CW: Rape, Harassment, Threats
About a month ago, LEGO released the new Ghostbusters Ecto 1 & 2 set, which included the new female characters. On that day, someone from Reddit posted a picture of his or her 6-year-old daughter excitedly holding her new set. If I recall correctly, the set was the first one sold at whatever LEGO store they were at, and the little girl was so excited to get the set. I thought the thread and picture were cute, and I didn’t think much else about it until the next day. The next day, when I went to Reddit, I saw this thread. Evidently people were so angry about the movie (and I suppose the new female minifigs) that some decided it was perfectly fine to send a 6-year-old rape threats.
I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I still was. Online threats of violence just seem to escalate and escalate. It’s bad enough when it’s directed at adults, but a 6-year-old? The situation really got to me. I get that people were worried that the new movie might not be very good. I still haven’t seen it (although, I’ve heard good things about it). But, it’s one thing to fear a movie will be a disappointment, and another thing to get angry because women. And, that’s what this rape threat was about. Not a disappointing movie, but a movie that puts women in the Ghostbusting role and men (or at least one man) in the receptionist role. Although, I don’t get it, and I never will, I guess that women in lead roles are threatening to some people. I’m more concerned about (and have been thinking a lot about) the direction our society is taking. Threatening someone because they like something you don’t is not ok. Threatening children is not ok.
It’s easy to get fatigued by all the blatant sexism in our culture. Like the casual sexism I engaged in last week when I was told “ladies” don’t understand technology. Or, the violent, but online sexism in the story above. Or, the violent, physical sexism evidenced when the courts lets rapists go because they don’t want to ruin their lives or their college experience. Sometimes, I just want to stop and say, oh well. I guess I can just ignore it. If some dude out there thinks I don’t understand technology, then so be it, his beliefs don’t really affect my life. But, then, it’s not just about my life. And, that seemingly casual sexism feeds into the violent sexism. Women can’t do technology, they can’t be Ghostbusters, they can’t have leading roles, at least not to the exclusion of men (in one movie!). A little girl can’t be excited about her LEGO set. And, women are still of secondary concern to the men who rape them.
And, that’s what gets me past the fatigue and motivates me to keep fighting. As an individual, I can try to ignore and shrug off casual sexism, and I hope I don’t encounter violence, either through threats or physical harm, but I’m older. I’m not a child. And, it’s for them that I worry and for them that I want to keep fighting and pointing out problems and misconceptions.
Back in April, I wrote about how great the LEGO Reddit community was, especially when it came to welcoming all LEGO fans. Unfortunately, some LEGO Redditors were involved in the threats to the young fan. They were banned, but every community has people with really messed up ideas. I am somewhat encouraged by the banning; at least those involved felt some consequences (however small those consequences were). Everything changes too slowly, but maybe someday a 6-year-old girl can just like what she likes without fear of violent threats on the internet.
