A writer for a left-wing magazine is under fire for blaming a recent spree of punching women in New York City on “male rage” that she said is “fueling” the Make America Great Again (MAGA) mindset.
On April 8, Salon magazine published an article titled, “Men punching random women in NYC: A desperate last gasp of the male rage fueling MAGA.” The author, Amanda Marcotte, has received notable backlash for her opinion, which follows a number of seemingly random attacks in which women have been punched in the face on the streets of New York City.
Men punching random women in NYC: A desperate last gasp of the male rage fueling MAGA https://t.co/rVuL2aDftR
— Salon (@Salon) April 8, 2024
According to Marcotte, men randomly punching women in the Big Apple is sparked by an “increasingly unhinged male fury at women” which is supposedly permeating the country. The author opined that the perceived anger from American men is due to their resentment that women live with a purpose that reaches beyond “catering to a man’s every whim.”
She also accused former president and presumptive GOP candidate Donald Trump and his MAGA movement of having “unleashed” this sentiment, leading to an increase in “loud male entitlement.”
In response to the article being shared on social media, Marcotte received backlash from critics across various fields including journalism, local leadership and law. The National Review’s Charles Cooke said the article was “beyond parody.”
New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (R) rebuked the opinion by saying that criminals will “target” victims who are unable to “fight back,” which often means “unarmed women.” Additionally, she called Marcotte’s article a “ninth-grade feminist think piece.”
Marcotte responded to backlash on social media, doubling down on her stance that her argument was right all along. She also said that she was leaving unread messages that include “a man’s name” in the sender address and “a mention of punching women,” adding she would simply delete these emails.
Police have been investigating the string of random attacks against women that are occurring as part of the 10.3% increase in misdemeanor attacks in the city, compared to April 2023. As dozens of women have shared their personal stories of being punched by men while simply walking down the street, three adult males have been arrested.
According to news reports, three men over the age of 30 have been arrested in connection with three separate attacks on different women, two of whom were in their 20s and one who was 57.
