We would have loved to have gotten to this earlier, before the original poster deleted her tweet and took her account private. Kate Manne says she’s a writer and philosopher at Cornell and is the author of the book, “Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny” and “Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women” (just in case you thought her tweet was a parody).
In the story, which may have been included in “Highlights,” Bruce is sad, and three girls of different races try to cheer him up by patting his leg, bringing him a toy car, and giving him a hug. Azaria might be a boy, though.
“So girls of every race are responsible for catering to the emotional needs of white boys? It begins.”
Recent events have proved that society should pay less attention to the emotional needs of white boys … that ends well.
I too am sickened that children are taught to be nice to eachother.
— Raw and Real Snake ☭🐍 (@ComradeSnake3rd) October 11, 2022
Fascinating. What other racial insights have you gained from this month's issue of Hightlights Hello, a 14 page magazine aimed at children aged 0 to 24 months?
I was very disturbing by the image of the white child labeled "excited." pic.twitter.com/en4y4RzMqi
— Vice President Chani (@vp_chani) October 11, 2022
If they wrote it as "Brave Bruce" who faced his fears by playing games outside to overcome his sadness, would that promote a toxically masculine neo-colonial individualism? I kinda feel that's how this grievance "gotcha" game works.
— Sam Osborne (@samkirbyosborne) October 11, 2022
False alarm everyone. The child isn't white. The book can be wholesome again.
— Daniel (@anarchy_dot_gov) October 11, 2022
Recommended
I don't think Bruce is white (based on Layla's skin tone), and I'm pretty sure Azaria is a boy. Regardless – how sad that you interpreted a story trying to teach kids to be kind to each other in this way. Isn't it exhausting always looking at the world through that lens? pic.twitter.com/yloTPAUdQy
— Danny D (@dannyd1976) October 11, 2022
First off, why do you think he's white? He's clearly not.
Second, why do you hate boys? Asking b/c I want to shield my son and his friends from cruel harridans like you.
Third, why do you specifically hate boys of color? See point numbers one and two.
— I'm a woman, and I'm mad as Hell (@nowhere_nh) October 11, 2022
Bruce is as latinx as they come. Why are you so racist?
— BZthe3 (@BZthe3) October 11, 2022
Bruce is clearly a trans Latinx, you bigot.
— InTheRightColumn (@TheRightColumn) October 11, 2022
Azaria is a boy and Bruce isn’t white.
— BunnyBuni (@BunnyBuni) October 11, 2022
Bruce is a neurodivergent Native American who still suffers from the generational trauma of patronizing white women.
— The Strxwmxn Cometh 💀👻🎃 (@strxwmxn) October 11, 2022
Make sure to remind your friends not to come to your aid or to comfort you in moments of grief. It’ll just be them pandering to a white woman.
— 𝕬𝖓𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖜 𝕷𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖘𝖖𝖚𝖊: Anglican In Exile (@DortConnection) October 11, 2022
I’m glad you’re not Bruce’s teacher.
— Flerp Derpenstein ❤️🔥🇻🇦🇺🇸🇹🇼🇭🇰🇺🇦🏴☠️ (@FDerpenstein) October 11, 2022
This editor’s children have graduated, and he’s relieved he’s not sending his white son to public school so he can learn that he’s the root of all problems.
Have you considered that you're the one injecting your own bitter expectations into a story that's clearly not that Bruce should be "catered to" exclusively for his skin color? That's just a wild reach.
— Spooky Quetzal 🇺🇲 🦇 🇬🇹🎃 (@QuetzalThoughts) October 11, 2022
I think we should sympathize with Kate, she must’ve had an awful childhood to have turned out like this.
— GrizzskiAdoms (@Dumbbellradical) October 11, 2022
All that effort and she deletes the tweet. I salute you nonetheless. 🫡
— Flerp Derpenstein ❤️🔥🇻🇦🇺🇸🇹🇼🇭🇰🇺🇦🏴☠️ (@FDerpenstein) October 11, 2022
Children reading that book are being taught to be caring and thoughtful. You didn't learn that lesson, Kate.
— Aldous Huxley's Ghost™ (@AF632) October 11, 2022
Gotta be pretty indoctrinated to not realize this is a kids book that teaches:
1) Sometimes we are sad
2) It's good to care for people by considering their emotions & trying to help them work through difficulties
3) This is relevant for boys & girls regardless of background— Millennial Mush 🍊 (@millennialmush) October 11, 2022
Good for Bruce for naming and expressing his emotions.
Some day the world will try to make him stifle that, unless it is anger, in which case the world will encourage it.
— Orville's Wedding (@the_year_is_one) October 11, 2022
How about: Be kind to someone in need — regardless of what they look like.
It really takes an advanced degree to unlearn this basic lesson most people are taught in pre-school.
— Max Shifrin (@MaxShifrin) October 11, 2022
Just how sad is your life that a child’s book teaching children to be kind to other kids somehow offends you?
— Guy Incognito (@GuyInco16821140) October 11, 2022
You’ll have to read her book for the answers. It was named one of the best books of the year by The Atlantic:
In this bold and stylish critique, Cornell philosopher Kate Manne offers a radical new framework for understanding misogyny. Ranging widely across the culture, from Harvey Weinstein and the Brett Kavanaugh hearings to “Cat Person” and the political misfortunes of Elizabeth Warren, Manne’s book shows how privileged men’s sense of entitlement—to sex, yes, but more insidiously to admiration, care, bodily autonomy, knowledge, and power—is a pervasive social problem with often devastating consequences.
…
With wit and intellectual fierceness, Manne sheds new light on gender and power and offers a vision of a world in which women are just as entitled as men to our collective care and concern.
And now she’s nuked her account because of all the misogyny.
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Related:
That woke lady's thread on keeping white teenage boys progressive is tough to parody, but Titania McGrath is up to the challenge https://t.co/lEsrx5iFDj
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 13, 2019
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