Artist Creates Comic Explaining How Sexism Affects Women AND Men

We all know how damaging sexism can be. Unfortunately there are too many attitudes from both men and women in the media which teach us to brush it off and not take it seriously. But when you watch videos like this, and read stories like this, it becomes more and more clear that street harassment and everyday sexism can be a gateway to much larger problems and crimes such as assault, rape, and stalking.

An artist called Rasenth, originally from California but now based in Japan, drew a series of well thought-out comic strips to explain how sexism is fraught with so many dangers that negatively affect not just women, but also men.

He created the comic after hearing about the horrific shooting in Santa Barbara by Elliot Rodger, who made a video explaining his reasons for targeting certain women: because they wouldn’t have sex with. Elliot was part of a sickening web community called Pick Up Artists who basically feel entitled to get whatever they want from women and take action when they don’t. Where on earth do people learn these attitudes from? It stems from the idea that women are not equal to men and that they can be acted upon (read: like an object, therefore being objectified) as a result.

“I was angered by the Elliot Rodger incident and how he was aggravated by his hatred towards women,” Rasenth told The Huffington Post. “The comments he made about women, I thought, were very common complaints lodged against women that people say and think everyday and yet these feelings led up to murder. I just wanted people to notice how our unconscious double standards are hurting ourselves and each other.”

Of course, after he uploaded the pictures to his Tumblr account, he got a mixed bag of reactions, including some very angry ones. It sucks that the negative people get more attention than the positive one, but Rasenth felt like he needed to address these reactions.

“Dear angry people: You’re not helping with your “stereotypically” angry reply. If you’re truly “not that man”, then don’t act like it, and stop contributing to it like the people who sent death threats to the person who created the #YesAllWomen hashtag. If you are angry, then get angry at the people who are committing the sexist acts, not at the people who are pointing them out.”

He points out in the comics below how women are blamed in ridiculous ways for sexual assaults, and how feminine traits are seen as “weak” when it comes to men. This has to stop. Great images, and sure the examples aren’t extensive, but the point he is trying to make is pretty clear. Sexism hurts both men and women, and gender shouldn’t be used as a way to shame anyone about who they are and how they identify.

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rasenth-sexism-comic-strip

rasenth-sexism-comic-strip

rasenth-sexism-comic-strip

rasenth-sexism-comic-strip

rasenth-sexism-comic-strip

rasenth-sexism-comic-strip

rasenth-sexism-comic-strip

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