Dear Troll: Please Stop Acting Like You Are Aptly Named

The frequency with which women who call out men for sexist boorish behavior who subsequently get threats of rape and death appears to be on the rise.  The high profile case of Anita Sarkeesian escalated over the last three months to the point where a talk she was going to give in Utah was cancelled because of the threat of a massive campus shooting should she grace their campus.  That could have been the culmination of bad taste and bullying behavior on social media.  But not so.  This week when the video of Shoshana Roberts getting repeatedly catcalled on the streets of Manhattan went viral she started getting threats of rape as well.

So here is what I don't get.  What is the point?  If it is to demonstrate that the claims being made are more than valid, then congratulations are in order, because mission accomplished.  Are they upset because men look bad?  I am here to tell you that threatening to rape someone because they said something you disagree with makes you look terrible.  Maybe not just look terrible--it demonstrates a deep flaw in your character, one that could be associated with prison time.  These men have demonstrated that they have no idea how to attract a self confident beautiful woman, and that they are men who would willingly rape such a woman rather than be made fun of for their behavior.  What is it about being in public they do not understand?  This is not a woman videoing a man in the privacy of his own home and them publicly humiliating him.  These are men who freely and publicly behave in this manner and are now angry that it is the butt of jokes.  Get over it.  Get therapy.  Work on your people skills.  But do not make all men look like trolls.  That is the worst gender slam of all.