This summer is the summer of trolling feminists on Twitter, with today’s #feministsareugly hashtag trend causing a significant number of users to take the bait.
Before #FeministsAreUgly began to trend, several other anti-feminist hashtags blew up this summer. One was a sort of broad, cross-platform #IDontNeedFeminism meme among women who felt feminism was harmful, unnecessary, or anti-male.
In June, anti-feminist trolls created a hashtag #EndFathersDay , ostensibly with the goal of inducing feminists to agree and subsequently appear unreasonable. While the #EndFathersDay hoax was initially taken at face value, the trolling origins of the meme were ultimately revealed.
As of now, the origins of the #feministsareugly hashtag are unclear — but as it trends, two conversations have generally taken place.
One points out the general thing about how whether feminists are “ugly” or not is immaterial, as part of feminism is the whole bit of women not being bound to appear a certain way simple to please the male eye. As such, most feminists really could not care any less whether anyone in particular deems them to be “ugly.”
And the second is, of course, counter-proof. Many self-described feminists are tweeting images to disprove the #feministsareugly hashtag, and (we assume) the straw feminist stereotype of a female who is not invested in her appearance.
Here are some of the “ugly feminists” tweeting under the #feministsareugly hashtag right now:
The #FeministsAreUgly tag started by misogynists has backfired coz now they have to look at all us ugly feminists ? pic.twitter.com/J5ZEmP7muv
— Emily (@emilyxhaimeed) August 7, 2014
Sure, but did she SHAVE her LEGS? More ugly feminists:
Whaaaaat? #FeministsAreUgly ???? Wtf pic.twitter.com/1c9qSK7sDJ
— Bruja (@_Jessssi) August 7, 2014
OMG, my eyes. Another?
Tweeting again because oh yeah… #FeministsAreUgly pic.twitter.com/7uYKNB5zJM
— little special (@thathermitgirl) August 7, 2014
Fake geek. I bet she doesn’t even need those glasses! Some other examples:
Clearly, we’re all hideous creatures. #feministsareugly pic.twitter.com/tOFheX0o82
— GothFeminist (@gothfeminist) August 7, 2014
Just to piss off guys even more #FeministsAreUgly pic.twitter.com/HLTmseZ5iN
— ???? (@_mindinrevolt) August 7, 2014
Sooo this hashtag #FeministsAreUgly ? Naw try again. Lol pic.twitter.com/xLgUUAwsEP
— SuperNova (@ShesSuperNova) August 7, 2014
#FeministsAreUgly apparently pic.twitter.com/eMMVIJLsq9
— ????? ??? (@MMMEENSZ) August 7, 2014
#FeministsAreUgly pic.twitter.com/vBIgeILNdv
— CATNISS (@_nowimgold) August 7, 2014
Ha. What idiot started this hashtag? Lush to see so many beautiful ladies proving them wrong!!! #FeministsAreUgly pic.twitter.com/MTgKpzNLNA
— E M I L I E (@EmiliePWilliams) August 7, 2014
#FeministsAreUgly is irrelevant. I’m not trying to be pretty, I’m trying to end sexism, misogyny, rape culture, etc.
— liberal heroine (@LiberalSass) August 7, 2014
Ultimately, we have to agree with the clearly ugly feminist above, who comes back around with the main point — females are not obligated to enhance their surroundings via their appearance… even though, as evidenced above, feminism and beauty are not mutually exclusive.