How to handle mansplaining

Magical Realist

Magical Realist

Valued Senior Member
You ladies know all about this. When the man in front of you raises his voice, interrupts you, wags his finger in front of your face, and blathers on about a subject he knows nothing about. You've been mansplained. Put in your place. Our culture teaches us that women must submit to this. Yield and surrender to the more assertive male. Nod and smile and look down. But no. You don't have to. Here's one way to handle mansplaining:

 
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...that may be true, but I have been the victim of age discrimination on our local university campus on several occasions so I gotta assume that others have been/are discriminated against there as well. When I complained I was stonewalled.
 
I hype it up now. I used to get really cranky about it. Now I just set out to shame them in the most vocal and visual way possible.

When someone tries to mansplain things to me, I put on a little girl voice, bat my eyelashes at him, and start telling them how strong and intelligent they are, "most intelligent in the whole wide world". By the time I am done, they pretty shut up out of embarrassment and I switch back to my normal voice and manner of speaking to further make the point, by which point most apologise.

Works every time.
 
How would one "reply" to a thing that is not? Or at least not as defined.
 
When someone asks me a question, I assume they are looking for an answer. I don't believe I would know when I've crossed the line into "mansplaining."
 
Bowser said:
When someone asks me a question, I assume they are looking for an answer. I don't believe I would know when I've crossed the line into "mansplaining."
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When that "silly girl" thought goes through your mind - you might have crossed the line...

When she's talking and you're rehearsing your next line instead of listening - you might have crossed the line...

If you start explaining that you're not mansplaining... but... - you might have crossed the line...
 
Randwolf said:
When that "silly girl" thought goes through your mind - you might have crossed the line...
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Has yet to happen within any conversation with any woman. Perhaps we just share ideas.

When she's talking and you're rehearsing your next line instead of listening - you might have crossed the line...
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Who does that?

If you start explaining that you're not mansplaining... but... - you might have crossed the line...
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Who does that?

It just sounds like a tripwire complaint to me. If I'm explaining something that might be an area of personal experience, I'm not being condescending. I'm simply sharing, which would be the same if coming from a woman.
 
Mod Hat ― Stop while you're behind

Bowser said:
When someone asks me a question, I assume they are looking for an answer. I don't believe I would know when I've crossed the line into "mansplaining."

(Boldface accent added)
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Stop changing the subject. Stay on topic.
 
I confess to being a little confused by the idea of mansplaining... but, then again, I generally try to start the explanation to any question on the basis that the person before me is not a complete idiot and does, in fact, have a functional cerebral cortex (I guess in my mind, "mansplaining" is no different than "being an insufferable asshole" heh). Is the term mansplaining some fraternal attempt to "rationalize" or otherwise make acceptable the act of being a douche?
 
Kittamaru said:
Is the term mansplaining some fraternal attempt to "rationalize" or otherwise make acceptable the act of being a douche?
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That is pretty much it. They are not being rude, sexist, condescending, belittling etc. They are just telling the truth because they are the man and you are an underling. The biggest evidence is when they talk 'at' you, not with you and cut you off or interrupt constantly so you cant get a word in unless you agree or they get louder talking over you.
 
Mansplaining? The environment is variable for everyone.
Bells said:
I hype it up now. I used to get really cranky about it. Now I just set out to shame them in the most vocal and visual way possible.

When someone tries to mansplain things to me, I put on a little girl voice, bat my eyelashes at him, and start telling them how strong and intelligent they are, "most intelligent in the whole wide world". By the time I am done, they pretty shut up out of embarrassment and I switch back to my normal voice and manner of speaking to further make the point, by which point most apologise.

Works every time.
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I usually find no one has the nerve to start with me, or, when they find out I'm a physics student they don't try. It could also be that I want them to try too.
 
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Tiassa said:
Mod Hat ― Stop while you're behind



Stop changing the subject. Stay on topic.
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Mansplaining? Isn't that simply addressing a question or giving information? If I were to do the same to another man, would it still then be "mansplaning"? Honestly, I'm a bit confused by the term.
 
Beer w/Straw said:
Mansplaining? The environment is variable for everyone.

I usually find no one has the nerve to start with me, or, when they find out I'm a physics student they don't try. It could also be that I want them to try too.
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I have a nephew who recently earned his doctorate in astrophysics. His head hasn't swollen to the point of never being able to listening.
 
Bells said:
I hype it up now. I used to get really cranky about it. Now I just set out to shame them in the most vocal and visual way possible.
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You need to explain what it is that exactly turns you off to the conversation. As an example, if I explain to my wife the function of the alternator in our car, how to replace it, and why doing the work myself is less expensive than going to a mechanic, would that be mansplaining?
 
birch said:
That is pretty much it. They are not being rude, sexist, condescending, belittling etc. They are just telling the truth because they are the man and you are an underling. The biggest evidence is when they talk 'at' you, not with you and cut you off or interrupt constantly so you cant get a word in unless you agree or they get louder talking over you.
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I guess it stems from some foolish notion that females are somehow "lesser" than males? I'll never understand that... yes, there are biological and physiological differences (and even some psychological ones)... but that doesn't make one "better" than the other. More naturally inclined to certain activities, certainly (I'd be very impressed to see a man give birth, for example!) but short of a select few activities (such as the aforementioned), I cannot think of anything a man can do that a woman cannot, and vice versa... yeah, it may be easier for a man to be physically stronger, much the same as it is naturally easier for a woman to be more flexible, but they are by no means exclusive to the gender 0o' (case in point, I've a friend who was in the marines... and while she weighs maybe a hundred pounds soaking wet, I would NOT want to get into an actual fight with her... I reckon I'd wind up seeing the sky before I knew what happened!)
 
Magical Realist said:
You ladies know all about this. When the man in front of you raises his voice, interrupts you, wags his finger in front of your face, and blathers on about a subject he knows nothing about. You've been mansplained. Put in your place. Our culture teaches us that women must submit to this. Yield and surrender to the more assertive male.
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I've seen it once in my long life, and it was most recently, where her boyfriend was interrupting my
niece while she was trying to have a conversation with me. It was more a case of being rude than some form of "mansplaining." I can only conclude that you people are surrounded by ass__les. This stuff simply doesn't happen where I come from.

If mansplaining is nothing more than informing another person of relevant facts or an opinion, then we are all guilty simply by speaking to the opposite sex.
 
Bowser:

It would help if you understood what is being talked about.

Mansplaining has been described as "explaining without regard to the fact that the explainee knows more than the explainer, often done by a man to a woman", for example.

And this, from wikipedia:

Mansplaining covers a heterogeneous mix of mannerisms in which a speaker's reduced respect for the stance of a listener, or a person being discussed, appears to have little reason behind it other than the speaker's assumption that the listener or subject, being female, does not have the same capacity to understand as a man. It also covers situations in which it appears a person is using a conversation primarily for the purpose of self-aggrandizement — holding forth to a female listener, presumed to be less capable, in order to appear knowledgeable by comparison.​
 
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