It's a scary time to be a man!
Conservative and proud Navy mom @MarlaReynoldsC3, took to Twitter to share with the world how frightened her son is of "radical feminists with an ax to grind."
In fact, he is so afraid of being falsely accused of a sexual crime, he will not go on a date with a woman by himself. It seems crazy... and that's because none of it is true, and her son stepped forward to set the record straight.
It all started with this now deleted tweet that sent the hashtag #himtoo trending on Twitter.
In it she writes:
This is MY son. He graduated #1 in boot camp. He is a gentleman who respects women. He won't go on solo dates due to the current climate of false sexual accusations by radical feminists with an axe to grind.
@MarlaReynoldsC3/Twitter
Of course the Tweet launched a ton of memes mocking the man and the ridiculous notion men are suddenly afraid of women.
Many Twitter users got a kick out of the usage of "MY son."
This is My son. He graduated #1 in his class at Nazareth High. He is a gentleman who loves women and respects virgi… https://t.co/pGNXLmb30h— God (@God) 1539048370.0
This is MY son. He singlehandedly runs a small hotel. He's a homeowner. He knows a boy's best friend is his mother.… https://t.co/FBf7869Uzi— Scary Gillis (@Scary Gillis) 1539039435.0
This is MY son. He graduated #1 in boot camp. He is the strongest Avenger. He broke Harlem. I VOTE. #HimToo https://t.co/AOaYJlL6TT— Ashley C. Ford (@Ashley C. Ford) 1539040047.0
@MarlaReynoldsC3 This is MY son. i found him in a cemetery eating bath salts. when i bring him with me to walmart t… https://t.co/y2e4PTkJQh— the lizard king (@the lizard king) 1539036406.0
@MarlaReynoldsC3 This is my son. He won’t go on dates bc girls have cooties. #HimToo https://t.co/CQ4kPCelOq— Erin Passons (@Erin Passons) 1539036463.0
Fur babies are still OUR babies.
This is my son, processing his reaction to being told what his next trip to the vet will entail. He will no longer… https://t.co/zmiJ6LdLv9— John Scalzi (@John Scalzi) 1539040986.0
This is my son. He is a gentleman who treats ladies with respect. He’s afraid to date right now because of the curr… https://t.co/7tehH6vCay— Luna Malbroux (@Luna Malbroux) 1539044745.0
And the SONS who started it all.
This is my son. He’s afraid to be alone with a woman in this current...well, in any climate really. #HimToo https://t.co/1l5NrDok13— T.R. Morley (@T.R. Morley) 1539041590.0
People laughed at the absurdity of the tweet and hashtag, but it turns out Marla Reynolds' son, Pieter Hanson, is a really cool guy and had no idea his mother sent out the message with his picture. He didn't even have a twitter account. And no, he's not afraid to date women alone.
Since this all blew up, Hanson has gotten an account and responded to all the hoopla in the most hysterical and loving way.
That was my Mom. Sometimes the people we love do things that hurt us without realizing it. Let’s turn this around.… https://t.co/6EtIs9dyQJ— Pieter Hanson (@Pieter Hanson) 1539059764.0
Once Pieter's brother Jon could stop laughing, he talked to Huffington Post, saying about his brother:
My mom has good intentions. But she wasn't trying to be a proxy. She's posted on Facebook about her single eligible sons and tried to get them dates many times over the years. But she never spoke to my brother nor did he make any of those statements regarding sexual allegations. He's actually a big supporter of women's rights among other things. An upstanding guy in the community, and everyone that knows him loves him.
Part of the reason mom can't understand why he's single. But the real reason is he's busy going to school full time, works 3 jobs (one as a volunteer) and is close to opening a new brewery business. He's a vet with an honorable discharge that received recognition by president Obama.
My brother is one of the finest human beings I know ... . He at first was very upset but is now taking it in stride and laughing about how mom went viral.
He is single. He does go on solo dates. And he's not afraid of the current climate or sexual allegations. As his brother though I'm sure he wouldn't mind a date out of this deep down haha. He really is a wonderful person.
We don't think making new friends is going to be a problem for Pieter. He already has wicked Twitter game.
@Thatwasmymom @GarysBasement @TheEllenShow Hello Pieter, can we talk to you and your mum please?— BBC_HaveYourSay (@BBC_HaveYourSay) 1539071551.0
@BBC_HaveYourSay @GarysBasement @TheEllenShow Only if hugs are involved :)— Pieter Hanson (@Pieter Hanson) 1539071660.0
@Thatwasmymom @GarysBasement @TheEllenShow If you follow us back, we'll send you a DM and get in touch 🤗— BBC_HaveYourSay (@BBC_HaveYourSay) 1539074884.0
@BBC_HaveYourSay @GarysBasement @TheEllenShow https://t.co/7GRzvosFn1— Pieter Hanson (@Pieter Hanson) 1539075507.0
@Thatwasmymom @BBC_HaveYourSay @GarysBasement @TheEllenShow We just became best friends. You’re gonna love it I promise.— feminist next door (@feminist next door) 1539080785.0
He already has nearly 14,000 followers!
@Thatwasmymom I can't decide if this is the best or worst way to join Twitter— Mike Hill (@Mike Hill) 1539060139.0
But of course the internet is nothing without cat pics.
Pieter did not disappoint. With the spirit of turning a negative into a positive, he shared this:
https://t.co/oSK4pdAGKh— Pieter Hanson (@Pieter Hanson) 1539065919.0
https://t.co/WZJptE8JyL— Pieter Hanson (@Pieter Hanson) 1539065894.0
Okay, the warm fuzzies are too much. Put a fork in us we're done. Twitter for the win.
H/T: Huffinton Post, BBC