In today’s digital age, the word "feminist" has become almost a weapon. It’s as if advocating for equality and basic human rights gets you treated like a criminal. Log on to social media and you will immediately and certainly find posts that portray feminists as the violators of traditional norms and societal harmony. Meanwhile, a nostalgic narrative glorifies the 1950s housewife, painting her as a contented domestic goddess who never complained, unlike today’s "entitled" women. But this story is a lie. Far from being happy homemakers, many women of the past were trapped in roles that stripped them of autonomy, their silence mistaken for satisfaction.
Feminism, at its core, is the pursuit of equality—a belief that women deserve the same rights, opportunities, and respect as men. Yet, in recent years, this simple idea has been twisted into a caricature. But, in today’s world where equality should be inherent, sexism has found its way to the top of the pyramid. Due to backlashes like ‘male loneliness epidemic’, ‘men’s mental health matters’, feminism finds itself once again on a trial - not in a court of law, but in the court of public opinion, social media, and culture at large. This backlash is not simply reactionary; it is deeply ideological. It seeks to reframe the feminist movement not as a force for liberation, but as a threat to "natural order," male identity, or romantic ideals.
Social media platforms love to portray women especially feminists as "angry," "hysterical," or "anti-male”. Critics exaggerate feminist goals, portraying advocates as seeking female supremacy rather than equality. This misrepresentation paints feminists as extremists, making it easier to dismiss their arguments. This paints a narrative that feminism emasculates young boys or men and robs them of their power, entitlement, hold over women. Influencers, podcasters, and "thought leaders" regularly speak against feminism, framing it as toxic, divisive, or anti-family. This rhetorical sleight of hand reframes dominance as care, obedience as love, and inequality as biological destiny. Narratives such as these forces people to accept feminism as the villain; which is solely responsible for growing rates of divorce, independent women and exhilaration from toxic masculinity.
One of the most dangerous aspects of modern misogyny is its ability to make equality seem threatening. Equality means shared power, and that means some men must give up the exclusive privileges they were raised to believe were theirs by default. Thus, the movement for equality is labeled as man-hating, bitter, or unnecessary. Feminists are caricatured as angry, lonely, or deluded. Yet those invested in dominance rarely want to relinquish their chains if they come plated in gold.
Dog is a man’s best-friend, right? But what happens to young girls when they find out men love the breed called ‘poodle’ because it portrays how they want their women to be? Men’s love for poodles (and small, aesthetically “feminine” pets in general) is often wrapped in language of care, grooming, discipline, and display. The dog is adored but also managed, styled, accessorized, and expected to behave in certain delicate ways. The affection is real, but it’s filtered through ownership, control, and aesthetic expectation. It is the kind of love that flourishes within control — not outside it.

Central to the anti-feminist narrative is the glorification of the past, particularly the mid-20th century housewife. Critics of feminism often claim, "My mother was a housewife and never complained," implying that women were happier in "simpler times." This fantasy ignores the historical truth: those roles were built on economic dependence, legal inequality, and systemic silencing. Why do men not get the fact that their mothers were oppressed throughout their entire lives or is it that men choose to be ignorant of their mother’s sufferings? Betty Friedan’s 1963 book, The Feminine Mystique, interviews revealed that the women felt like slaves not content.

Lobotomy, a surgical procedure to sever neural connections in the brain (especially the frontal lobes), was historically used to "calm" or "correct" individuals deemed emotionally unstable, particularly WOMEN. No wonder your mother never complained, she was not even allowed to have a voice and let me say heavily kept on tranquilizer.
 
Sigmund Freud, in the 19th century could not accept the fact that his friends of the high society constantly assaulted their daughters so he labelled the victims as mentally sick rather than emphasizing on what happened to them. He called them unstable, hysterical and God knows what else. Now, the abuse was no longer abuse— it was fantasy. The women were no longer survivors — they were delusional, hysterical, unstable. In one move, Freud protected the abusers and rebranded the trauma as evidence of feminine dysfunction. And the world, of course, found that much easier to accept. Yet, in all this feminism is the root cause of evil and not the patriarchy?
Social media algorithms play a massive role in spreading modern misogyny. The manosphere, a loose network of online communities that includes incels, pickup artists, and red pill adherents has flourished in this climate, promoting toxic messages under the banner of truth-telling. Young boys learn their ideals from podcasters men who actively portray feminism as the root of all evil in the world. Under such circumstances, it is only natural that boys feel they own women, they are entitled to get attention from girls and women. This has resulted in a culture that constantly criticizes women for being born and yet demands their love and affection. Incels like: Andrew Tate, film directors like Roman Polanski, actors like Jackie Chan, the very idol of young boys have had a major role in perpetuating sexism and discrimination towards women by sexually harassing them, hitting them, keeping them enslaved.
Feminism is not the enemy of love, family, or fulfillment — it is the foundation of healthy, honest relationships built on mutual respect. It does not enslave; it liberates. It does not divide; it reveals where division already exists. ‘Feminist’ is a badge of courage; not that of a slur.
 
Feminism is on trial, accused of crimes it didn’t commit by a misogyny that thrives on distortion and denial. The narrative that paints feminists as villains and past oppression as paradise is not just false—it’s dangerous. It erases the struggles of women who fought for freedom and undermines the push for a fairer future. Yet, feminism endures. It endures in hopes of a better future for more generation of women to come. Rather than blaming feminism for ruining the lives of men one should thank feminism for giving women the strength to do what their mothers couldn’t.