But then there are idiots, who claim to be 'feminists' but totally undermine the feminist movement by calling men 'misogynist ratfuckers' and attacking anything that offends their 'feminist' sensibilities (with the same pious fervor as those whack job Christians on the right wing.)
Unfortunately, the latter are louder than the former, which is why so many ill-informed men accuse anybody who calls themselves a feminist of 'hating men.' So, thanks, ladies!
One of my favorite examples of this kind of idiocy is BelleDame, over on Fetch Me My Axe. Her latest rant (she doesn't post, only ever seems to rant) sees her attack the latest commercials for the upcoming Tucker Max movie "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell."
They are pretty offensive - stickers being placed across the city with 'witty' frat-boy slogans like 'The best thing about fat girls is heart disease' and 'Strippers will not tolerate disrespect (just kidding.)'
As far as advertising goes, these posters do the trick. They get people talking and bloggers like BelleDame and her commenters are giving thousands of dollars worth of free viral marketing to this movie simply by ranting about how offensive the adverts are!
(So, once again, thanks, ladies!)
What I find sad is that BelleDame and her friends just don't seem to 'get' the whole Tucker Max phenomenon.
For those of you who aren't up on their 'fratire', Tucker Max is the author of 'I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell' - a satirical, semi-autobiographical book written by a (seemingly) unrepentant douchebag.Tucker Max, or at least, the semi-fictionalized version of him, does some completely horrible things throughout the book, all in the pursuit of pussy. He risks life, limb and lifelong friendships all for fleeting pleasure or a cheap laugh.
But what the commenters on Fetch Me My Axe - none of whom have actually read the book, of course, - fail to grasp is the fact that Tucker Max isn't a hero.
People who read his book don't want to emulate him.
'I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell' is just the latest in a line of comic tragedies, a genre dating back to before Shakespeare. In such tragedies, the lead character's disgusting behavior ultimately results in his own misery - and he needs to change his ways to escape it.
And Tucker Max is no exception. He might be swaggering, materialistically successful douche bag - but his behavior explains his inability to retain friends, form relationships or enjoy anything that's emotionally rewarding - and that's what we take away from the last pages of his book.
Similarly, the movie is based on one of the most poignant chapters of Tucker's book - the saga of him getting kicked out of his best friend's wedding party.
That story - and the movie it's based on - see's Max attempt to get back into his best friend's good books. He's punished for his behavior and tries to repent - not for materialistic or sexual gain, but because the friendship is one of the few things Tucker Max actually values (although he doesn't realize that until he loses it.)
If you read 'I Hope they Serve Beer in Hell,' you don't end up admiring Tucker Max. Instead, you sympathise for him because of everything he's lost out on (and how his self-destructive behavior is self-perpetuating. If he ever stopped for introspection, it would utterly destroy him.)
BelleDame and her friends claim that there are people who idolize Tucker Max (but then again, there are conservative idiots who think Stephen Colbert really is an entitled, right-wing bastard) but some people are always guaranteed not to get the joke. In this instance, BelleDame and her friends are amongst them.
But despite what BelleDame says, I like to think the majority of Americans who watch I Hope they Serve Beer in Hell' will have the sophistication to actually 'get' the point of the movie - and learn something from it.
