In super-shitty Office 2016’s Word for Windows, I can sometimes type 10 words ahead of what is actually displaying on the screen.

It’s like being back in 1986 and connected to a BBS so slow that I could type more quickly than it could echo the input back to me.

Ridiculous.

Here’s what I mean about undesirable men being bashed as a result of the Harvey Weinstein allegations and fallout. This is one of the many examples in the wild:

Your periodic reminder that sexual predators often purposely create an overtly feminist public persona

— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) November 9, 2017

Check out the whole thread. I doubt there is any real difference in the rate of sexual predatorship of male feminist allies and any other men. I suspect probably lower. Notice, though, that she’s not condemning jock types or frat bros among whom sexual assault is vastly more prevalent. Does that tell you anything? It should.

Anyway, what’s really going on here is that she’s responding predictably to the culture around her, like most people (even if they don’t realize it). The problem is that even most feminists see male feminists or male feminist allies as undesirable men, and unworthy of respect. The castigation and condemnation results from this, truly, not any actions that are unusual.

I am not blaming women. I don’t even care that much. Culture is powerful, and few people can resist it all that much. But it’s bonkers to think that a male feminist ally is more likely to assault you than some bro lawyer or jock type.

Those people have power, though. They are not safe to oppose. Male feminist allies, however, are seen as weak and emasculated by nearly everyone (including feminists) so they are a great target for derision.

I haven’t written anything about Tom Petty. I like his music well enough and some of his songs quite a lot. But his death struck a little too close to home, literally.

He was a North Florida boy like me. His dad thought him effeminate, called him a faggot. Like mine did to me. He fled North Florida. Just like I did. Found a better life, too.

He seemed like a good man.

When I saw his videos on TV in the 1980s, someone told me that he was from North Florida. At the time I didn’t know his story. No internet then. But I thought, Strange-looking North Florida weirdos can do ok in this world, it turns out, and that truly did help me. Then, I needed all the help I could get. You have no idea. I make light of it now, but times, as they say, was rough.

Me. Tom Petty. North Florida weirdos achieving escape velocity.