Comedian’s responses to ‘When is International Men’s Day?’ raise funds for Refuge
Howard Lake | 8 March 2017 | News
Comedian Richard Herring’s annual response on International Women’s Day to the question “when is International Men’s Day?” is this year raising funds for domestic violence charity Refuge.
Followers on Twitter have pledged to donate to the charity for each tweet he posts in reply to the question. Refuge is “the country’s largest provider of specialist services for women and children escaping domestic violence”.
Some people sponsoring me per tweet today (you may want to set an upper limit) Donate to Refuge if you like https://t.co/xY9Eb7BeME
— Richard K Herring (@Herring1967) March 8, 2017
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Since March 2014 Herring has been seeking out those who post this question on Twitter on International Women’s Day and responding with the answer, usually with an acerbic put-down.
Yup! November 19th. You might find google helpful for questions like this, but I am here for those who haven't heard of it. https://t.co/yWOmBby6KY
— Richard K Herring (@Herring1967) March 8, 2017
He recognises that the question is usually asked in a point-scoring vein, to question or undermine the need for a day which recognises and celebrates the lives and work of women. This approach has been termed sea-lioning, or “a specific, pervasive form of aggressive cluelessness, that masquerades as a sincere desire to understand”.
He calmly points that, yes, there is indeed an International Men’s Day, and it is on 19 November.
.@eviesuncle it's not political correctness. It's just correctness. IMD is on Nov 19th. Just dealing in facts here.
— Richard K Herring (@Herring1967) March 8, 2017
Writing in The Guardian on International Men’s Day in 2015, Herring said:
“I love it when people try to manufacture an injustice out of a position of clear superiority.
“It’s all so transparently self-centred. It’s the impulse that drives your kids on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day to whine: “When will there be a Children’s Day?”
Incidentally, he took that opportunity of International Men’s Day to promote Target Ovarian Cancer because the charity was “highlighting that men matter too and saying thank you to those husbands, fathers, brothers, partners and friends who have also been affected by ovarian cancer.”
He manages to keep a calm tone throughout as he hunts through Twitter for more people asking the question.
Remember you ripped out Nov 19 when you were drunk RT @BakedBets: @MTV when is international men's day? Can't find it on my calendar
— Richard K Herring (@Herring1967) March 8, 2017
Refuge
Herring has suggested that his followers might want to make a donation to Refuge, and some have confirmed that they have done so.
https://twitter.com/davidrhscott/status/839065304399511552
https://twitter.com/mad_scientistuk/status/839459752853843969
Refuge spotted his support and thanked him:
is this us Refuge? That's vvv kind. Thx so much we are very grateful for the support
— Refuge (@RefugeCharity) March 7, 2017
And did so again:
What amazing support! @Herring1967 thx masses-we are so grateful to you & everyone supporting this initiative. Much needed funding #IWD2017
— Refuge (@RefugeCharity) March 8, 2017
The 5,000 women and children we are supporting today are v much enjoying it @Herring1967 – a gazillion thanks #IWD2017
— Refuge (@RefugeCharity) March 8, 2017
Herring has done his homework and answers related questions seriously:
Transgender days on 31st March, 20th Nov or choose as you self-identify RT @riskii: @Herring1967 So when is international transsexual day!?
— Richard K Herring (@Herring1967) March 8, 2017
His solo Twitter campaign is now looked forward to by some of his Twitter followers, with some tweets starting yesterday:
When's international men's day starts earlier every year
— Richard K Herring (@Herring1967) March 7, 2017
Fundraising from the trolls
There are other examples of raising funds from trolls online.
- Twitter donation tool for those ‘rage fundraising’ moments (March 2017)
- Hillary Clinton campaign fundraisers with every tweet by Donald Trump (November 2016)
- Donate the Hate turns hate comments into donations (February 2016)
- TrollAid ensures abusive online posters promote fundraising for refugees (January 2016)
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.