For all those who have wondered why mansplaining is even a thing

[FastidiaBlueberry]

I think this article explains quite well, the concept of mansplaining and why it's so bloody irritating.

It's often said that it's "explaining something while being a man". Not quite.

Happy reading.

www.motherjones.com/media/2012/08/problem-men-explaining-things-rebecca-solnit

I hate the word 'mansplaining' (or anything else 'splaining) as clumsy jargon, but I recognise it as something that does happen. My mother is very amusing on how bad it used to be when she was young.

Anyone remember that long-running Fast Show sketch where all the men talked over and ignored Arabella Weir, until one of them repeated what she had just said, to the applause of the others? Very good illustration of it.

Didn't Arabella Weir write a load of sketches about this on The Fast Show? She would be in a meeting with the blokes. She would raise an issue, which they would ignore, then 5 seconds later they would pipe up with exactly the same point as if it where their own! I think there was one about getting into a car after someone had locked their keys inside.

Apologies to the under 30's if they have no idea what TFS was, but she beat us all to this phenomenon by about 20 years.

God, I loved that show .

Cross posts!

'You just don't know because the patriarchy has brainwashed you and your thoughts are not your own'

I know, my fingers are forced to the keyboard and all kinds of stuff appears on the screen. And I wrote it, but I have no recollection of it. I also have a Bic for her pen, not sure how that appeared on my desk either.

'I think what is meant is spaces where people don't have different opinions to the truth.

It actually fits your definition of Radsplaining rather well.....'

I have a 'splain for all occasions .

In all seriousness though, you have to smile. When I read what they think about my boys (and everyone else's boys) I tend to despair.

SuperB0F
"I think the ultimate irony is actually demonstrated by this thread: mansplaining being mansplained to women."

Surely the ultimate irony is that the "mansplaining" is being done by women.

I see the tedious adversarial pot shots at radical feminism (and therefore individual posters) are still the favourite post content of some here.

How boring.

Haven't most of the radical feminist posters stopped posting here? And yet folks are still going on about them. How Bizarre.

Thought I'd pop my head in and chew the fat on MN for a bit and it turns out to be the same old same old groundhog day. Quelle surprise.

Eldritch, great minds...glad I hadn't imagined it!

SuperBOF, are you deliberately ignoring the female contributors on here? Tut tut...

Cisplain?

not by me, I'd add

I would love someone to explain to me how a woman can mansplain.

Genuinely would.

Did the revolution happen and I missed it?

Beachcomber "I see the tedious adversarial pot shots at radical feminism (and therefore individual posters) are still the favourite post content of some here."

Don't worry. Join in with me "CHOICE! CHOICE! CHOICE! CHOICE! RA! RA! RA!"...... Piff.. paff.. pouf.... and.... patriarchy was never there.

Job done

Thanks OneMoreChap for the link. Now we need one on 'cis scum'. Non?

'I would love someone to explain to me how a woman can mansplain.'

But you said a woman can't womansplain, so what kind of splaining can a woman do? Or is everything a woman says fragrantly valid and righteous? On account of them being a woman, and thereby special.

Yes, I am deliberately excluding women on this thread from mansplaining. There are some female posters who disagree, or don't have a full understanding of the politics behind the term (why it is not merely the same as 'patronising', for example). However, none of them actually have the privilege of being male in this society, therefore when they post gubbins to women who do have more understanding of the term, I do not describe them as mansplainers.

That ok?

God, actually, I could go with this one. I am incapable of talking shite, or splaining or anything. This is working for me.

I'm off to test this theory. Thanks for the heads up.

Sigmund- there are some interesting books you can read about privilege in society, which might justify you actually spending time on a Feminist board if you read them. Otherwise you look either stupid, or deliberately obtuse and inflammatory.

Beach, my mum does it all the time, mostly about bringing up the kids and how to have the perfect marriage. She is our go-to person for un-requested advice.

'Sigmund- there are some interesting books you can read about privilege in society, which might justify you actually spending time on a Feminist board if you read them. Otherwise you look either stupid, or deliberately obtuse and inflammatory.'

I've read some of the 'Female Eunuch', and I own 2 books by Mary Daly (unread) and 2 books by Andrea Dworkin (read the first chapter of 'Intercourse').

So I think I'm entitled to be here. I'm also a woman.

And you're rude.

Thanks for explaining namechangeguy.

IMO what you describe is your mum being patronising or interfering or thinking she knows best. Of course women do that.

Your mum doesn't have male privilege though. The political element is missing.

FoodUnit - you mean the revolution has happened?!

DH is lovely, but is guilty of mansplaining, sometimes. I have to remind him that I'm not his sister :o (because anyone who knows her would understand why he does it!)

I like radsplaining, though. I've had that done to me before and it gets my hackles right up.

I can't keep up with this thread, so my comments are addressed to a page back... apologies.

FoodUnit: "but I would say your DH and uncle were (by not challenging their own entitlement) being rude" - it felt exclusive, let's put it that way.

Kim147 - you are probably right to suggest that it is not all men, if I remember your comments correctly, my father doesn't do it. But personally and professionally, it seems to me to be more often men. That is before I get onto the comments which are made by men about successful women where I work, which I don't hear being made by women about men. But that is maybe a different issue.

SigmundFraude "And you're rude."

I think its quite rude to take the p*ss out of what someone is saying when you haven't actually grasped it. Especially when it was explained upthread.

It feels like you just want to joke with the boys as women's expense. Although understandable given males' higher social status and the advantages associating in their camp, its still rude- especially in a feminist/women's rights context.

As it happens privilege used to get my hackles right up.

Till I read whatever.scalzi.com/2012/05/15/straight-white-male-the-lowest-difficulty-setting-there-is/.

Mind you, I dare say some might aver he was mansplaining.