Mansplaining is the act of explaining something to a woman in a condescending way that assumes she has no knowledge about the topic. Even if she is an expert in it. And, as the name of the phenomena suggests, men are really good at it.
A few weeks ago, TikToker Victoria Gravesande posted a video on the platform, asking the community to share the “stupidest thing a man has ever mansplained to you.” Now, Victoria’s recording has over 660K views and plenty of answers, illustrating what you get when you mix ignorance with over-confidence.
#1
I was working out at the gym and warming up for squats when a man stepped onto my platform and asked if he could spot me. I politely declined but he did not get the hint, he proceeded to mansplain the mechanics of a squat. He showed me where to put the bar on my back, how my feet should be positioned, and how I should breathe. I finally had to interject and let him know that 1) I was a personal trainer, 2) [I] was a competitive powerlifter and 3) had a national-level powerlifting coach.
Image source: torybae, Meghan Holmes
#2
I once had a man break down exactly how much pain women feel during childbirth after I told him I had delivered two nine-pound babies, without an epidural. Like, sir, I did not stress test my taint just to have an illiterate argue with me about it.
Image source: nottheworstmom, Anastasiia Chepinska
#3
I once had a grown man tell me that women don’t fart. He genuinely believed this in his soul. I told him that he was wrong and of course women fart and he told me that biologically women cannot fart. I have no words.
Image source: lauraksebastian, Scott Wilcoxson
#4
He didn’t know what mansplaining was…so I told him. And then he mansplained mansplaining…to ME.
Image source: yeeti_the_ziti, Charles Deluvio
#5
I once had a man mansplain to me my own name. My name is Niamh, it’s Irish. So I met this guy, he had only ever interacted with me on WhatsApp, and so he said, ‘Oh you must be Ny-am.’ And I said, ‘Oh no, it’s Niamh, it’s pronounced like this, it’s the Irish language.’ And he goes, ‘No, it should be ‘Ny-am.’ And I was like, ‘No, it’s my name. It’s a different language.’ And he was like, ‘But there’s an ‘M’ in it. It should be Ny-am.’ And he just kept going and going as if I needed to get through my tiny woman brain that I was pronouncing my own name wrong for 22 years of my life. He wasn’t an Irish speaker or a native English speaker, he was Greek.
Image source: shamingdevalera, Jon Tyson
#6
One time my boyfriend’s dad tried to explain to me how the spacing of studs worked in a wall… I’m a CARPENTER!
Image source: faithfullydopedup, Valentina Giarre
#7
A customer in the store I work at told me that he had been on a round trip of Europe and I asked him where he went, and he said he went to Copenhagen and so I said, ‘Oh that’s cool, you went to Denmark.’ He said, ‘No, I said I went to Copenhagen.’ I said, ‘Yeah, I heard that, but Copenhagen is in Denmark.’ And he tried to explain to me that Copenhagen and Denmark are both towns in Sweden.
Image source: kimroberts805, Mike Petrucci
#8
He interrupts me while I’m talking about women’s issues and goes “I’m gonna stop your right there because I’m a feminist so I should know what I’m talking about” and then proceeded to mansplain womanhood to me. Me a woman. And he thought he knew more about being a woman then me A WOMAN
Image source: yorktown1324, Yolanda Sun
#9
My ex explained to me what a pillow is used for. He said the pillow is used to support the neck and the head.
Image source: victoriagravesande, Isabella and Zsa Fischer
#10
My Period. I have a period and every other month it hurts and this dude was “do you even know how periods work?”. I had a period for 15 years, I think I have a good idea.
Image source: littlepixiegirlx, Jonathan Borba
#11
So, a man took me to get tacos. I’m eating the chips before we get our meal and he’s like, ‘Do you like the salsa?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah I do, it’s good.’ And he’s like, ‘Do you know that if you like the salsa you can actually also put that on your tacos?’ And I was like… ‘Yeah, I’m aware how salsa works.’
Image source: chefshalo, Quin Engle
#12
A man explained to me the title of my poetry collection.
Image source: victoriagravesande, Álvaro Serrano
#13
Women can’t go around topless because they lactate
Image source: kellandrasue, Nestoras Argiris
#14
I was playing Mulan at Disney World, and this little girl comes up to me and goes, ‘Hiyah! Hiyah! Hiyah!’ which is very common for little kids to do. Her dad looks at me and says, ‘Oh she’s doing that because in the movie Mulan, Mulan fights in the war against the bad guys. And I said, ‘You mean me?
Image source: kahnjunior
#15
My period. Need I say more?
Image source: aidios_mariela, Maddi Bazzocco
#16
I’m currently pregnant and in the 1st trimester non-stop nausea, morning sickness PS it’s all day sickness. Went to the pharmacy to see if anything could help medication wise. The pharmacist decided to mansplain to me “you know nausea & morning sickness are a normal symptom of pregnancy.” As if i didn’t know like literally explained it to me as if it was going to be a lightbulb moment for me.
Image source: abigailjanebeauty, National Cancer Institute
#17
I just had I a man tell me what teeth are. He told they stay in the mouth and they help crush up food right after he swallowed his filling and/or whole tooth he wasn’t completely sure which one was which.
Image source: dragontounge212, Rafael Rocha
#18
My own major. I’m graduating next week
Image source: witch_savvy, Element5 Digital
#19
This morning my dad tried to explain to me that it was Thursday he would not listen when I said it was Wednesday. When I pulled out my phone and showed he he got really mad.
Image source: abigailbogner, Behnam Norouzi
#20
Kirby. This little guy hangs on my backpack we go everywhere together. And on time I was at this restaurant, and this guy that works there came up to me and he’s like “Aw, I like the little Kirby that’s hanging on your backpack!” and I was like “Aw, thanks!.” this guy proceeds to go “You know? I bet you only like him cuz he’s cute. Have you ever played a Kirby game? They’re really fun.” I cut him off. I was like “Yes! Actually! I’ve played almost every Kirby game! He’s one of my favorite video game characters!”
Image source: amazonstolemyname
#21
I was at work and I had to sweep the line. I was sweeping it and this guy that was working there at the time tried to teach me how to sweep.
Image source: cemeterybride, CDC
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