+
Sign up for
The Upworthiest
Our top stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox.
More

Listen to 1 man explain why he has a hard time being a feminist.

Like many men, Ben is a feminist learning to reconcile what it means to openly support women's equality in 2015.

Are men afraid to be called feminists?

Many men don't disagree with the concepts of feminism, but they're trying to figure out where they sit within the feminist movement. Should men embrace feminism?

Men can sympathize, but can we actually understand what women go through?

We don't experience inequality and objectification the same way women do. Men have never had the right to govern their own body threatened, you know? Women are paid 78 cents to every man's dollar, and legislatures around the country consistently attempt to regulate their bodies. These are issues men do not face.

Feminism is for anyone who believes both sexes deserve the same respect.

Should the struggle against the oppressor contain only the voices of the oppressed? If you think that feminist issues are only about women, that's not true! Feminism DOES apply to men! It should contain men + women's voices because BOTH are oppressed by the system of patriarchy. An unequal society puts an unnecessary amount of pressure on men, even if it's not nearly as much as it disempowers women.

Men, think about it for a second. We're expected to be the most powerful and winningest (I know it's not really a real word, but you get my point) man of all.

You don't have to be a woman to be a feminist.

You don't have to be gay to support gay rights or a person of color to stand up for racial equality. Because beyond being an ally, these issues touch on larger themes that put our whole society at a disadvantage. And we can only fix it by being united against oppressive powers.

So what's Ben's problem with feminism?

I called Ben to ask about his "problems" with feminism. He told me it's not so much a problem with feminism as it is that men don't (or won't?) understand it.

"My only problem with feminism is that every man does not self-identify as one. I'm a feminist and I wanted this video to answer questions for other men to hopefully normalize the word 'feminist' for other men." — Ben Acheson

Check out Ben's full video below. He's really good at giving us a look at what a lot of men think about being called a feminist. I showed this video to a couple of female coworkers, and they all had the same series of responses:

1. "He's a jerk."

2. "Oh wait, he's actually making really good points." Then,

3. "I wish all men were like this."

If you're short on time, check out 1:14 for the answers to some great thoughts and questions.

Family

Dad found out his son bullied a kid at school and came up with a brilliant teaching moment

"I told him that we have the opportunity to make things right."

@thehalfdeaddad/TikTok

Dad on TikTok shared how he addressed his son's bullying.

What do you do when you find out your kid bullied someone? For many parents, the first step is forcing an apology. While this response is of course warranted, is it really effective? Some might argue that there are more constructive ways of handling the situation that teach a kid not only what they did wrong, but how to make things right again.

Single dadPatrick Forseth recently shared how he made a truly teachable moment out of his son, Lincoln, getting into trouble for bullying. Rather than forcing an apology, Forseth made sure his son was actively part of a solution.


The thought process behind his decision, which he explained in a now-viral TikTok video, is both simple and somewhat racial compared to how many parents have been encouraged to handle similar situations.
Keep ReadingShow less
fatherhood
Family

Badass bikers show up for abused children, offering advocacy and protection

They become an abused child's "biker family," and they let the child—and everyone else—know that NO ONE messes with their family.

Bikers Against Child Abuse/YouTube

When you are a child who has been abused by people who are supposed to protect you, how do you feel safe?

That question is the heart of Bikers Against Child Abuse International (B.A.C.A.), an organization dedicated to creating "a safer environment for abused children." With specific training and extensive security checks, the frequently big and burly members of B.A.C.A. serve as protectors of chid abuse survivors, giving vulnerable children people to call on when they feel scared, and even showing up in court when a child asks them to.

Keep ReadingShow less
bikers
Education

Florida principal forced to resign after showing Michelangelo's 'David' to students

“It saddens me that my time here had to end this way."

Photo by Igor Ferreira on Unsplash

Florida principal fired after showing statue of "David."

If you ask most teachers why they went into education, they'll share that it had nothing to do with the money and everything to do with their passion for teaching. Even with rapid changes in curriculum and policies, teachers who remain in the classroom are lovers of education and are doing their best to help kids learn.

Hope Carrasquilla, the former principal of Florida's Tallahassee Classical School, was one of those teachers who simply enjoyed teaching. As the principal, Carrasquilla was required to teach two classes. During her sixth grade lesson about Renaissance art, which is also a requirement of the school, Carrasquilla showed a picture of Michelangelo's "David" statue.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, three parents complained about their children being shown the picture. Two of those parents were mostly upset that there wasn't sufficient notice given before the photo of the sculpture was shown. The third parent reportedly complained that the statue of the Biblical figure was pornographic.

Keep ReadingShow less
art education
Joy

Facing a tiebreaker, Olympians asked if they could share a gold medal. Pure joy ensued.

@peacockTV/Twitter

When Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi both landed their high jumps at 2.37 meters, they were in the battle for Olympic gold. But when both jumpers missed the next mark—the Olympic record of 2.39 meters—three times each, they were officially tied for first place.

In such a tie, the athletes would usually do a "jump-off" to determine who wins gold and who wins silver. But as the official began to explain the options to Barshim and Tamberi, Barshim asked, "Can we have two golds?"

Keep ReadingShow less
olympics
Pop Culture

Christopher Walken dancing in over 50 movies all perfectly spliced into a single music video

Most people don’t know he studied dance as a child.

via YouTube

These days, we could all use something to smile about, and few things do a better job at it than watching actor Christopher Walken dance.

A few years back, some genius at HuffPo Entertainment put together a clip featuring Walken dancing in 50 of his films, and it was taken down. But it re-emerged in 2014 and the world has been a better place for it.

Keep ReadingShow less
dance
Pop Culture

Guy with a metal detector astonished to find a ring that belonged to the Sheriff of Nottingham

It was authenticated by experts from the British Museum.

via Unsplash

English metal detector hobbyist finds a real treasure near Nottingham.

A retired merchant navy engineer in England has found a treasure that would have made his country’s most popular folk hero proud. Graham Harrison, a 64-year-old metal detector enthusiast, discovered a gold signet ring that once belonged to the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The discovery was made on a farm in Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire, 26.9 miles from Sherwood Forest. The forest is known worldwide for being the mythological home of Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men. A central road that traversed the forest was notorious in Medieval times for being an easy place for bandits to rob travelers going to and from London.

Keep ReadingShow less
pop culture
Trending Stories