to think men seem to have taken to MN in their droves recently......and I don't like it

[LadyBlaBlah]

Every thread I go on, there are men putting forward their opinion

I have enough of men in RL. AIBU thinking they should bog off to DN or go play the X Box or something?

Mansplaining is a gender thing: that's why it has the word 'man' in it rather than 'person' or some other gender-neutral term.

You could have 'whitesplaining' or 'straightsplaining' (for example) to describe similar behaviour in relation to other social divisions.

I kept reading while at university that the exam format supposedly favoured the boys because we were more used to expressing our views in a way in which examiners liked to read them - confident, solid opinions expressed as facts, not hedged around with modifiers or ambiguities.

This sounded like little more than a sexist generalisation to me, and certainly wasn't borne out by the people I was at university with.

YABVU, OP. But I think that's already been said. I don't post with any regularity these days, but I have lurked a lot and there's nothing like droves - unless they are inaccurately attired. And a big hello to the blokes on here!

Mansplain? Crass. Someone was bored one day.

It is a sexist generalisation UD but unfortunately I think it's grounded in fact.

Men are generally more inclined to state things as fact, even if they're not. Women are trained to caveat: "I think", "I believe" "IMO" "IME", even if they know for a fact, that the thing they are stating is indeed fact.

We are trained to be deferential in our body language and our speech. Men are trained to be authoritative in both.

And of course there are many many exceptions to the rule. But the generalism holds true. Although I think it's breaking down a bit - I notice that younger men are much more deferential and polite in their style of speaking than older ones are. Women haven't become more authoritative, but men seem to have become more hedging and caveating. Also there is this antipodean inflexion that has crept into the language which automatically makes eveything sound like a question rather than a statement and neutralises a bald statement.

That's just an impression though and may not be borne out by fact.

I don't agree that it's a sexist generalisation. To say that all men mansplain would be an unjustified generalisation. The word mansplain describes a behaviour: it doesn't imply that it's a behaviour demonstrated by all men.

Interesting to see how offended men get about it though.

I assume you mean:

'that's is just an impression though and may not be borne out by fact??????'

Or are you being manly?

TheButterfly - I can see what the word means and I know the phenomenon and why it is very very annoying to women.

I saw a man doing 'mansplaining' on TV to a woman the other day. Me and DW were willing her to smack him in the mouth. She looked handy enough to do it too.

The thing is though, I rather agree with your DH on his analysis of what it means when I see it on MN and do feel rather insulted along with the term 'menz' which is guaranteed to annoy me even more.

When men trolls come along I do go but th etemerity to venture a sincere well thought out opinion does not deserve insults - be it man or woman.

That is what MN is about.

Beenbeta - I dont' think a sincere, well thought out opinion, does result in insults, unless it is accompanied by mansplaining or insults itself.

coleysworth - for me,I don't get 'offended' by it. I just dismiss it. It is an unpleasant generalisation but not worth getting upset over.

Except you don't really see this in MN many people say what gender they are and people are surprised, so to use reasoning which does not actually happen often on MN is unfair don't you think.

I am often annoyed with the word 'men' being used then someone quickly saying they meant men 'as a group' whilst still talking about behaviour expressed by a minority of men as though the majority of men do it.

I think on a site with so many people wanting equality and an end to sexism 'mansplaining' and 'menz' seem a bit a out of place.

Completely with UQD on this. SOME men might explain stuff in that way - but to generalise it is wrong. Really wrong - 'womansplain' would be considered an outrage and I consider 'mansplain' an outrage too.

It implies that it is a universally male thing. It certainly is not.

nothing to do with rising above, some posts seem to imply that all men are sexist about women which is also untrue. (obviously)

Coles, how on earth does the word 'mansplain' NOT imply that all men do it? It contains, purposely, the word 'man'.

Rather than 'malemisogynistsplain' which would be more fitting.

Wouldn't 'womansplain' inherently criticise all women?

Pan, it is not a generalisation. It's a verb describing a particular kind of behaviour by a member or members of a privileged group towards those on the other side of that line of privilege. There is nothing in the word that implies that all men do it, or even that one man makes a habit of doing it. Where does this 'generalisation' idea come from, I wonder.

Pun intended?

Unless you're objecting to the generalisation that men-as-a-group are privileged over women-as-a-group, is that what your problem is with it? Surely not.

I think nearly the full compliment of 'droves' are on this thread now, about seven.

Coming soon:
The Misogynist Seven starring Danny Dyer.

hmm..not a generalisation? Okaaay.

Well I have a problem with 'men as a group' are privileged because in actuality they are not, society cannot be defined in such a clear cut manner. Many factors like race and class etc factor into someone's privilege and men are in those groups as well.

Hang on a moment...surely if not all men do it, then it can be nothing to do with the [fact]? that all men are privileged?

You are confusing me there. Surely if they are all coming from the same standpoint which in itself defines 'manspeaking' they are all doing it?

Saltatrix- You fell for the trap, run, run for your life.