The campaign against men is becoming increasingly absurd

A German media commentary criticizes what it calls an "absurd campaign" against men, arguing that a growing genre of articles in newspapers, magazines, and social media unfairly paints all men as dangerous. These pieces, often written in the first person, focus on "toxic masculinity" and claim that women cannot trust men, even those who appear outwardly benign.

The author points to the case of Dominique Pelicot, who drugged and offered his wife to other men for years, as a frequently cited example. This crime, the commentary argues, is used to support the idea that women must always be prepared for the worst, even within their own homes. It highlights a "Zeit" article where a mother expresses fear about letting her six-year-old son stay overnight with a friend because the friend's father lives in the same household. The mother states, "I no longer trust any man."

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I no longer trust any man. The cases of the past few months have shown me that perpetrators are rarely recognizable as such. They are fathers, partners, friends, colleagues, teachers. That's exactly what scares me.

The commentary expresses bewilderment at the "unreserved" generalization of suspicion against men, contrasting it with the outrage that would follow similar accusations against ethnic, sexual, or religious minorities. It questions the logic of associating all men with the actions of individuals like Pelicot or Jeffrey Epstein, suggesting that the possession of a Y chromosome is being used as a basis for negative assumptions.

The piece concludes by questioning the societal benefit of one half of humanity viewing the other with suspicion. It notes that the mother in the "Zeit" article eventually allowed her son to stay over after setting specific conditions, implying a slight easing of the extreme caution.

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Who benefits when one half of humanity views the other with suspicion?