The standard assumption is that #MeToo is purely a feminist phenomenon. But while its most visible and vocal proponents are feminst, the bedrock of #MeToo is not feminist, but chivalrous. It is chivalry that teaches us that women are more virtuous than men, and that it is noble and ennobling for a man to suffer due to the capriciousness of a woman. Despite ostensibly being on opposing sides, neither feminists nor chivalrists care much whether Dr. Blasey Ford is telling the truth in her accusations against Judge Kavanaugh. Both are primed to believe her as a matter of course, but even if she is lying it is still better if we take her at her word. Whether they call it victim blaming or unchivalrous, both agree that it would be monstrous to presume a man accused by a woman is innocent until proven guilty.
Interestingly it has been a few mothers of sons who have been willing to break the feminist/chivalrous spell and speak the unspeakable. Megan Fox dealt chivalry a grievous blow in her post How to ‘Christine Blasey Ford-Proof’ Your Son (HT Instapundit):
4. Don’t trust women
Sorry to say it, but my sex offends and horrifies me. Between Stormy Daniels and Ford, women are a disgrace. Contrary to the saccharine platitude that “women don’t lie,” women lie all the time. They lie like crazy. The younger they are, the more they lie and scheme. It’s probably the rage of hormones and insecurity that contribute to it, but most women lie and scheme. Teach your sons to search out morally upstanding girls and to avoid drama queens.
Likewise, Sarah Hoyt indicts the chivalrous mindset in When Every Boy Is Guilty, Every Girl Becomes a Monster (HT Instapundit):
All [the girls] know is that he’s doing socially unapproved things and that this is doubleplus ungood. In the way of middle school girls, they want to enforce conformity. And everyone knows if you accuse someone of sexually harassing you, that gets them removed, and people treat you as a victim and are nice to you.
I can’t begin to express my horror and disgust at this. I have no words, just a profound depression.
This is not just wrong. This is evil. Straight up evil.
See Hoyt’s full post for the gory details of how the chivalrous view of young girls harmed her own sons as well as another innocent boy in the same town. As she points out, our assumptions about the innate goodness of girls is not only unfounded, it is evil.
