#MeToo, carceral feminism, and vernacular retributive rhetoric

The #MeToo movement initiated a crucial global dialogue on gender violence, intended for survivor solidarity and collective healing. Yet public discourse shifted toward punitive solutions, framing retribution as synonymous with feminist progress. This essay analyzes online comments to Baker’s (2018, April 27. “What do we do with these men?” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/27/opinion/sunday/metoo-comebacks-charlie-rose.html) article to examine how carceral feminism circulates within hybrid vernacular discourse. We argue that comments not only reaffirm formal carceral systems, but they also extend punitive governance into the public sphere through retributive rhetoric. By tracing how retributive rhetoric operates in participatory online spaces, we complicate celebratory accounts of participatory publics and demonstrate that carceral feminisms persists through everyday rhetorical practices that naturalize punishment as justice.