What sexist behaviour would be the most shocking if reversed?

[GrumpyOldNag]

I was thinking feminist thoughts to myself (as you do ), 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...

Haha, a whole third eh! Anyone would think females represented 52% of the population or something.

Men being routinely asked "who looks after your children while you're at work?" "Does your wife mind you working?"

Men wearing false nails and eyelashes, and clothes and shoes which make movement difficult and uncomfortable, also makeup and hair treatments which take lots of time and effort. Teen boys unwilling to run around, swim, play freely because of danger of mussing said makeup and hair.

Men being told they look "tired" if they don't wear makeup.

This is a brilliant thread! Is making me a bit angry tho. The times I've had conversations with men about what women have to face and they literally don't see it. I guess that's the first of the 'male privileges', that they are unaware of their privilege and see it as just normal and natural.

Women coming onto men aggressively in pubs and clubs, often using the exact same body language they use when squaring up for a fight, then dismissing the threat felt as she was just being friendly.

When they complain about the way they are treated they get shouted down as not all Women are like that.

Men on page three.

Showing off their huge perfectly waxed shiny balls.

With a caption like 'Dave thinks the conflict in the Middle East is just awful'

While Dave is straddling a tiger with a lollipop in his mouth.

Single dads being called sluts and seen as an irresponsible drain on resources while it's fine for the women to walk off and ignore the child.

Young boys being married to older women so that they can become a house slave and inmpregnate them from age 13.

A music video with 2 fully dressed women and 3 naked men cavorting around. One blond, one brown haired and one mixed race. The song is about how ' boys' know they want sex really even if they are saying no.

Actually there is a feminist parody of Blurred Lines, here it is...

m.youtube.com/watch?v=V_kfNrK8ZUQ&feature=kp

Man needs new clothes.
It takes him ages, he visits many different shops, vading through transparent garish trendy polyester items, trying on things. Cries because everything is so revealing, nothing is flattering and he hasn’t got the body of a 14 year old boy anymore.
Looks longingly at the women’s department full of basic, classic clothes in neutral colours and natural fabrics.
Knows that he will be seen as feminine, gay and dangerously anti-women if he starts wearing comfortable clothes, flat shoes, short hair, no makeup & stops shaving. Knows he has to use makeup etc to look masculine enough, look presentable at work, be seen as heterosexual and not be harassed for being a gay butch. But he will still be sexually harassed & needs a nipple cover so women don’t see his sexual and immodest nipple outline through his tops.

Both in real life and on the internet, discussions and spaces are dominated by women.

If men try to discuss the things posted on this thread online, WRA's and other angry anti-masculinists will soon show up and harass them, yelling not all women are like that, what about the women, and call them hysterical woman-haters. If they don't want to see naked boys on page 3 they hate sex.

If every panel show, ever, on telly was all female, I think men would be genuinely shocked. DH never noticed every single comedy or discussion show was almost all male till I pointed it out.

Very interesting thread.

When fathers go on golf trips, their friends saying 'who is looking after the kids?' then asking them how often they've been away in the past and how the childcare all worked out.

When mothers go on trips, no mention of kids at all beyond a cursory 'family alright?' and a nod.

I always ask male colleagues /friends who have just had a baby how long they are taking off work and if they are going back part time .

Whe I get the inevitable " oh no, my wife /gf /partner is taking maternity leave ", I then ask

" don't you feel guilty about her damaging her career to look after your child "

To which I usually get " dunno, I never thought about it " or "she doesn't mind "

Well exactly

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.