautiful boys) who are held to standards so absurd that they can’t say, “Smile.” And amused that feminism is unravelling into a laughing-stock, thanks to these micro-gripes.  

You’d think gender and skin colour wouldn’t matter to BuzzFeed editors. I always thought the nice thing about writing was that your words determined your next gig. You either said it best or you got a quick rejection e-mail. However, in a culture collapsing under politically correct identities, maybe I’ve been naïve. Maybe it’s been about appearances for years. How shallow.

This is feminism

 

If you do what a journalist does, you might be a journalist

Best Lois Lane, hands down

The Alberta NDP proved this week that they’re sloppy-drunk with power to think they can dictate who is and isn’t a journalist. I’m guessing they reserve the title for any left-leaning person who nods and claps approvingly whenever they speak.

To review, Rebel journalists were banned from three events. 

When they asked why, they received a letter from the Alberta Ministry of Justice saying, “Our client’s position remains that your client (The Rebel) and those who identify as being connected to your client (The Rebel) are not journalists and are not entitled to access media lock-ups or other such events.”

Sneering that they're not journalists makes me wonder if they’ve been sheltered too long from criticism or if they have a warped and romantic view of the job.  

First let’s dispel the romanticism. Journalists report on fender-benders and give you tips on how to avoid the intersection. When a journalist writes persuasive, intelligent commentary, someone will read only the headline and call him a jackass. Also, real-life journalists report on heavy stuff like the merits of gluten-free diets, Kanye West’s Twitter feed, and with surprising regularity, they cover adorable puppy-befriends-pig stories.  

Don’t get me wrong, we need to know everything Kanye says, and in all seriousness, I respect many journalists and I’m grateful for their reporting. I’m a freelancer myself, so of course I find writing worthwhile.

But while there’s prestige in the position, for the government to imply that there’s a purity and exclusivity in the role is silly.

Being a journalist isn't the highest calling. You don’t need to go to J-school, and given the job market, it shouldn’t be your major. It’s great to have a post secondary education, but again, it’s not necessary.

Journalism is a craft—and I mean this in a practical way, not affectedly. If you write well, you’ll do well. Just as a painter can be magnificent without four years of life drawing or art history.

The government doesn’t get to decide who will report on them. But here’s a good test of journalism credentials:  If you work for a news source, report on news, and get turned away from an event because they’re intimidated by your political persuasion and critical eye then - Baam! - you’re a journalist!