Healing as (We)Blog in a Show Tits or Leave World

AN INQUIRY INTO ANONYMOUS

THE QUESTION OF HUMOR

At ED we archive the lulz...[and] lulz is laughter at someone else’s expense...This makes it inherently superior to
lesser forms of humor...the anguish of a laughed-at-victim transforms lol into lulz, making it longer, girthier, and
more pleasurable...and is the only good reason to do anything, from trolling to consensual sex. (Encyclopedia Dramatica)
ENCYCLOPEDIA DRAMATICA

[1]
WHO IS ANONYMOUS?
WHAT THINKS OF WOMEN

[2]
SHOW TITS OR GTFO

[3]
 A RAPE CULTURE
condone acts of violence. An imbalance of power
The Rape Culture of “Meatspace” relations among the genders as well as among
those of different racial, ethnic, religious, and class
Feminist theorists have consistently argued, in what background (to say nothing of the blatant hostility
seems to me clearly logical and transparent ways, to same-sex relationships) is the scaffolding that
that we live in a rape culture. Our lives allows a rape culture to go unchecked. As Andrea
are controlled by the constant threat of rape. To be Dworkin noted in her 1983 address to the Midwest
clear, I am distinguishing between “fear” and Regional Conference of the National Organization for
“threat.” Although it may be accurate to say that all Changing Men, by not actively working to dismantle
women fear rape, fear is something specific to the this rape culture that is inherently beneficial to men,
individual. I'm talking about systemic control. While makes them accomplices in the terrorization of
the fear of rape may influence the way that an women. The failure to act makes us all accomplices
it
individual woman engages the world around her, in a culture of violence, misogyny, racism and
homophobia.
is the threat of rape that controls
the way that we all, men and
Is there a rape culture in
women, are culturally conditioned.
In Against our Will: Men, Women and Rape Susan cyberspace?
Brownmiller made the first comprehensive attempt
In the Spring 2008 issue of Bitch magazine, “Whack
to conceptualize rape on a macro level. The basic
Attack--Giving the Digital Finger to Blog Bandits,”
principle is that because we are immersed in a
Jaclyn Friedman discusses this summer's attacks on
culture that frequently sexualizes and decriminalizes
acts of rape and because as women we are taught feminist blogs. Friedman, while guest-blogging on
to be ever-vigilant in protecting ourselves against the popular feminist site. Friedman and other
rape, the threat of rape functions as a mechanism bloggers believed at first that the posters were
for control and domination. According to trying to silence them and so they “decried these
attacks in blog after blog;” they fought back,
“rape has played a
Brownmiller
refusing to be silenced. As Adrienne Rich has said:
critical function...a conscious
process of intimidation by which “ s i l e n c e i s o p p r e s s i o n , i s
all men keep all women in a state violence.” Only these posters weren't trying to
silence the women and men posting on these
of fear” (15). As I write this, over thirty feminists sites; on the contrary, they were trying to
years later, I have the benefit of decades of piss them off; they wanted them to respond. So,
research and theorizing on rape and its social unwittingly, the bloggers gave Anonymous just what
functions. As a result, I am more inclined to they wanted--“hostile chaos” or, assuming you
understand this issue as a systemic one,
aren't the one whose site is being attacked, lulz.
perpetuated by a patriarchal culture (in part
contributed to and continued by individual men)
that enlists rape as a method of social control. Still,
deflecting all blame on the institution of patriarchy
isn't sufficient , since institutions are created and
upheld by people, men and women. Patriarchy is
not the rapist and not all men are trying to control
all women through the threat of sexual violence.
Nevertheless, patriarchal systems of inequality
provide fertile ground in which individuals are
encouraged to implicitly (even at times explicitly)
WHAT ARE LULZ?
Is blatant sexism humorous? Does dehumanizing
others constitute humor?

Does lulz humor go to far? When does

humorous language become violence?
 ATTACKING WOMEN: FOR THE LULZ
This past summer a series of attacks were leveled at
feminist blogs after members of Anonymous attacked Biting
Beaver for comments she made regarding her son. While
many feminists (myself included) were horrified by her
remarks, we were more horrified by Anonymous’ response.
They made death threats, published Biting Beaver’s address,
and called for people to find her home and rape her and
kidnap her son (for his own good, of course.)
Biting Beaver’s comments were violent and reprehensible.
Do violent comments warrant a violent response? And do
threats of rape and murder constitute humor?
A fellow blogger came to her defense and received
comments like this one:
A. Friend | ie@gmail.com | IP: 66.90.103.37
Heart, this is horrible. I’m sorry that this is happening to you.
These people want nothing to do but to hurt you and your
cause. I feel for you. In fact, I want to feel you now. I’d like
to tie you down, take a knife, and slit your throat. I’d
penetrate you over and over in all orifices, and create some
of my own to stick myself in.
[5] Not Spam — Aug 4, 1:57 AM — [ View Post ]