I tend to do that (act dumb) with everything/everyone – I get smacked a lot.
edit: small clarification of what I do
I think it’s been beaten out of me. At least I involuntarily cringe when I start to correct someone.
I don’t do the explaining thing (at least not correct explaining). I have an automatic tendency to act dumb, though.
Let me try this again, without any quotes or gifs.
There is a man in your office who the women think is a mansplainer.
You think the guy is condescending to everybody equally, not just women.
Please explain why you think that your individual assessment of this person is more likely to be correct than the group assessment that the women in your office have done.
I know… I still regularly watch SNL so remember that bit well. I just think it’s snarky and funny to post in a sarcastic manner. Plus, I love the look on Che’s face.
No one silenced you… we disagreed with you. No one was even disrepectful of you.
In mansplaining, if the person you are explaining something to disagrees then it is a clear indicator that they simply don’t understand and need you to repeat the explanation louder, more slowly, and with a condescending look on your face.
So the whole subject amuses you.
And your thesis can be boiled down to “ha ha women are the real sexists.”
Hold that thought.
This is a thread about mansplaining, and your contribution is to say women don’t know what they’re talking about. What do you think is going to happen?
Anecdotally, fellers tend to just go headlong into explaining X to me without ever coming up for air; wimmen-folk tend to look at me in disbelief, start explaining, look at me again, and then smack me while muttering something like ‘why do I even listen to you’.
Even though it’s not a gif that definitely needs to go in the misandry gif bank!
Fait accompli. Amazed I overlooked that. Grazi!
Well, actually, just because you share an attribute with a group doesn’t automatically mean you’re part of that group.
ie. All poodles are dogs - but not all dogs are poodles
Similarly, most mansplainers use “well, actually” - but not all users of “well, actually” are mansplainers.
Though I could be wrong. I am just a semi-drunk human after all.
Can you imagine a work environment in which a man is offensive in a racist way, so all the black men in the office label him a racist, but the black WOMEN in the same office recognize his sexism as well?
Responding to your posts, answering questions and making suggestions, asking for clarification…this is silencing you?
Indeed, it’s strange thinking. That responding, trying to make something clear. A conversation, is somebody ‘silencing’.
It’s also a common strategy of reactionaries. Especially when they see that they’re losing and it’s time to slink away.
I outgrew my condescension in the sixth or seventh grade. The key is just to check people’s knowledge. “So, do you know much about X,” is a great way to make sure you’re not covering ground that doesn’t need covering and people generally like showing off what they know and react positively. I often learn things this way.
Actually, I learned to dispense with demonstrating my competence with a subject unless I’m at a job interview or something. Letting other people explain things to you, even some things you already know, is a good way to learn new things. I’ve noticed my classmates tend to be eager to demonstrate knowledge during lecture and are shy about asking questions, even laughing when other people ask “stupid” questions. There is a definite gender disparity in who does what, take a guess at the breakdown.
