The comedian Guy Nantel has once again aroused the discontent of feminists in the last days on social networks, this time because of a debate he carried out as part of the promotion of his essay The offending book. Among other things, the former candidate for the leadership of the Parti Québécois is criticized for having questioned the existence of “toxic masculinity” and “rape culture”, two concepts already well supported, according to some.
This is the opinion among others of the feminist Lili Boisvert, who is one of the two guests of Guy Nantel in this exchange webcast at the beginning of the month.
“I am a journalist and I value freedom of expression. It is important that different opinions are expressed. But at some point, society is changing. There are things that were said before, but now we have to move on to another call. It’s not that we no longer have the right to say them, but at a given moment, arrive in your time ”, slice in interview with The duty Lili Boisvert, who is the newspaper’s deputy news director Metro.
The author of the essay The principle of cumshot admits having reluctantly accepted Guy Nantel’s proposal to debate with him on the theme of feminism, knowing the comedian’s strong positions on the subject. She finally said yes, but she didn’t think he would go so far as to contradict the concepts of “toxic masculinity” and “rape culture”.
Looking back, Lili Boisvert believes that this discussion will not have advanced the debate of ideas, on the contrary, given the very polarized reactions that this video of about twenty minutes has aroused. ” [La négation des concepts de masculinité toxique et de culture du viol], I’ve heard that 5,000 times in my life. What good is it for me to hear it another umpteenth time? We are just treading water ”, continues the one who became known at the helm of the show. Sexplora in 2016.
By making this speech, Lili Boisvert already hears the ardent defenders of freedom of expression reproach her for perpetuating an increasingly tight border between the left and the right. However, she is convinced that this perception is wrong.
“My experience is that people after the interview came to write me in private message to insult me. So, no, there is no echo chamber. The people [qui ne pensent pas comme moi] may very well join me again, ”she gives as an example.
The former comedian Anne-Marie Dupras, the other feminist Guy Nantel had invited to discuss with him, also expressed regret for participating in this discussion. “As the exchange progressed, it became more and more difficult to dialogue in this openness that we had been promised. I felt M. Nantel closed. Dialogue has become impossible at times. Maybe he already had strong ideas? At least that’s how I felt, ”she said by email.
Although she had a say in the final product, Mme Dupras also criticizes the comedian for making her look bad in the edit, including cutting the segment where she says she was the victim of sexual assault.
Legitimate debate
In what the public was able to see of the video, we can feel that the tone has risen a few times between Guy Nantel and his two guests, but the exchanges remain on the whole courteous. Even when Guy Nantel argues that toxic masculinity does not exist because there are also toxic women, or when he argues that the expression “rape culture” suggests that young men are systematically taught to be rapists.
In short, we are far from the heated debates that can be seen on the French sets. If this discussion arouses so many criticisms, does this mean that Quebecers have too sensitive skin to debate? The essayist and columnist Normand Baillargeon is worried about it, he who has made academic freedom his hobbyhorse.
“I would be the first to take offense if a university professor were hired at a university who believes that the Earth is flat, whereas the discipline has been in favor of that since Eratosthenes in antiquity. But can we debate modern concepts [comme la masculinité toxique, la culture du viol ou le racisme systémique] ? Yes, especially when we get information, we realize that on certain points, there are disagreements in the literature, ”argues Normand Baillargeon, who has not yet seen Guy Nantel’s video.
Polemicist
As for the star comedian, he did not wish to answer the questions of the To have to on the controversy. On social networks, he is accused not only of playing with the meaning of words, but also of lacking sensitivity towards victims of sexual assault and of having cut off his interlocutors.
His detractors did not fail to recall that Guy Nantel had made a joke in his show Our rights and freedoms about Alice Paquet, this young woman from Quebec who claims to have been raped by the former Liberal MP Gerry Sklavounos, against whom no criminal charges have however been brought.
Used to controversy, the 53-year-old comedian has begun to debate various subjects with personalities who do not think like him to promote the Offensive book, a pamphlet against political correctness and the culture of banishment.
So far, he has participated in exchanges on free speech, LGBTQ + issues and journalism, but the feminism video is by far the one that has generated the most reactions.