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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/05/brett-kavanaugh-cristiano-ronaldo-male-victims-sexual-assault-allegations
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| Kavanaugh, Ronaldo ... how many more male victims must there be? | Kavanaugh, Ronaldo ... how many more male victims must there be? |
| (2 months later) | |
| I had never even heard of the term “incel” back in April, when some guy drove a van into pedestrians in Toronto, killing 10 and injuring 13. Yet nine days later I was reading a column about “the redistribution of sex” on the op-ed pages of the New York Times, which took what we’ll call this man’s “ideas” about involuntary celibacy and really tried to understand them in a slightly more theoretical way than doing something that gets you charged with 10 counts of premeditated murder. | I had never even heard of the term “incel” back in April, when some guy drove a van into pedestrians in Toronto, killing 10 and injuring 13. Yet nine days later I was reading a column about “the redistribution of sex” on the op-ed pages of the New York Times, which took what we’ll call this man’s “ideas” about involuntary celibacy and really tried to understand them in a slightly more theoretical way than doing something that gets you charged with 10 counts of premeditated murder. |
| Nine days! I love how fast the men’s rights movement gets stuff done, when women spend for ever fannying about getting nowhere with theories such as “honestly, it’s my uterus” and “sexually assaulting us is bad”. It totally makes you wonder what the men’s rights movement could achieve if they put their minds to it. They definitely top my Ones to Watch list for 2019. | Nine days! I love how fast the men’s rights movement gets stuff done, when women spend for ever fannying about getting nowhere with theories such as “honestly, it’s my uterus” and “sexually assaulting us is bad”. It totally makes you wonder what the men’s rights movement could achieve if they put their minds to it. They definitely top my Ones to Watch list for 2019. |
| Needless to say, a lot of women take these big and weighty ideas the wrong way. Citing various things – “the telly show with the red gowns”, for instance, or “the sweep of human history” – when women read men talking about “the redistribution of sex”, they have this weird, instinctive notion of what that might actually mean for them. But I for one appreciate guys opening up this unbounded, free-thinking space for us to talk about such complex matters. In fact, in that same spirit, I often wonder if the best short- to medium-term solution to this apparent supply problem wouldn’t be for the guys sympathetic to incels to wank them off themselves? Just until women understand the theory a bit better. I can write up that suggestion a bit more Keynesianally, if preferred. | Needless to say, a lot of women take these big and weighty ideas the wrong way. Citing various things – “the telly show with the red gowns”, for instance, or “the sweep of human history” – when women read men talking about “the redistribution of sex”, they have this weird, instinctive notion of what that might actually mean for them. But I for one appreciate guys opening up this unbounded, free-thinking space for us to talk about such complex matters. In fact, in that same spirit, I often wonder if the best short- to medium-term solution to this apparent supply problem wouldn’t be for the guys sympathetic to incels to wank them off themselves? Just until women understand the theory a bit better. I can write up that suggestion a bit more Keynesianally, if preferred. |
| In the meantime, I increasingly think about the incel thing every time I hear about the privations of Brett Kavanaugh’s youth. Like many people, the guy who will probably be a supreme court justice seems to have spent a huge amount of his younger years trying to get women to redistribute sex to him. This week, the New York Times published a letter from Brett to his friends about the ideal guestlist for an expensive beachside property they were renting for a vacation in 1983. As he put it: “I think we are unanimous that any girls we can beg to stay there are welcomed with open ...” [that’s Brett’s ellipsis, there]. | In the meantime, I increasingly think about the incel thing every time I hear about the privations of Brett Kavanaugh’s youth. Like many people, the guy who will probably be a supreme court justice seems to have spent a huge amount of his younger years trying to get women to redistribute sex to him. This week, the New York Times published a letter from Brett to his friends about the ideal guestlist for an expensive beachside property they were renting for a vacation in 1983. As he put it: “I think we are unanimous that any girls we can beg to stay there are welcomed with open ...” [that’s Brett’s ellipsis, there]. |
| What marks Kavanaugh out today is how angry and resentful he seems to remain about the market failure. As one of his classmates sufficiently repulsed by his performance at last week’s hearing put it: “Brett wanted to be the guy who got the girls, and he wasn’t the guy who got the girls.” | What marks Kavanaugh out today is how angry and resentful he seems to remain about the market failure. As one of his classmates sufficiently repulsed by his performance at last week’s hearing put it: “Brett wanted to be the guy who got the girls, and he wasn’t the guy who got the girls.” |
| Does it ever leave you? It certainly should. But the fact that it clearly doesn’t will probably get some theorist to remind us that it is simply economic sense to redistribute sex to guys like the young Brett, in order that they reach their full potential, instead of being limited to positions like supreme court justice. | Does it ever leave you? It certainly should. But the fact that it clearly doesn’t will probably get some theorist to remind us that it is simply economic sense to redistribute sex to guys like the young Brett, in order that they reach their full potential, instead of being limited to positions like supreme court justice. |
| I hope I have that right. As I say, I am still feeling my way as far as seeing supertoxic, often allegedly criminal behaviour as a failing economy. Part of where I’m stumbling is how this kind of theory applies to the president of the United States, who is also accused of various assaults that have arguably served as a career glass ceiling. From what we read, Donald Trump could always get girls, and still can. Yet even at the age of nearly 60 he was recorded explaining how he just liked to “grab them by the pussy”. Is this what Adam Smith meant by “the invisible hand”? Is there some market economist who could explain to me why this might be? I don’t want to fall into the trap of thinking that sexual assault is a question of power and violence, as opposed to being a matter of supply and demand. | I hope I have that right. As I say, I am still feeling my way as far as seeing supertoxic, often allegedly criminal behaviour as a failing economy. Part of where I’m stumbling is how this kind of theory applies to the president of the United States, who is also accused of various assaults that have arguably served as a career glass ceiling. From what we read, Donald Trump could always get girls, and still can. Yet even at the age of nearly 60 he was recorded explaining how he just liked to “grab them by the pussy”. Is this what Adam Smith meant by “the invisible hand”? Is there some market economist who could explain to me why this might be? I don’t want to fall into the trap of thinking that sexual assault is a question of power and violence, as opposed to being a matter of supply and demand. |
| While this economist is on the line, maybe they could clear up a related confusion – which is the idea that even hot, rich, powerful guys in peak physical condition are not above getting women to “redistribute sex” to them. Most likely, your first reaction to the news that Cristiano Ronaldo has been accused of rape is, “I don’t understand; this makes no economic sense. I can’t find anything in Friedman or Hayek about why this would happen at all.” But let’s recap what we know. According to a lengthy investigation by Der Spiegel, Kathryn Mayorga claims she was assaulted by the footballer in Las Vegas in 2009, and that he paid her $375,000. One version of Ronaldo’s testimony to his own lawyers reportedly states: “She said no and stop several times.” He denies all the allegations. | While this economist is on the line, maybe they could clear up a related confusion – which is the idea that even hot, rich, powerful guys in peak physical condition are not above getting women to “redistribute sex” to them. Most likely, your first reaction to the news that Cristiano Ronaldo has been accused of rape is, “I don’t understand; this makes no economic sense. I can’t find anything in Friedman or Hayek about why this would happen at all.” But let’s recap what we know. According to a lengthy investigation by Der Spiegel, Kathryn Mayorga claims she was assaulted by the footballer in Las Vegas in 2009, and that he paid her $375,000. One version of Ronaldo’s testimony to his own lawyers reportedly states: “She said no and stop several times.” He denies all the allegations. |
| According to an official statement by his new club, Juventus: “Cristiano Ronaldo has shown in recent months his great professionalism and dedication, which is appreciated by everyone at Juventus. The events allegedly dating back to almost 10 years ago do not change this opinion, which is shared by anyone who has come into contact with this great champion.” If you run this news release through Google Translate it reads simply: “when u spend 340m euros in transfer fees, salary and taxes on someone.” | According to an official statement by his new club, Juventus: “Cristiano Ronaldo has shown in recent months his great professionalism and dedication, which is appreciated by everyone at Juventus. The events allegedly dating back to almost 10 years ago do not change this opinion, which is shared by anyone who has come into contact with this great champion.” If you run this news release through Google Translate it reads simply: “when u spend 340m euros in transfer fees, salary and taxes on someone.” |
| So where are we? As Trump noted of one famous Democrat donor when he got in a spot of bother: “I’ve known Harvey Weinstein a long time. I’m not at all surprised to see it.” I am afraid I felt about as encouraged by this as I do about the show of credence given to Ronaldo’s accuser by internet handles with names like Barcafan4eva and Torinissimo. They have most in common with the people who stood behind Trump at his rally this week and cheered as he mocked Christine Blasey Ford. They make believing sexual assault allegations seem like just another partisan activity in our hideously polarised public sphere. | So where are we? As Trump noted of one famous Democrat donor when he got in a spot of bother: “I’ve known Harvey Weinstein a long time. I’m not at all surprised to see it.” I am afraid I felt about as encouraged by this as I do about the show of credence given to Ronaldo’s accuser by internet handles with names like Barcafan4eva and Torinissimo. They have most in common with the people who stood behind Trump at his rally this week and cheered as he mocked Christine Blasey Ford. They make believing sexual assault allegations seem like just another partisan activity in our hideously polarised public sphere. |
| Until sexual assault becomes something that someone’s base – be it Juve fans, be it Republicans – believes their own side capable of, we really haven’t inched meaningfully along this road at all. Not through want of trying, you understand. But until people stop placing team loyalty over everything, sexual assault will continue to be treated about as seriously as diving in the penalty box. Which is to say, only a big deal when your opponents do it. | Until sexual assault becomes something that someone’s base – be it Juve fans, be it Republicans – believes their own side capable of, we really haven’t inched meaningfully along this road at all. Not through want of trying, you understand. But until people stop placing team loyalty over everything, sexual assault will continue to be treated about as seriously as diving in the penalty box. Which is to say, only a big deal when your opponents do it. |
| • Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist | • Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist |
| Brett Kavanaugh | Brett Kavanaugh |
| Opinion | Opinion |
| Sexual violence | Sexual violence |
| Sexual harassment | Sexual harassment |
| US supreme court | US supreme court |
| Toronto van incident | Toronto van incident |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| #MeToo movement | #MeToo movement |
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