Misogynoir, a specific form of misogyny directed toward Black women, is an amalgam of anti-Black racism and sexism so insidious in its spread that many people can’t even distinguish its presence. Misogynoir can look like a lot of things. It has a chameleon-like quality in that it to blends into everyday situations and unprecedented events alike. But one of the clearest examples of this phenomenon is the internet’s reaction to the Tory Lanez shooting case. New claims from Lanez’ defense team have brought forward a claim that it was actually Megan Thee Stallion‘s former friend, Kelsey Harris, who shot Megan and not Lanez. These unsubstantiated claims, which come from Harris’ former bodyguard, have reopened the gates of unbridled misogynoir, which was first unleashed on Megan after the shooting in July 2020.
Misogynistic dog whistles
As soon as these claims hit the internet, it was like a dog whistle rang out for all incels, abusers, misognyists and general women-haters to congregate and spew the most backward and reductive takes. A number of male celebrities posted a Change.org petition calling for the release of Lanez — including Drake (who also dissed Megan on “Circo Loco”), A-Boogie, Joyner Lucas and Trippie Redd. Chris Brown also shared a Free Tory! post via Instagram. Ironically, the next day, he was arrested in Manchester for grievous bodily harm.
It’s not just the rich and socially disgraced that are defending Lanez, though. After the claims from Lanez’s team hit the net, my Instagram was flooded with notes to the tune of “I knew it” and “Free that man.” I’ve never hit the block button so fast in my life. These chauvinistic proclamations were accompanied by a slew of posts on TikTok explaining why Lanez should be freed.
It was as if these claims, which came from a person who wasn’t reported at the scene of the crime, ventilated misogynists everywhere, allowing them to exhale all of the hatred they’ve been harboring toward Megan and Black women in general. They couldn’t wait to unleash their fury, claiming that Lanez’s prosecution was an attempt to takedown the Black man. This same rhetoric rears its ugly head every time a Black man is held accountable for their harmful and abusive behavior toward Black women. (Think “Bill Cosby was about to buy NBC”-type posts.)
Binary thinking and the plight of Black women
It’s interesting because the claims from the supposed bodyguard haven’t been legally substantiated, and there is no record of the call, yet so many people made it their business to publicly bash Megan, even after Lanez has made it his business to mock her, including cutting a butchered horse leg in his “CAP” music video.
The reactions regarding the bodyguard’s claims aren’t that surprising, but it does highlight a broader issue: the intersection of binary thinking, unmitigated platforms and misogyny. The combination of these three things is why we have Diddy supporters, R. Kelly apologists and now defenders of Lanez. It’s not just that people don’t take violence against Black women seriously, which they don’t, but it’s also the fact that many people don’t possess the ability to think critically about anything leaving them at the cognitive mercy of any post with pictures and a big caption. That means predatory sources with misogynoir-fueled agendas are easily able to manipulate the minds of viewers who believe whatever is put in front of them.
Additionally, the reality that there are not many safeguards to protect Black women from intracommunal abuse is very bleak and too much for some women to bear. So, instead they take the side of the abuser and look for holes in the victim’s stories because it’s easier to ridicule the oppressed than it is to stand up to your oppressors.
All of this aside, one thing remains certain. Lanez was convicted for his involvement in the shooting, and no statements from bodyguards or red pill TikTok users will change that fact.
The post Don’t Let Tory Lanez’s Conviction In Megan Thee Stallion’s Shooting Be Clouded By Hearsay, Social Media Noise appeared first on Blavity.