Joining the words “man” and “explain”, society has coined the perfect term to use when a male feels the need to tell you how things are done or how they work. And it’s safe to assume that many people—men and women alike—have experienced what it’s like to listen to someone “mansplain” things.
One of the many problems with that is, you really have to know when or—more importantly—who to mansplain things to. That has been emphasized by a new internet trend where women let a guy mansplain something to them, only to show that that something is (related to) how they make a living themselves.
Scroll down to find some viral examples of the trend on the list below, and see for yourself why it might be better to ask if a person knows how things work, before jumping to conclusions that they don’t and that they’re waiting for you to tell them.
On the list below, you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with one of the women that went viral on TikTok for her video of “letting the guy explain”, neurosurgeon Betsy Grunch, MD, better known as Ladyspinedoc, who was kind enough to share her thoughts on the trend.
@ladyspinedoc Tell me more 👀. #womeninmedicine #brainsurgery #neurosurgery ♬ That dont impress me much - MusicVideos102 👑
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By now, TikTok has seen quite a few videos following the format of “letting the guy explain… me the next day”, many of which have gone viral. Take Betsy’s video, for instance; uploaded roughly a week ago, it has already been viewed more than eight million times.
Known to her followers as Ladyspinedoc, the Georgia-based neurosurgeon, Betsy Grunch, MD, has been in practice since 2013, and on social media since 2021. Talking about the latter with Bored Panda, she noted that it can be a great tool to fight such issues as gender inequality or support such ideas as women’s empowerment.
“Social media and the internet are powerful platforms for raising awareness about gender inequality. They allow us to share experiences, shine a light on problems, and propose solutions to change our collective mindset,” Ladyspinedoc said.
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Talking about the “letting the guy explain” trend on TikTok, Betsy pointed out that such trends can be empowering, as they show women that they are not alone in their experiences. “They remind us that we are enough, encouraging confidence in our intelligence and abilities.
“I believe it’s essential to highlight that women are intelligent and capable of achieving incredible things. Too often, we’re underestimated or spoken down to, and that needs to change,” she added, sharing why she, too, decided to give the trending video format a go.
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In many of the viral videos, the mansplainers supposedly comment on a job that’s often considered to be a “manly” one. But, as the videos clearly show, women can do a great job in male-dominated sectors, too.
“Categorizing jobs as ‘manly’ or ‘womanly’ is harmful,” Betsy noted, seconding the idea that occupations shouldn’t be gendered. “It can discourage individuals from pursuing careers they might excel in, simply because of societal expectations about gender roles.”
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While it’s no secret that in some sectors, the numbers of men and women working are far from equal, in certain occupations, the difference is no less than shocking. Careersmart notes that when it comes to vehicle technicians, mechanics, and electricians (as of 2023), men comprise 99.2% of the workforce, while their female counterparts add up to less than 1%.
The situation is reportedly similar with carpenters and joiners, electricians and electrical fitters, metal working production and maintenance fitters, and plumbers and heating and ventilating engineers, among others. (The occupation with the highest proportion of females, comprising as much as 97.8%, is nursery nurses and assistants.)
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Talking about the situation in her field of work, Ladyspinedoc shared that unfortunately, misogyny remains prevalent in the field of medicine. “That said, efforts to change the narrative are gaining momentum, and things are steadily improving,” she added.
“In my particular specialty, neurosurgery, only about 9% of board-certified neurosurgeons are women. This lack of representation often discourages other women from pursuing careers in these fields. Diversity is essential for growth, and I hope social media trends like this can inspire more women to enter traditionally male-dominated professions.”
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