New Matilda Writer’s Attempt To School Clem Ford On Feminism Ends Badly

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Published

December 8, 2015

There’s more than one way to skin a misogynist, but if recent events have taught us anything, it’s that Clementine Ford has mastered them all.

They include, but not limited to: writing about feminism, calling out sexism and misogyny, naming and shaming online abusers, and holding said abusers accountable. Literally every step she takes brings the misogynists out of the woodwork like penis-wielding termites, to the point where if she ordered a takeaway coffee it would probably come back with ‘man hater’ scribbled on the side.

Her recent piece calling out (yet again) her online abusers (which resulted in one of them getting fired from Meriton Apartments) has ‘inspired’ an op-ed entitled ‘Why Courageous Clementine Ford Is Not The Answer‘, published by New Matilda.

“I am a man and I am a feminist,” begins writer Jack Kilbride, getting that one cleared up asap.

“I wholeheartedly condemn the actions of the men who have threatened and abused feminist writer Clementine Ford,” he continues, then, a few paragraphs later, to further cement his position firmly on the side of feminists:

“There are men, like myself, who are feminists and believers that true equality to women is paramount to our future. We are not the people that need convincing. We are not the people assaulting our women in the streets, scoffing at calls for equal pay, or abusing writers on the internet. We are already on your side.”

[Dramatic line break]

“Then there are other men.”

The rest continues in the vein of ‘guuiiyz, don’t harass the misogynists, E-D-U-C-A-T-E them, Emma Watson had the right idea’, which is right now reaching its inevitable conclusion, a.k.a. getting the shit taken out of it on social media.

im the guy from new matilda here to say that if feminists were just less shrill thered be less misogyny

— thomas violence (@thomas_violence) December 7, 2015

Opens New Matilda

“I am a man and I am a feminist”

Closes New Matilda

— Stephen Murray (@smurray38) December 7, 2015

Oh look, here’s some mansplaining about how we need to change our attitude to online abusers. Be nice ladies be nice https://t.co/1PBLvm58Vz

— So Frenchy so Sheep (@noplaceforsheep) December 7, 2015

Man Finally Put In Charge Of Struggling Feminist Movement – New Matilda https://t.co/demMxcmiJD

— Cristy Clark (@cristyclark) December 7, 2015

At last, after decades of experience, I understand what being a #feminist is. Thank god for the New Matilda boy. Sorry. I’ll shut up now.

— Kathryn Heyman (@KathrynHeyman) December 7, 2015

New Matilda’s new platform as the champion of whiney manchildren seems to be working well

— Jessica Alice (@jessica_alice_) December 7, 2015

Good to know even New Matilda isn’t above publishing phrased-to-be-even-more-inflammatory-than-it-already-is op-ed for clicks.

— Melissa Wellham (@melissawellham) December 7, 2015

At the time of writing, Jack Kilbride and Clem Ford are both silent (but, to be fair, Jack has tweeted a grand total of 112 times and is a University of Melbourne student, so it’s not exactly out of character), but New Matilda’s National Affairs Correspondent Ben Eltham has come out against the piece: