Man or bear?

[InitialDave]

PlywoodPascal said:

Pistonheads in ‘men don’t realise what dicks some other men can be’ shocker

We do, we just also think the comparison is so idiotic that it undermines the point they're trying to make.

The idea was to give men pause to consider why a woman would say that, and what their interactions with men must be like to make them feel that way.

It's not done that, though, has it? The only men considering that are those of us who already had some awareness of it, and we're not the ones that needed the message.

Also, we'd gladly be without the bellends too, but there's very little we can do about them directly ourselves.

It's like telling car enthusiasts what you think of the dheads ragging Golf Rs and M140is around built up areas in cities. Yeah, we know, we also hate them, but they aren't us, they aren't part of the same group we're in. There's fk all we can do about them, and we'd be very happy for someone to figure out something we could.

[TroubledSoul]

I must say, I am quite shocked by some of the responses here. Why do some of you not understand that women view EVERY man as a potential threat, because they have to? You or I know we aren't going to attack a woman we pass in the street, that woman does not. And when men do attack, it rarely ends well for females.

Come on guys, it's not rocket science. Have a bit of empathy. Not all men WILL, but any man COULD.

[Cotty]

TroubledSoul said:

Why do some of you not understand that women view EVERY man as a potential threat, because they have to?

That I don't agree with. Dads, brothers, husbands, work colleagues, friends etc. They view them all a threats? Ok anyone of them may be capable of assault but then she is also capable of assault, I know a guy who was stabbed by his wife (not fatally)

[J4CKO]

I wonder what percentage of men are actually predatory like that ? Enough that it’s a real concern obviously. Pretty damning that they will take their chances with a bear over a man.

I must admit that I am conscious of walking behind ladies when walking the dog at night, give them plenty of space, I think having a dog with you kind of lessens the threat level somewhat as you have a definite purpose for being out and are encumbered with a dog on a lead but even so I try to keep some distance.

Pretty depressing that they feel like that,

[mmm-five]

What about a man dressed as a bear, or a bear dressed as a man?

Or a 'bear' of a man like Geoff Capes, Hafþór Björnsson or Kristian Nairn (both from GoT), or Kane, The Great Khali, Andre the Giant or Giant Gonzales (all from WWE)?

[Magnum 475]

Cotty said:

That I don't agree with. Dads, brothers, husbands, work colleagues, friends etc. They view them all a threats? Ok anyone of them may be capable of assault but then she is also capable of assault, I know a guy who was stabbed by his wife (not fatally)

Except for the women who've been abused by dads, brothers, husbands, work colleagues (although that can work both ways). Many women are abused by family members / trusted 'friends'. I know of at least one 14 year old who was groomed by an older man who her family trusted implicitly. . . .

It's much more common than most of us realise.

[Rusty Old-Banger]

mmm-five said:

What about a man dressed as a bear, or a bear dressed as a man?

Or a 'bear' of a man like Geoff Capes, Hafþór Björnsson or Kristian Nairn (both from GoT), or Kane, The Great Khali, Andre the Giant or Giant Gonzales (all from WWE)?

May I just say, bravo for finding those funky letters.

[Stick Legs]

dundarach said:

Manbearpig?

Thank you.

This is what I came here looking for.

Now, Manbearpig vs Scuzzlebutt, that’s a question.

[Tigerj]

I saw this trend and couldn’t help but think how st it must be for a young lad growing up with social media.

Reading this and seeing this is how you are perceived by women. Vilified and told you are worse than a wild animal before even having the opportunity to act. I get the idea behind it but must be disheartening to many.

[ambuletz]

what if the man identifies himself as a bear?

joke aside, it's an interesting question, and obviously shows why men and women are different and only goes to further reinforce the new law coming into effect that means all businesses/workplaces will be required by law to have same-sex toilets and not neutral ones.

[otolith]

The question is not whether bears are less dangerous than men, but why so many women are more afraid of men than bears. Statistically the people most at risk of stranger violence from men are... other men, but women are much more afraid of it than men are. Male violence against women comes mostly from people they know, not from strangers. There's a reality of threat, but there is also a perception of threat.

[Cotty]

Magnum 475 said:

Except for the women who've been abused by dads, brothers, husbands, work colleagues (although that can work both ways). Many women are abused by family members / trusted 'friends'. I know of at least one 14 year old who was groomed by an older man who her family trusted implicitly. . . .

It's much more common than most of us realise.

I don't doubt that it happens, my objection is to the comment that "women view EVERY man as a potential threat". I don't think its true, for example I doubt my mother views any males in our family as potential threats.

[captain_cynic]

Mr_Megalomaniac said:

Part of it is statistics; women encounter men everyday, no issues, etc.
People who encounter bears - lucky to live, etc. But then again, the women posting this don't exactly go out into the woods frequently.
Incidentally, if one has to go down the path of statistics, the next most appropriate question would be to ask "what race is the man?"
And that of course ends the entire question and train of thought right there and then.

This is a very odd and incorrect assumption that some people make.

Bear attacks are quite rare, encounters not so much. Bears don't ordinarily attack humans unless threatened. Bears will generally try to avoid humans.

The best thing you can do if you encounter a bear is try to identify yourself as human (make yourself bigger, wave your arms) according the the US National Parks Service (who might know a thing or two about bears).

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/safety.htm

[Wills2]

It's a pretty good insight into just how bizarre things have become, if nothing else.

[captain_cynic]

Wills2 said:

It's a pretty good insight into just how bizarre things have become, if nothing else.

Or people are clutching pearls over a "social media" survey that the OP didn't even link to... I mean it's not like the entire thing could have been fabricated.

On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog (and yes, I get paid in snausages).

[Magnum 475]

Cotty said:

Magnum 475 said:

Except for the women who've been abused by dads, brothers, husbands, work colleagues (although that can work both ways). Many women are abused by family members / trusted 'friends'. I know of at least one 14 year old who was groomed by an older man who her family trusted implicitly. . . .

It's much more common than most of us realise.

I don't doubt that it happens, my objection is to the comment that "women view EVERY man as a potential threat". I don't think its true, for example I doubt my mother views any males in our family as potential threats.

I don't think all women view every man as a potential threat. But some do, and they're probably women who've had bad experiences. It's about 1 in 3 who've experienced some form of abuse at the hands of men. That figure should shock you - it does me every time I see it. So for some women, who've already been subject to abuse, most men are a potential threat.

The Wayne Cousins crime simply makes the perception worse - a policeman who abducted, raped, and murdered a stranger. If you're a woman who has already been subject to abuse, I can see how you could perceive every male as a potential threat.

Edited by Magnum 475 on Tuesday 7th May 11:58

[mmm-five]

I've got a mate who lives in the sticks with his wife & daughter.

Both ladies carry 'self defence' items...which are probably not legal to carry...on their country walks (which at times can mean pitch-black, single lane roads, with very high hedges and no pavements).

There's been no history of attacks/encounters where they live...but they go by the mantra "better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it!".

It only came to light a couple of years ago when they asked me to turn the car around, as they'd forgotten something at home. I was thinking they'd not locked the gate, or left the patio open, etc., but they said they'd forgotten their 'self defence' items as the were in their other coat. WE WE GOING OUT FOR DINNER FFS!!!

(although the place we ended up at did have some strange-looking patrons...but that might just have been a regional thing)

[croyde]

thegreenhell said:

Then I'd be feeling pretty confident as long as I wasn't carrying a picnic hamper.

But he's smarter than average

[Wills2]

captain_cynic said:

Wills2 said:

It's a pretty good insight into just how bizarre things have become, if nothing else.

Or people are clutching pearls over a "social media" survey that the OP didn't even link to... I mean it's not like the entire thing could have been fabricated.

My comment was pretty open in its nature to cover both sides of the coin.

[skinnyman]

Tigerj said:

I saw this trend and couldn’t help but think how st it must be for a young lad growing up with social media.

Reading this and seeing this is how you are perceived by women. Vilified and told you are worse than a wild animal before even having the opportunity to act. I get the idea behind it but must be disheartening to many.

We have a 10yr old son & a 7yr old daughter, we're concerned for them both navigating their teenage years, for different but related reasons. We're worried our son will be "tarred with the same brush" as others, simply for being male, on the other hand we're worried our daughter could fall victim to one of these males.

Fun times as a parent.