Mansplaining is typically used by more aggressive feminist sects as a method of keeping men from the conversation. It shouldn't be taken seriously at all! Nor should it be considered part of mainstream feminism or really be allowed to enter feminism period.
Old but: ... Mansplaining isn't that? It's the assumption that happens that a woman doesn't know about something simply because it's not a "girl thing." Like physics, linguistics, comic book geekery, etc. :v Sometimes devolving into explaining the plot/premise of a show to one of the writers on that show. :v
Usually if someone wants to shut a man out of a feminist area, they say "You can't understand because you've not experienced it." Which can be a fair point but fails to take into account the ability for modern humans to communicate ideas to each other despite the impossibility of ever experiencing it. See also: Any fantasy or sci-fi book, the whole "You can experience the universe through a book!" idea.
Mansplaining is used in many ways:
- Man: "I know all about blah, I know [WRONG INFO]! Blah, blah." Woman: "...I have a degree in blah, and what you said is entirely incor - " Man: "Blah blah blah blah!"
- Man: "Women don't know what they want. I do."
- Man: "Here, I have a theory about gender roles - " Woman: "That contradicts my theory! You're MANSPLAINING gender to me!"
- Woman: "Blah blah." Man: "No... I don't think that's how it goes. It seems more like - " Woman: "MANSPLAIN!!!" Man: "But we're equally skilled in this, surely my professional opinion of the function - " Woman: "SPLAAAAAIN!!!!!"
Needless to say, I agree with half and disagree with half. But I actually prefer "condesplain," because women can do it to men too; it might be less common, but we don't call heart disease "man disease" just because more men get it.
This whole disagreement over "mansplaining" is just a new iteration of a problem with feminism. There are some feminists who are bad, they're... not SJW, that's an enemy term. Not radical, I'm radical myself. Not aggressive, that's not quite it. Either "corrupt" or "dogmatic". To illustrate the problem, a story:
I had a disagreement with a female colleague. Because I rated her poorly in her review, she accused me of sexism. But she really did do poorly.
When a woman uses the terminology of feminism to deflect all criticism, that's corruption. When a feminist misuses a term to exclude all men from a conversation (that they could contribute too; not a discussion on subjective menstruation or something), that's exclusive dogmatism or something. These feminists may be a minority, or they might not, but they are an issue for feminism. (And I say this as a feminist myself.)
Sure seems to be straight forward and have a very specific set of circumstances doesn't it? Except when you look further and see how it is used. As well your own definition has a incredibly huge flaw doesn't it? It is a thought crime. Meaning that if someone says your mansplaining it means they are "reading your thoughts" and know you are only doing so because they are a woman.
...no? It's not a "thought crime," it's a
speech crime. It's not "reading thoughts", it's observing condescending speech. (And "condesplain" instead of "mansplain" would solve the minor issue of "what if it's just an arsehole and not a bigot".)
As for "They say", remember that Mansplaining is a label or more pessimistically a insult. If they are trying to shut you out they don't do it through calm discourse... They want to shut you down and make it damn well obvious why. Well not to mention the whole "Thought Crime" aspect, so if you argue against it REMEMBER you are immediately a sexist... and when you are a sexist arguing that you are not only makes you a bigger sexist.
No... "mansplain" is also used to prevent or discourage men from condescendingly "teaching" women about things the women are experts on.
"Disagreeing with me makes you a sexist"
is a problem, but it's not specific to "mansplaining".
It is like Mansplaining was created in response to that Tool Time episode where Alan is frustrated he cannot teach his wife basic house repair and dumbs down his jargon a ton, until the one woman in the room who actually knows home repair jumps in and makes him look like a total fool because she actually knows her stuff and finds his attitude disrespectful. She is also a beast who can bend bronze pipes with her freeken fingers!
Yes, it was created in response to a similar happening, except
this one was
real.
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