Javier Nart dropped from TV panel after gender violence remarks
Javier Nart was dropped from a Spanish TV panel after saying that male violence against women cannot be denied. The case fuels the debate over censorship and double standards in…
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Javier Nart dropped after denying male violence against women
Can you question gender violence statistics without being kicked off a TV panel? The case of Javier Nart, removed from a television programme after a heated exchange with a fellow panellist, has peine the debate over the limits of free speech in the Spanish media. Nart, known for his past on the left and his shift towards positions critical of mainstream feminism, reportedly said that "male violence against women cannot be denied" - a phrase his interlocutor interpreted as a denial of the reality of gender violence. The network chose to dispense with his services, a decision many describe as censorship.
The double standard critics denounce
Discussion on social media and forums has revolved around an alleged double standard: had Nart criticised a minority or racialised group, he would probably not have been fired. The argument goes that, in the current media climate, it is only safe to dissent when the target is the "right enemy" - in this case, the most orthodox feminist positions. The reference to the "brown race" underlines the perception that some topics are untouchable while others are not, depending on which group is being criticised.
The figures some want silenced
Among the data that came up in the debate, the comparison of suicides stands out: 3,000 male versus 1,000 female deaths per year, a statistic that, according to some, shows unequal media attention. Investment in preventing male suicide is, they denounce, far lower than that devoted to gender violence, reinforcing the feeling that certain deaths matter more than others.
Irony of fate
Javier Nart, who was a member of the Partido Socialista Popular and later the PSOE, has experienced first-hand the "monster he helped create", as some commentators point out. The paradox of a veteran left-wing politician singled out by the new pogre orthodoxy has not gone unnoticed. In the end, the price of dissent remains high, especially if the dissent is not aimed at the "right" group.
Can you question gender violence statistics without being kicked off a TV panel? The case of Javier Nart, removed from a television programme after a heated exchange with a fellow panellist, has peine the debate over the limits of free speech in the Spanish media. Nart, known for his past on the left and his shift towards positions critical of mainstream feminism, reportedly said that "male violence against women cannot be denied" - a phrase his interlocutor interpreted as a denial of the reality of gender violence. The network chose to dispense with his services, a decision many describe as censorship.
The double standard critics denounce
Discussion on social media and forums has revolved around an alleged double standard: had Nart criticised a minority or racialised group, he would probably not have been fired. The argument goes that, in the current media climate, it is only safe to dissent when the target is the "right enemy" - in this case, the most orthodox feminist positions. The reference to the "brown race" underlines the perception that some topics are untouchable while others are not, depending on which group is being criticised.
The figures some want silenced
Among the data that came up in the debate, the comparison of suicides stands out: 3,000 male versus 1,000 female deaths per year, a statistic that, according to some, shows unequal media attention. Investment in preventing male suicide is, they denounce, far lower than that devoted to gender violence, reinforcing the feeling that certain deaths matter more than others.
Irony of fate
Javier Nart, who was a member of the Partido Socialista Popular and later the PSOE, has experienced first-hand the "monster he helped create", as some commentators point out. The paradox of a veteran left-wing politician singled out by the new pogre orthodoxy has not gone unnoticed. In the end, the price of dissent remains high, especially if the dissent is not aimed at the "right" group.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (14 replies).
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