‘Blokes Advice’ groups on Facebook have become synonymous with many words although ‘life-saving’ are not typically among them.
But for one Queensland father, he credits the group with doing just that.
When Stephen Tough, 47, suffered heart problems that eventually led to a double bypass operation, it forced him out of work and his family out of their home.
Without a job or hope, Stephen turned to the men of Blokes Advice.
Father-of-two Stephen Tough said the controversial Facebook group ‘Blokes Advice’ helped him through a bout of serious depression
‘They have helped me understand that I’m not the only man who goes through this and the support members offer you is unbelievable when they reach out,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Without Blokes Advice I would have let the black dog win, which would have been devastating for me and my family.
‘The group deserves a good rap as it can be so helpful to men going through hard times.’
Stephen’s comments come after several years of controversial claims towards the style of men’s groups. The criticisms have often centred on posts from members promoting rape, revenge porn and domestic violence.
The original group was initially shut down in 2016 when screenshots were shared revealing vile misogynistic comments left by members on some posts.
One man posted an image of a woman cowering from a man’s clenched fist with a title that read: ‘If you can’t handle him at his worst…you don’t deserve him at his best’
Despite how it’s helped Stephen, in the past the group has been accused of promoting a culture of sexism and misogyny among its members
Another posted a photo of the character Jack ‘The Muss’ Heke – a violent, alcoholic wife-beater from 1994 movie ‘Once Were Warriors’ – with the caption ‘Inspirational bloke’.
‘Imagine some of the hate rape that went on this weekend due to this page … Well done you bunch of sirs … I tip my hat,’ another person wrote.
T-shirts with a ‘Blokes Advice’ logo, which feature a penis and a beer, have also been sold to promote the page.
‘Put her head into a wall and slam her from behind,’ said one member in a post in the group
Vile posts admitting to and making light of rape have also been seen in the group’s past
‘What would you do if you saw a female in public wearing the Blokes Advice shirt? Surely a few back hands will teach ’em a lesson,’ one man wrote.
To this comment, the original poster replied: ‘Hahaha actually did that when she was passed out.’
But for Stephen the support he has received outweighs any potential vulgarity from the group, which had 300,000 members in mid-2017.
This post shows a member encouraging another to drug his partner with ‘roofies’ a drug used to make a person unconscious
Due to being out of work, he is forced to live apart from his wife and two children and after their lease is up in April, the family will have nowhere to go.
For now, the support and guidance from the men in the group is one of the only things getting Stephen through.
‘I’m not asking for a miracle. I’m just wanting a place to live for my wife and kids and a fair go at life. I’m not sure how much longer I can do this. It’s killing me.’
The group’s logo is set to feature a beer and a penis and has been sold on merchandise through the page