{"id":21121,"date":"2016-02-23T17:04:27","date_gmt":"2016-02-24T01:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/?p=21121"},"modified":"2018-11-28T20:11:13","modified_gmt":"2018-11-29T04:11:13","slug":"why-feminists-shouldnt-use-neckbeard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/?p=21121","title":{"rendered":"Why Feminists Shouldn’t Use “Neckbeard”"},"content":{"rendered":"

My newest “Everyday Feminism” cartoon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON<\/p>\n

(At the top of the cartoon, large cartoon-style letters spell out \u201cNECKBEARD.\u201d Each letter is growing stubble hairs out of its lowest third.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

(Behind all the panels is a large drawing of a fat person, mostly in darkness. The person has an exaggerated neck, and has stubble covering their lip, chin, and neck.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 1<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(BARRY \u2013 a fat white man with glasses, pulled-back hair in a ponytail, and a t-shirt with an exclamation point on it, is speaking directly to the reader. Barry\u2019s face has a lot of stubble.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

CAPTION: <\/b>What\u2019s a \u201cNeckbeard?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: Maybe you\u2019ve never heard the word \u201cneckbeard.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

But in some<\/i> corners of the internet, it\u2019s a common insult.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 2<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(A close-up on Barry\u2019s neck shows a lot of stubble growing there.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: Taken literally, neckbeard just means someone with beard hairs growing on his neck.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 3<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(The word \u201closer\u201d appears floating in the air around Barry\u2019s head, with Barry\u2019s head taking the place of the \u201cO.\u201d)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: But what\u2019s inplied is that he\u2019s a fat loser, lives in a basement, never had a girlfriend, and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 4<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(A full-color drawing, drawn in a different style than the rest of the comic, is shown in this panel. The drawing depicts a fat, unshaven, shirtless man sitting in a windowless room that feels like a basement, laughing as he types on his computer. A poster in the background says \u201cInternet Arguments Won\u201d and has fifty handdrawn checkmarks; other decorations include a picture\u00a0 <\/span>of Richard Dawkins, a fedora lying on the desk, a My Little Pony figurine, and a few atheist logos.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b> (off-panel): Here\u2019s a popular drawing \u2013 I don\u2019t know who the artist is, sorry \u2013 of a \u201cneckbeard.\u201d You get the idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 5<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(Barry stands between a bald man with a van dyke beard and a young woman with fashionable hair; they appear to be yelling at each other.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: I find it fascinating that both lefties and right-wingers use \u201cneckbeard\u201d to insult the other. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s like the only thing that unites us is our shared contempt for fat, unkempt guys.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 6<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(Barry, now alone, addresses the reader directly, with an \u201casking a question\u201d expression.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: When feminists call someone a \u201cneckbeard,\u201d it\u2019s usually a guy who just said something misogynistic. <\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m all for criticizing misogynists, but I have to ask \u2013 why use that word?<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 7<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(Barry is holding up a suitcase. The suitcase is labeled \u201cneckbeard.\u201d)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: Let\u2019s unpack neckbeard and see what\u2019s inside! <\/span><\/p>\n

Insults like \u201cneckbeard\u201d work by associating the target of the insult with something understood to be repulsive.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 8<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(A close-up of the \u201cneckbeard\u201d suitcase shows it standing open. Four blobs, labeled \u201cfat,\u201d \u201closer,\u201d \u201cugly,\u201d and \u201cdork\u201d are emerging from the suitcase.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY\u00a0<\/b>(off-panel): It\u2019s not satisfying to call people \u201canti-feminists,\u201d because some people like anti-feminism. Instead, we use words that suggest things almost no one likes: \u201closer,\u201d \u201cfat,\u201d \u201cugly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 9<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(A close-up of Barry, drawn to exaggerate his unshaven neck.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: In short, \u201cneckbeard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 10<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(Barry spreads his arms wide to make a big point.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: But in a better society \u2013 a society most feminists want \u2013 none of the things neckbeard implies would be insults.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 11<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(Barry speaks to the viewer, but his neck \u2013 and only his neck \u2013 is now covered by a thick beard.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: We shouldn\u2019t insult people for being fat, or for not being able to afford their own place, or for being single. <\/span><\/p>\n

Or for not conforming to society\u2019s arbitrary grooming standards, for that matter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 12<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(Once again we see the popular drawing of a \u201cneckbeard\u201d that appeared in panel 4. But this time he\u2019s been drawn in a style that matches the comic strip. Three arrow captions point to him.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY\u00a0<\/b>(off-panel): There\u2019s nothing inherently wrong with any of that. Good people can be all those things.<\/span><\/p>\n

ARROW CAPTION 1<\/b>: Donates to feminist causes.<\/span><\/p>\n

ARROW CAPTION 2<\/b>: Always kind.<\/span><\/p>\n

ARROW CAPTION 3<\/b>: Loves kittens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 13<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(Barry leans over to look into the inside of the \u201cneckbeard\u201d suitcase.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: If we keep unpacking \u201cneckbeard,\u201d we\u2019ll find three more things in here\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

First, the \u201cneckbeard\u201d stereotypes are also stereotypes used against autistic people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 14<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(A shot of two jigsaw puzzle pieces, which fit together perfectly. The pieces are labeled \u201cautistic\u201d and \u201cneckbeard.\u201d)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b> (off-panel): In fact, when I was researching this cartoon, some autistic people told me they\u2019ve observed \u201cautistic\u201d and \u201cneckbeard\u201d used together as insults.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 15<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(Barry addresses the reader directly, his hands in front of him in an \u201cexplaining\u201d gesture.) <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: Some (not all) autistic people have difficulty with things like earning a living, dating, and navigating arbitrary grooming rules. \u201cNeckbeard\u201d targets exactly those traits. <\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 16<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(A person with dark, springy hair jumps back from a sign which says \u201ckeep out!\u201d in big letters.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY\u00a0<\/b>(off-panel): When we use \u201cneckbeard,\u201d it sends a message to autistic people that they\u2019re unwelcome. It\u2019s ableist as hell!<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 17<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(A grinning white dude is wearing a \u201cpoor person\u201d costume, which consists of a sleeveless white shirt with a pillow shoved under it to make him appear fat. He has makeup on his face and neck to simulate heavy stubble, and is holding out a cup with \u201cgive\u201d written on it.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY\u00a0<\/b>(off-panel): Second, insults about grooming are clearly linked to ugly stereotypes about class.<\/span><\/p>\n

GRINNING DUDE<\/b>: For Halloween, I\u2019m dressed as a poor person!<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 18<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(A smiling, confident-looking woman with a full beard and her hair in a bun puts her hand on her chest in a \u201cI am awesome\u201d gesture.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>(off-panel): Third, even though some women do grow face and neck hair\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

WOMAN<\/b>: And look awesome with it!<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 19<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(Barry is drawn to be a circle-and-arrow \u201cmale\u201d symbol.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: \u201cNeckbeard\u201d is still intended as a gendered insult, and that\u2019s a problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because people\u2019s sex or gender shouldn\u2019t be insults at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 20<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

BARRY<\/b>: Do I think \u201cneckbeard\u201d is as bad as gendered insults that \u201cpunch down,\u201d like b**** and c***? Definitely not. <\/span><\/p>\n

But consider this: Men who like conventional gender roles aren\u2019t usually bothered by gendered insults.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 21<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(Barry now has a huge arrow symbol piercing his chest. The arrow is labeled \u201cneckbeard.\u201d)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: Guys who are hurt by anti-male insults are often guys who are already wounded by toxic masculinity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why add to that?<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 22<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(An unshaven fat man with a dorky grin, wearing a fedora hat and a sleeveless white shirt, points to himself with his thumb.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: (Off-panel) One final point: When we stereotype misogynists by saying they look like this\u2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 23<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(A conventionally handsome man, with \u201cgood\u201d scruffy stubble and a neck tattoo, smiles out at the viewer.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: That implicitly lets misogynists who look like this off the hook.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 24<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(For the final three panels, Barry speaks directly at the viewer. In this panel, he looks a bit angry)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: Maybe it would be better if no one resorted to insults\u2026 But let\u2019s get real. Everyone loses their temper sometimes. That\u2019s life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 25<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(Barry, no longer looking angry, shrugs.) <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: But let\u2019s at least avoid insults that devalue people for their appearance\u2026 and that can make fat people and autistic people feel unwelcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel 26<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(Barry, smiling, lifts his left hand to feel his cheek.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

BARRY<\/b>: Thanks for listening!<\/span><\/p>\n

(Hmmm\u2026 Do I need a shave?) <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My newest “Everyday Feminism” cartoon. TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON (At the top of the cartoon, large cartoon-style letters spell out \u201cNECKBEARD.\u201d Each letter is growing stubble hairs out of its lowest third.) (Behind all the panels is a large drawing of … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,24,30,31,34,55,107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cartooning-comics","category-disabled-rights-issues","category-fat-fat-and-more-fat","category-feminism-sexism-etc","category-gender-and-the-body","category-men-and-masculinity","category-sexism-hurts-men"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21121"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24516,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21121\/revisions\/24516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}