Misandry, sometimes called androphobia, is the hatred of men, for being men. While usually ascribed to women, it is also theoretically possible for males themselves to be misandrist. Unlike misogyny (a pathological aversion towards women), misandry has been little discussed or investigated. Some masculists maintain that misandry has been rampant for thirty years, due to feminist advocacy, and has become a social pathology. Some feminists believe that, while misogyny is a social disease, misandry does not exist. Others in both feminist and masculist camps consider the "war of the sexes" arising from traditional gender roles to be a powerful source of both misogyny and misandry.
This term is sometimes used interchangeably with misanthropy.
Forms of misandry
There are many different forms of misandry. In its most overt expression, a misandrist will openly hate all males, and will hurt them simply because they are male.
Other forms of misandry may be more subtle. Some misandrists may simply hold all males under suspicion, or may hate males who do not fall into one or more acceptable categories. Entire cultures may be said to be misandric if they treat males in ways that can be seen as hateful.
Misandry in popular culture
Some hold that certain aspects of popular culture have depictions or display attitudes which could be said to show misandry, such as:
- depictions of men as being sex-crazed and overbearing.
- attitudes where women are superior to men
- depictions in sitcoms of bumbling male ineptitude (especially fathers).
- depictions where men are unable to take care of themselves, but rather needing a woman (in the form of a mother or a wife) to take care of them. Gaston, a character from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, is such a man.
The controversial French movie Baise Moi (2000) could be argued to be such a film which has attitudes of misandry; two women go on a sexual and murderous rampage of various men they encounter.
See also
Links