I gave all my classes this riddle this week - 3 kids got the answer.

[IHeartKingThistle]

I teach secondary English. Last week as a starter I gave all my classes (Yr 7s, 8s and 9s) some riddles to solve and this was one of them:

A man and his son are in a car accident and are rushed to hospital. When they arrive the doctor looks at the boy and exclaims 'I can't operate on him, he's my son!' How can this be?

Some kids guessed that the boy had 2 dads in a gay relationship, which could technically be correct of course. But it only occurred to 3 kids out of nearly 100 that the doctor could be a woman. Not one of the Year 7s thought of it.

In this day and age? I couldn't believe it!

They got a nice little lecture on feminism as a bonus that lesson

Lass; I know that's the supposed bias. But I don't think it works as the solution is so obvious that there must be only one man

The solution is glaringly obvious. So obvious I couldn't see what the problem was supposed to be. But apparently the unconcious bias is supposed to be the assumption there are 3 men in the room so the detective doesn't know which one is Bob. There is an explanation somewhere on the thread confirming this.

I just asked my 7 year old, she first said dad because she didn't understand the question properly then she said the mother. Then I explained that lots of people won't think of the mother being an option because they don't think of doctors being women and she said she thinks the other way round, that doctor is a job more for women than men. I think most doctors she's encountered have been women so I guess that makes sense.

sorry I forgot to check back on this post. yes hope has it and obviously it was more drawn out in the way it was told but I was typing in a hurry so condensed it a lot for speed.
thanks for calling me thick lass, aren't you a peach 🙄

Unlike you I'm not a feminist but it is obvious what the answer is - so obvious that the "wrong" answer had to be explained.

grow up lass, you sound like a snidey schoolgirl. it's pathetic and not a good look on a presumably middle aged woman.

I was amused that I got the correct answer to a riddle which a feminist fell hook, line and sinker for the wrong answer.

why are you so keen to point out you aren't a feminist? do you not think women should have equal opportunities, the chance to be educated and autonomy over their bodies?
I'm sure there is many, many things that would be obvious to me and not you. the difference is I wouldn't revel in them or Lord them over you because I don't get off on stuff like that. I'm a kind person and I don't need to put to others down to feel good about myself.
I actually pity that you need these "wins" to feel good about yourself. but by all means you carry on. I'm off to bed now as I have a full day of lectures tomorrow. goodnight and sweet dreams.

Lass is deeply proud of not being a feminist, it's kind of her "thing" on these boards. Don't take it personally!

I think there are occasions where being a feminist leads to blinkered thinking where everything is seen through a feminist prism, whether it is relevant or not.

The problem with the riddle is that it's not sexists who don't get it, it's people who don't think and aren't good at riddles, tell the same riddle the other way with a mum and son instead and I guarantee the results will be the same, don't do an experiment on children then proclaim the obvious result as a point proven by feminism when you haven't done the other half of the experiment.

I think it's quite significant that alternative answers involved same sex parents.
That also shows something about how mentalities have evolved beyond the only possibility an heterosexual couple.

I'd love to know how a feminist mentality is supposed to blinker women to the possibility that the doctor could be a woman.

I think Lass mean that feminists were assuming sexism rather than linguistic leading.

That's why I'd really like to hear what happens if someone frames it with a woman and her daughter, on subjects who are not already thinking about this. Lass and another poster say they think woman doctor ... but I'm very aware that if you'd asked me I'd never have thought I'd have committed the chemistry teacher gaffe.

I didn’t get it straight away but only because i
I then read the answer so I didn’t give myself time to think it through. I think leaving out the bit where the father is unconscious leads people to think he is the one who is the doctor. My partner got it straight away but he then said he’s heard it before and it’s qhite an old one lol