Maybe he’s born with it, maybe it’s ketamine
Every time I think Elon Musk can’t sink any lower, he grabs a shovel and starts digging. Over the last few months, Apartheid-Clyde (as he is known) has done his best to get Donald Trump elected in every possible way. In addition to throwing money and an endorsement at Trump, Musk has several false election claims and reposted a fake version of Kamala Harris’ first campaign video, which had been doctored to make her say she is the “ultimate diversity asset.”
When Musk isn’t busy with politics, he’s busy posting misogynistic memes on X, the social media platform he’s slowly turned into a hate-filled cesspool for advertisers. He’s posted an extraordinary amount of outrageous content in the past, but on Sunday he really outdid himself: the billionaire reposted a tweet from “Autism Capital” that suggested that “low T women and men” cannot think freely because they “cannot physically defend themselves.” The only people who can think freely are “high T alpha males and aneurotypicals… therefore a republic of high status men is best for decision making. Democratic, but a democracy only for those who are free to think.”
So what did Musk write in response to this hugely sexist post that originally published on 4chan, the far-right message board that has been described as the “blueprint for white supremacist groups”? He wrote: “Interesting observation.”
It’s possible, I think, that Musk meant “interesting” in the sense that Britons use it often – which is a polite way of saying, “That’s total bullshit, you ridiculous idiot.” But judging by Musk’s past behavior, one can imagine that there’s a good chance he genuinely found the post interesting.
Musk, of course, wouldn’t be the first billionaire to engage in thought experiments like: What if we stripped women of all their rights? Peter Thiel, who runs the dystopian tech company Palantir and bankrolled JD Vance’s political career, once mused that women given the right to vote bad for democracyAnd we all know what Vance’s boss, Trump, thinks about women.
But this isn’t just about women: Musk’s platforming terms like “low T men” reveal how toxic masculinity hurts men too, and how testosterone has become politicized. Since 2016, “it has become a strange kind of orthodoxy among American conservatives that a liberal-minded man supporting feminism is simply the result of abnormally low testosterone levels,” wrote The Guardian’s Sam Wolfson in 2019. This is partly due to a dubious study linking left-wing politics to lower testosterone levels.
Being “low T” has become the ultimate insult in certain circles, and people like Trump have staked their reputation on it. testosterone levels on national tv. Companies have sprung up to monetize male insecurity and promote questionable ways to increase testosterone. Last year, a startup called T Party invited tech bros to Silicon Valley for get-togethers where they all tested their testosterone together, for example. And who can forget Tucker Carlson having a personal trainer on his show to extol the virtues of “testicle tanning” to boost testosterone?
To be clear, there are serious concerns about dropping testosterone levels. Studies show that there is a “substantial“decline in testosterone levels in American men since the 1980s. Sperm counts have also declined worldwide. But that, of course, has nothing to do with feminism and a lot to do with perpetual chemicals and environmental stressors.
Ridiculous 4chan memes aside, there’s also an interesting conversation to be had about the effects of testosterone levels on decision-making – it’s a question that’s been studied for a long time. And you know what those studies show? That testosterone makes men “less likely to question their impulses” and is linked to “less self-reflection.” Sounds like Mr. Musk, right? Not that it’s meant to imply that Musk is high on testosterone, to be clear. I hear ketamine, which is Musk very fond of – and says investors want him to keep investing – can sometimes be a similar effect on people’s ability to make rational decisions. Or maybe he’s just high on misogyny: it’s a damn good drug.
Man accused of enlisting strangers to rape drug-impaired woman to appear in court in France
This story is absolutely harrowing and Gisèle Pélicot, who waived her legal right to anonymity so that justice could be done in public, is an incredibly impressive figure. What is not impressive is some of the reporting – particularly this shameful head (which has since been amended) in the Telegraph: “Woman takes public revenge on men who ‘raped her every night on her husband’s orders’.” It goes without saying that justice – which is long overdue – is not revenge. And none of the 80-plus men who raped Pélicot were following “orders”.
Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei murdered by ex-partner
The Ugandan athlete was set on fire and suffered burns over 80% of her body in the attack in Kenya, where she had been training. Cheptegei is the third female athlete have been murdered by a partner in Kenya in the past three years.
Why Women Are (Still) Not Welcome on the Internet
This week’s edition of Caitlin Dewey’s excellent newsletter Links I would chat with you if we were friends contained a link to an award-winning 2014 essay Amanda Hess’s book on online misogyny called Why Women Aren’t Welcome on the Internet. It’s 10 years old, but it’s still worth reading because essentially nothing has changed – largely because misogynists like Elon Musk run these platforms. Women are still subjected to relentless abuse online and we basically have to live with it. My Twitter account is now blocked and I don’t use Instagram anymore because it’s just not worth waking up every day to harassment and death threats. It shouldn’t be this way.
American woman reportedly shot dead by Israeli soldiers in West Bank
Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old Turkish-American activist, took part in a protest against the expansion of settlers. “If you harm an American, we will respond,” Joe Biden said in February. Judging by what has happened when Israeli forces have killed other American citizens, including Rachel Corrie and Shireen Abu Akleh, Biden will respond by shrugging his shoulders and approving even more weapons for Israel.
Elle Macpherson’s junk cancer ‘cures’ are likely to only cause women more pain
Be wary of celebrities with wellness brands selling “holistic” medical advice.
Would you trust AI to scan your genitals for STDs?
AI-powered sexual health apps are popping up – and they’re not everything can be trusted.
Gender equality is stagnating or declining for 1 billion women and girls
According to the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Gender Index, nearly 40% of countries stagnated or regressed in gender equality between 2019 and 2022.
The week in pawtriarchy
A beloved cat named Ted gave his family the fright of their lives when he casually walked home after apparently being drowned and “cremated.” His owner soon realized she had cremated someone else’s cat. “When she later went to collect the ashes, she saw the urn was labeled ‘Not Dead Ted,'” writes Jamie Grierson of The Guardian.