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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

"Get your arse out, mate" Woman turns the tables on unsuspecting men...

20 replies

MojitoMadness · 06/04/2014 15:44

This is brilliant, and quite funny to watch. The reaction of the workmen is classic!

Here

OP posts:
JumpingJackSprat · 06/04/2014 15:47

I liked the message but she was still quite reserved in what she did - "would you like to go to bed/go home with me" whereas in the everyday sexism project it seems women are more likely to get "fancy a shag?". Like any normal human she seemed embarrassed to be saying that stuff.

ArmyDad · 06/04/2014 18:41

Were the targets picked? Otherwise there ate.alot pf confused blokes wondering what just happened. Also this is an article that will be read by maunly feminists, so the impact will be lost on the actual offenders

TheGirlWhoKickedTheVipersNest · 06/04/2014 23:16

I've seen this... not sure what I think of it tbh, I see the point she's making but it's likely that the majority of men she's targeting aren't people who catcall women, which seems unfair. I'd hate to have an Asian person (say) shout random racist insults at me on the street on the basis that I'm white and some white people are racist, then film my reaction and put it on a national newspaper site for everyone to see. I also think it invites the response that it's clearly not that bad for women if we're willing to subject men to it - obviously no-one would make a video like this involving sexual violence against men, for example, so I feel like it's suggesting that verbal harassment doesn't matter as much.

That said, I'd be interested to know whether the cameras were hidden and whether the targets were asked before or afterwards for permission to show the footage. I noticed that one or two of them had their faces blurred, so I wonder if that means the others agreed to appear.

Creeping · 07/04/2014 00:32

It's a mixed bag, isn't it? I was hoping that it would show how ridiculous and oppressive this behaviour is, but it just showed how ridiculous this behaviour is... when it is done by a woman. The men (but one) were baffled by the woman's behaviour, but I have a feeling that it was mostly because a woman was doing it, rather than the behaviour itself. Perhaps they should try another go, with a man catcalling men... Perhaps then it adds the threatening factor that we women feel?

AnyFucker · 07/04/2014 00:40

Well, I laughed.

I loved the bar scene underneath the advertisement for "big melons"

and the uncomfortable bridge scene where she just leered suggestively without saying a word at the bloke who pretended not to notice

it was a bit "Dom Joly" comedy though, really, because we know that this is not how women behave

whatdoesittake48 · 07/04/2014 06:47

The only part of this which I thought was realistic was the workmen who said "Hey! you can't call us that..." (or something). That might have struck a nerve and made the point. However, all the other men looked baffled and just thought she had mental health issues.

As women we don't think men who do this have mental health problems - we just think they are idiots who like to make women feel scared. it is a different dynamic.

VashtaNerada · 07/04/2014 06:56

It's a nice idea but didn't quite ring true (nor could it without her being utterly vile). What would make it more realistic is if she had quickly escalated to abuse when they ignored her or said no.

SabrinaMulhollandJjones · 07/04/2014 12:20

YY vashta - the men never felt threatened or overwhelmed, as women often do in these situations.

I found it quite hard to watch and quite cringy (she's v brave) and then I just felt a bit flat at the end when it comes up "these are based on real reports on everyday sexism."

The men targeted were just Confused or Wink but I did Smile at the workman saying "you can't talk like that to us." LOL.

scallopsrgreat · 07/04/2014 14:26

I think the fact that the men were incredulous or bewildered was part of the point. Women don't do this to men. Men do it to women.

And yes the fact that there is no underlying fear from the men, shines through. Most of them had no problem telling the woman No or that she was being inappropriate. One of the men said 'What's wrong with you?' (mind you that was just before he'd said he'd go to the bank after which he'd go back to her house Hmm)

I agree though upscaling some of the encounters to a bit of abuse would have been more realistic. But the woman has to be careful herself. None of these men men were frightened of her.

FrontForward · 07/04/2014 14:29

Interesting concept to make people realise how inappropriate sexist behaviour is.

I'm a little baffled at the posts on the page saying that this sort of behaviour is 'made up'

I was running with my 11 yr old last week and white van man tooted us. It makes me sick to think she faces that sort of behaviour on her own

MothershipG · 07/04/2014 15:09

She expalins a bit more about her ideas in this companion piece.

I wondered if it would work better if it was an intimidating man doing it to other men, then they might appreciate how threatening it can feel?

allhailqueenmab · 07/04/2014 15:47

I thought it was interesting that there was almost a sort of pitying response, often. Men asked her "are you ok?" for instance. It is so out of the natural order of things that they assume she is ill or something.

I think the workmen who said "you can't talk to us like that!" felt trapped, on show, by their work they were kind of stuck on stage. this dynamic is hard to reproduce - that in which the world is stage on which women are forced to perform and men can throw flowers (weighted with demands and threats) or rotten tomatoes

DownstairsMixUp · 07/04/2014 15:51

I don't like generalising but the type of guys she targeted weren't the sort I imagine that call out to women. I've been called out to a fair bit and I'd say 90% of them were on building sites... The rest were just from young lads in passing cars.

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 08/04/2014 09:15

"I wondered if it would work better if it was an intimidating man doing it to other men, then they might appreciate how threatening it can feel?"

I think this is a better analogy, yes.

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 08/04/2014 09:23

"I loved the bar scene underneath the advertisement for "big melons"

And Yy to this as well.

allhailqueenmab · 08/04/2014 09:29

Yes, she failed to make her point (through no fault of her own) in that the existing power structures just made her look odd and didn't reveal anything to any men.

the other thing that might have made a difference is if a group of women had harrassed men such that they felt intimidated, but that would have felt too extraordinary - would have felt too concerted - would have taken the very casual "because I can" element out of it

AnyFucker · 08/04/2014 09:38

Let's face it, it is quite impossible to reproduce the everyday sexism and level of intimidation that women experience from men so that they can fully understand it

Good men acknowledge this, and manage to check their Privilege accordingly

It's kinda something that is not possible to teach, like having integrity and a sense of responsibility

allhailqueenmab · 08/04/2014 10:17

I disagree. I think that men (and women) are socially conditioned to accept a certain level of abuse of women, and if enough people work hard enough to change things, then they can be conditioned not to see this as acceptable.
It's a dream! but I dream it

wugiwugi · 11/04/2014 10:52

I don't get it. Is this some sort of experiment to see if men are more likely to flash their bare bottoms than women are?

Just walk past a building yard and you will see some builders' bare bottoms free of charge. No need to ask.

YoniMatopoeia · 11/04/2014 18:04

I think this is effective

OPPRESSED MAJORITY (Majorité Opprimée English), b…:

11 mins long.

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