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What sexist behaviour would be the most shocking if reversed?

416 replies

GrumpyOldNag · 06/06/2014 17:05

I was thinking feminist thoughts to myself (as you do Grin ), and I was thinking about how this belief that sexism doesn't exist anymore creates a huge backlash against anyone who speaks out against it, which in turn makes people who do in fact believe in equal rights for men and women try to distance themselves from feminism because it's perceived as crazy and unreasonable. The problem is that a lot of it is so ingrained in our culture and society that it is completely normalised, and the majority of people don't even notice it anymore.

So what would be the most obvious, outrageous sexist behaviour, if we swapped the genders? Would it be men being followed, harassed and intimidated in the street, or on the music channel men gyrating and grinding dressed increasingly revealing clothing while women are all fully clothed? Men dancing in the windows of the red light district, or the overwhelming majority of politicians and CEOs being female?

What in your opinion would bring about the most uproar if one day sexism suddenly switched genders?

Sorry if any part of this doesn't make sense, I had a beautifully written OP all typed out and then my iPad lost it all for no apparent reason... Angry

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
RonaldMcDonald · 07/06/2014 18:26

Grazia magazine pondering over Poor desperate George Clooney, single and childless
Every week for a year

RonaldMcDonald · 07/06/2014 18:23

Sitting on a train with my legs so widely apart that is impossible for anyone else to be able to sit down, cos I've just got to have enough space for my vulva
Crushing whatever fool who manages to sit down beside me but explaining loudly that it has been crushed all day like

Hamuketsu · 07/06/2014 18:12

Industry shows and conferences have handsome young promo boys working the crowd, wearing muscle T-shirts and tight shorts with company logos printed across the arse.

grimbletart · 07/06/2014 18:03

Samantha: I've done the chair leaned back, hands behind head, feet on office desk thing when I had to deal with with sexist males at work years ago - it really discombobulates them Grin

grimbletart · 07/06/2014 18:00

A man, lips pursed sexily, draped provocatively across the bonnet of a sports car at Paris car show.

StoneTheFlamingCrows · 07/06/2014 18:00

So following on from that:

Talking about female masturbation and sex acts that pleasure women and involve men's anuses are mainstream, but talking about male masturbation or sex acts that primarily pleasure men is seen as a bit icky and not something that men would admit to enjoying.

grimbletart · 07/06/2014 17:58

2 men in glossy tight suits planting a kiss on each cheek of the female winner of the women's cycling tour.

Lines of men grinning inanely as they applaud the F1 winners up to the podium.

Men in short shorts holding up cards saying Round 1, round 2 etc. in a Nicola Adams boxing match.

StoneTheFlamingCrows · 07/06/2014 17:40

Sorry, in case you can't read it, it says,

"I heard that your dreams came true. Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you."

Anal. I bet it was anal.

StoneTheFlamingCrows · 07/06/2014 17:38

I just posted a link to this thread on my facebook feed and it hasn't got a single "like" yet.

This picture however has got over 30,000.

Can you imagine a similar post about cunnilingus?

What sexist behaviour would be the most shocking if reversed?
AnotherSpinningFuckingRainbow · 07/06/2014 17:30

"Women routinely sitting next to male colleagues with their legs fully apart, hands back over their heads in a "look at the size of MY package" kind of way" SamanthaJones, I am actually going to do that next time I see a male colleague doing it, or perhaps in a waiting room. See what reaction there is, if any.

MardyBra · 07/06/2014 17:12

Men would be expected to remember all family birthdays, including those of their wife/partner's family and organise presents and cards.

MardyBra · 07/06/2014 17:04

Boys being discouraged by peers at school from taking maths and sciences as they are "girls subjects".

Fantastic thread btw. Vote for classics.

SamanthaJones · 07/06/2014 15:49

Men saying sorry, I can't make that 9am meeting, I have to do the school run

Men saying "I don't work Fridays, I'm at home with the children"

SamanthaJones · 07/06/2014 15:47

Great thread!

Being in a meeting and it being dominated by the women in the room

Those women being the most senior people present

Women routinely sitting next to male colleagues with their legs fully apart, hands back over their heads in a "look at the size of MY package" kind of way

BalloonSlayer · 07/06/2014 15:31

Having a group of six superheroes working as a team, five female with various grotesque/bizarre outfits/talents and one male in a skin tight faceless suit with an enormous codpiece whose superpower appears to be leaping into the air in a variety of sexual positions.

(That is a reversal of DS2's fave Marvel Heroes show btw)

kickassangel · 07/06/2014 15:22

that even when you're on a predominantly male site, all the adverts still reinforce sexist stereotypes, thereby making you look weird and odd for trying to talk about equality, cos it's so obvious that this is how life should be cos the media says so.

kickassangel · 07/06/2014 15:11

Men not allowed to take part in certain sports at professional level as it could be too dangerous for them/they're too violent/emotional/it isn't exciting enough/everyone knows it's a woman's sport.
Men's clothing for said sports to be a little bit too tight and too short on fabric so that they actually have to think about not exposing themselves or hurting themselves as they play the sport.
Men not being able to get sponsorship for the sport unless they do some topless/nude modelling as part of the deal.
Men not being the commentator for their own sport as obviously a woman's voice sounds more authoritative.
Everyone knowing that women can run/throw/ faster/better/more accurately etc and that's just how nature is, nothing to do with hours and hours of extra opportunity and training, and double the budget poured into their sport.
'Pointless' sports that are nothing but a display of strength being dismissed as not really sport and just a man's thing.
All coverage of men playing a sport to focus on their genitals, how they stretch their groin as they reach for a shot, their amusing faces as they focus, comments on how the sweat really isn't nice to look at etc etc.
Men paid less for the same sports.
Male sports stars being vilified if they didn't put on their crotch hugging tighty whiteys for a night out/gala event, and vilified if they did. Don't they know how to dress so that they look sexy and appealing but without looking like they want to look sexy?

When the Olympics were on I showed a class the website about the camera shots used to show women athletes. Some of them thought I'd accidentally opened up a porn site! When I told them this was main stream journalism on respected newspaper sites, some of the kids actually walked off or refused to look because they were so appalled at how the photography was done.

Hamuketsu · 07/06/2014 15:11

Men's needing separate handbags to carry their keys and wallet, because their clothes are designed without functional pockets. Husband rushing round the house hunting for his handbag before going out, while his wife rolls her eyes and pats her capacious pockets.

carolinecupcake · 07/06/2014 14:44

Men being asked if it's that time of the month.
Women lying on the settee snoring and farting!

AnotherSpinningFuckingRainbow · 07/06/2014 14:34

Women constantly wanting to argue about Masculinism and play Devil's Advocate as some kind of intellectual exercise, ignoring the visible distress of the Masculinist, or treating his agitation as a sign that they had won the debate.

Men fearing to state their opinions on a public forum as they don't wish to continually educate the privileged. Men's online spaces frequently attacked, spied on, their threads used as jokes or abuse fodder.

Hamuketsu · 07/06/2014 14:29

Sir Bradley Wiggins, Professor Brian Cox and David Mitchell would face continual criticism and abuse on social media, for giving more of their attention to sport/science/comedy than their sexual desirability.

weatherall · 07/06/2014 14:25

Men having to continuously police their own behaviour for fear of being raped. Not having the freedom to go about their business without the fear of being attacked. And then knowing that there is no justice system. You cannot even tell anyone because they will blame you. Then you have to live in fear of seeing your rapist going about her business as if nothing has changed whilst you have the lifelong responsibility of pregnancy or stds.

They would riot.

BriarRainbowshimmer · 07/06/2014 14:11

After giving birth a mother's work is done, she might feel entitled to sit around and play videogames and to demand oral sex from her male partner while he is busy taking care of the screaming baby by himself.

She is considered a good wife if she "helps" her husband by washing dishes and playing with the children.

KristinaM · 07/06/2014 13:59

Sometimes I amuse myself by asking men how they balance their career with family responsibilities

beccajoh · 07/06/2014 13:57

This thread is really depressing me. Many of these situations had occurred to me but so many hadn't.