Have you noticed this behaviour? It's everyday sexism, right?

[paintedfences]

I'm a member of a local community Facebook group with around 16k members, mostly people asking about what's on, new cafes opening, what's going on with the bins, all ordinary community stuff. Generally a nice place.

A few months ago someone posted something about a behaviour that happens in it on a fairly regular basis. And I’m interested if others have seen it too, and if you'd consider it as bloody sexist as I do.

It goes... someone with an obviously female name or profile pic asks a genuine question, and amongst the responses will be some bloke poking fun and wilfully misinterpreting the question to make her look stupid.

Woman then feels the need to go along with the hilarious jape - because who wants to be a humourless, offence-taking misery guts?

IABU to be pissed off with it? Some poor women has asked about the price of a local takeaway going up and whether they had new owners, and the first post is some random guy making out her question is the most moronic thing ever asked.

Similarly, a few months ago I asked if anyone had a sourdough starter because mine had died, someone said yes, I went to collect, total non-event. Then some bloke bumped my actual post a couple of days later to ask what had happened and that the community 'awaited an update with bated breath.' I mean, what? how very dare we use the group for its intended purpose? (I laughed it off but a) it pissed me off and b) I found it a bit creepy - it's my local area and I didn't want to antagonise this weirdo.)

IABU to think this is a thing that happens quite a lot? And that women should be able to communicate like normal human beings about normal bloody things without being mocked because they're considered somehow 'fair game' for some nitwit that wants to show off how clever he is?

I was sorely tempted to post on the group itself with the above, but then I chickened out and came here. You may as well tell me if IABU for that too!

Mine will take the piss out of anyone who asks a question that would be more easily answered by Google but that's as likely to be a man asking as a woman.

The biggest pisstake on there was hugely mocking a man who made a massive issue out of some mouldy bread from the corner shop. Went on to include many bread based memes, subtle jokes masquerading as unrelated innocent posts. It was brilliant.

I don't think on mine there is sexism of the type you describe.

This has happened to me on our local one too.
I asked where x farm x street was (as there were road works and road getting closed) Man tried to make out I was a total fool, complete idiot not knowing.
So I blasted back, I think he assumed I was a transplant from somewhere else, however I was born and raised one village over,
I pointed out how x place has been known as y forever. He said, not, that it has a name and y is the garage. I said, yes it is. However, having known it as y since the 60's that is what everyone I know call it. Lots of likes for my post from young and old, men and women. Silence from jerkface man.
Answer back otherwise they just keep it up.

I asked for recommendations for dishwasher engineers as mine wasn't cleaning properly - must've had about 8 men reply telling me to clean the filter. Because of course I hadn't thought of that...or tried it...over and over again...

ALHanes2 badgers in his back passage

I don't think this is sexism, necessarily. In the sourdough example, it just sounds like someone trying to have a joke, as in it would be quite funny if someone really were waiting with baited breath to find out the outcome of this first world problem.

I'm (unavoidably) part of a work forum mostly composed of chaps and this sort of banter happens all the time between them. On the rare occasions I post, I'm considered, and consider them, fair game.

Having said that, there really are some arseholes out there, of both sexes.