A Man Mansplains Mansplaining to Men

A MAN MANSPLAINS MANSPLAINING TO MEN

Written and Designed by Isaac Novak Forward by Christina Knutson

“COPYRIGHT © 2018 by ISAAC NOVAK” THIS BRIEF OF EDUCATION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ISAAC NOVAK - CONCORDIA STUDENT AND DESIGNER Any questions, comments, or concerns that you may have can be sent to CPO 4269 or inovak@cord.edu.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America First Printing, 2018

Dedicated to all the men who mansplain “SHUT UP”

FOREWORD

I have had the extreme pleasure of knowing Isaac through having many design classes with him. He has a way of portraying information in such a way that the viewer will really grasp onto. This book is no exception.

Let us all agree on one simple fact: men have been belittling and discrediting women for hundreds of years. In this provocative book, Isaac gives those ignorant men great advice on a subject that has stemmed from our incredibly genderbiased culture. It has been a long standing custom for men to be the “superior” gender, especially when it comes to stereotypically male dominated subjects.

And it is about damn time for it to stop.

This book is a leap in the right direction to aid in the elimination of mansplaining, bropropriating and manterrupting.

As you read these unfortunate stories of women trying to have their voice heard, think about if you have ever mansplained in any situation. In fact, regardless of gender, I’m almost certain that we all have, at one point in time. This book does an amazing job of explaining not only why you should never participate in such a demeaning activity, but gives examples of how it has happened in many different contexts - even on your own TV. A big round of applause for Isaac Novak for A.) showing that it is not a danger to one’s masculinity to be a male feminist and B.) these things ACTUALLY happen in our ACTUAL everyday lives. Thank you for shedding some light on this all too familiar occurrence.

Stay golden, Christina Knutson

PREFACE

Growing up I remember my mother reading me an article that highlighted the fact that, in the United States, women earn 79 cents for every dollar a man earns. I recall questioning this statistic asking, “Well, is it because women are ditsy?” “Are they not trying hard enough?”or “Are they not as strong at the job as men?” Looking back a few years later, I realized I had this unconscious bias against women as I saw males as being the more dominant gender. In listening to the stories, struggles, and messages from strong, ambitious, passionate, and transformative women I have become more attune to the gender inequities that extend throughout our world.

I had held this bias for so long without really questioning why I held such beliefs, and it seems like society has done the same. By not recognizing this bias, the United States continues to have a significant gender wage gap, women’s voices are not being heard, girls in school are praised for staying silent, and the inequities persist.

This needs to stop. Men need to recognize their bias and use their privilege to amplify the voices of women, to make sure everyone’s ideas and voices are heard regardless of gender, to fight for equal pay for equal work, and to help forward movements towards gender equity.

I wrote and designed this book as a way to help inform and educate men on the pervasive gender inequities that still exist within society and the unconscious biases that they might not have recognized within their actions and speech patterns.

I have divided this book into three different sections. Section 1, A Bit of Background, introduces mansplaining, it’s history, and the numerous repercussions that mansplaining and it’s numerous sub-definitions - have created. Section 2, Real Life Cases, highlights real incidents of mansplaining that have occurred while section 3, How Not to Mansplain, offers tips that men can use to stop mansplaining and start helping society move towards gender equity.

Thank you for taking the time to read this bit of education, and feel free to pass it on to continue the discussions and dialogue on this topic.

A BIT OF BACKGROUND

D

HE TELLS HER THAT THE EARTH IS FLAT -HE KNOWS THE FACTS, AND THAT IS THAT. IN ALTERCATIONS FIERCE AND LONG SHE TRIES HER BEST TO PROVE HIM WRONG, BUT HE HAS LEARNED TO ARGUE WELL. HE CALLS HER ARGUMENTS UNSOUND AND OFTEN ASKS HER NOT TO YELL. SHE CANNOT WIN. HE STANDS HIS GROUND. THE PLANET GOES ON BEING ROUND. ― WENDY COPE

MANSPLAINING?

MANSPLAINING?

WHAT IS THAT? Mansplaining – to “explain something to a woman in a condescending way that assumes she has no knowledge about the topic.” 1 This term recently emerged in our lexicon, but the act of mansplaining has haunted women since men have been in power.

Mansplaining is a portmanteau of the word “man” and the colloquial pronunciation of explaining – “splaining”. 2

The word has since given life to several new sub-categorical definitions of mansplaining - some of which include the following: manterrupting, the unnecessary interruption of a woman by a man; bropropriating, taking a woman’s idea and assuming credit for it; hepeating, when a woman suggests an idea and it’s ignored, but then a guy says same thing and everyone loves it; and, the manalogue, a longwinded dialogue “characterized by the proffering of words not asked for, of views not solicited and of arguments unsought.” 3, 4, 5

There is some debate as to where the coinage of the word came from, but many credit the inspiration of the word to Rebecca Solnit’s 2008 essay, “Men Explain Things to Me: Facts Didn’t Get in Their Way.” In her essay, Solnit writes “Every woman knows what I’m talking about. It’s the presumption that makes it hard, at times, for any woman in any field; that keeps women from speaking up and from being heard when they dare; that crushes young women into silence by indicating, the way harassment on the street does, that this is not their world. It trains us in self-doubt and self-limitation just as it exercises men’s unsupported overconfidence.” 6 While mansplaining may be viewed as a “feminist” word designed to “shut men up,” it is important for those who view the word in this light to take a closer look into the history of mansplaining and the harmful impact this word has had on women’ s voices.

EARLY HISTORY What is the origin of mansplaining? Mansplaining has existed since men have been in power. In fact, the ancient Greek epic poem by Homer and the second-oldest extant work of Western literature, The Odyssey, contains one of the earliest written comments of a man telling a woman to “shut up” and that neither her voice nor any other women’s voice was to be heard in public. Telemachus, son of Penelope, demanded:

“

SO MOTHER, GO BACK TO YOUR QUARTERS. TEND TO YOUR OWN TASKS, THE DISTAFF AND THE LOOM, AND KEEP THE WOMEN WORKING HARD AS WELL. AS FOR GIVING ORDERS, MEN WILL SEE TO THAT, BUT I MOST OF ALL: I HOLD THE REINS OF POWER IN THIS HOUSE. 7

”

Mary Beard, a Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge writes “There is something faintly ridiculous about this wet-behind-theears lad shutting up the savvy, middle-aged Penelope. But it is a nice demonstration that right where written evidence for Western culture starts, women’s voices are not being heard in the public sphere.” 8

Two other examples of mansplaining in early western literature include the following: Aristophanes 4th century BC comedy, Women in Parliament, describing a “hilarious” fantasy of women running the state’s government; and Ovid’s Metamorphoses a 7th century AD narrative poem and collection of myths which “repeatedly returns to the idea of the silencing of women in the process of their transformation.

In this narrative, Io is turned by the god Jupiter into a cow, so she cannot talk but only moo, while the chatty nymph Echo is punished so that her voice is never her own, merely an instrument for repeating the words of others.” 8

BROPROPRIATORS IN SCIENCE Turn the clock forward, and mansplaining still dominates dialogue.

In science, for example, there is a kind of bropropriation that happens called the Matilda Effect. “This represents a pattern in which female scientists’ accomplishments have historically been under-recognized, and credit disproportionately given to male scientists.” 9 Modern day researchers concluded that the mathematical computations required in Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity were most likely computed by his wife – Milena Marić Einstein. 10

based on conjectures whereas she had definitive proof. However, during a move to Birbek College, Franklin’s Photo 51 had somehow made it out of her files and into the hands of Watson and Crik who then rushed to publish “their findings” in the journal Nature only limitedly acknowledging Franklin’s, writing by asserting that they, Crick and Watson had been “stimulated by a knowledge of the general nature of the unpublished experimental results and ideas of Dr. M. H. Wilkins, Dr. R. E. Franklin and their co-workers at King’s College” 12

Rosalind Franklin, a British chemist and xray crystallographer, provides another compelling example. During an analysis of a recent x-ray image of DNA at Kings College, Franklin discovered that one x-ray image labeled, Photo 51 41, appeared to show two definite strands formed in a helical structure, also known as a double helix. 11

Since Photo 51 was a central and integral part of the Double Helix DNA model, this insufficient acknowledgment failed to recognize the significance of Rosalind Franklin’s work. Watson and Crick would later go on to win the Nobel Prize for their discovery of the Double Helix DNA model and be featured in textbooks across the world as the sole discoverers of this model. 11

Around this time, Franklin attended a lecture on the DNA model by James Watson and Francis Crick. Franklin was critical of their work as most of it was

“

Nuclear physicist Chien-Shiung Wu’s work on disproving the law of parity, astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell’s leading discovery of pulsars, physicist Lise Meitner’s work in understanding and working with nuclear fission, and biologist Nettie Stevens’ discovery that sex was determined by chromosomes in the male sperm are just a few other famous examples of women who were never credited with their scientific discoveries. 9

WOMEN CONTINUE TO BE DISADVANTAGED WITH RESPECT TO THE RECEIPT OF SCIENTIFIC AWARDS AND PRIZES, PARTICULARLY FOR RESEARCH Today, women continue to experience the impact of mansplaining.

In a study published in the Social Studies of Science journal, researchers found that the Matilda Effect still exists as more men continued to receive an “outsized share of scholarly awards and prizes” while women were “not winning NOT because they [were] not being nominated” but rather that the cultural bias that “women’s scholarly efforts are less important than those of men” was found to persist in the scientific community. As a result “Women continue to be disadvantaged with respect to the receipt of scientific awards and prizes, particularly for research” 13

”

IN THE CLASSROOM Mansplaining emerges not merely in the adult conversation but among young children as well.

In a 2014 study, Kieren Snyder, CEO and Co-Founder of Textio, observed the interruption behaviors of 4 year old girls and boys during play dates.

She found that in recording and observing over 10 hours of play dates 472 interruptions occurred. During the play dates where the sexes in the groups were the same, Snyder found the overall rate of interruptions to be fairly similar between boys and girls.

However, during coed play dates, boys interrupted girls almost 3 times as often as girls.14

This pattern seemed to hold true when Snyder applied a similar method to formal work meetings, where she found that men interrupted women twice as often as women. What is the origin of this disparity? Let’s look at some of the research on gender inequality in the classroom.15

TEACHERS SPEND NEARLY TWOTHIRDS MORE TIME INTERACTING WITH BOYS THAN WITH GIRLS. 16 EDUCATORS ARE MORE LIKELY TO INTERRUPT GIRLS AND PRAISE THEM FOR BEING NEAT AND QUIET, WHILE THEY ALLOW BOYS TO TALK OVER THEM AND PRAISE AND ENCOURAGE BOYS FOR DEEPER ANSWERS. 17 WHEN AFRICAN AMERICAN GIRLS DO AS WELL AS WHITE BOYS IN SCHOOL, TEACHERS OFTEN ATTRIBUTE THEIR SUCCESS TO HARD WORK WHILE ASSUMING THAT THE WHITE BOYS ARE NOT WORKING UP TO THEIR POTENTIAL. 18 GIRLS ARE LESS LIKELY THAN BOYS TO BE ADVISED, COUNSELED AND ENCOURAGED TO TAKE MATHEMATICAL COURSES. 19 TEACHERS OFTEN DIRECT THEIR GAZE TOWARD BOYS IN THE ROOM OVER GIRLS WHEN SEEKING ANSWERS FOR QUESTIONS. 17 What is the impact of this reality? Since our earliest childhood encounters are embedded with gender inequities, this mindset persists to adulthood, and therefore, we must begin to appreciate the necessity of education, conversation, and awareness about the inequities this mindset creates in our homes, workplace, and world.

LEXICAL TACTICS As we become socialized to mansplaining, individuals become less aware of the interruptions that permeate their conversations.

Unfortunately, the absence of women’s voices also diminishes the capacity of women to present important ideas or offer valid insight. In some cases, women have become more explicit about developing strategies to make men aware of the phenomenon and ensure their voice is heard.

After president Obama took office in 2009, female staffers were having a difficult time having their voices heard in key meetings. Collectively, they adopted a meeting tactic they termed “amplification.” “When a woman made a key point, other women would repeat it, giving credit to its author. This forced the men in the room to recognize the contribution, and denied the men the opportunity to claim the ideas as their own. This tactic proved successful as female staffers noticed President Obama calling more often on women and junior aides.” 20

In examining 15 years of Supreme Court oral arguments, researchers at Northwestern University found that women justices did not have an equal opportunity for comment. 21

IN THE LAST 12 YEARS, DURING WHICH WOMEN MADE UP, ON AVERAGE, 24% OF THE BENCH, 32% OF INTERRUPTIONS WERE OF THE FEMALE JUSTICES, BUT ONLY 4% WERE BY THE FEMALE JUSTICES. As the number of female justices on the bench grew, the interruptions magnified.

IN 1990, WITH ONLY ONE WOMAN, JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR, 35.7% OF INTERRUPTIONS WERE DIRECTED AT HER; IN 2002, 45.3% WERE DIRECTED AT THE TWO FEMALE JUSTICES (O’CONNOR AND RUTH BADER GINSBURG); IN 2015, 65.9% OF ALL INTERRUPTIONS ON THE COURT WERE DIRECTED AT THE THREE FEMALE JUSTICES ON THE BENCH (GINSBURG, SONIA SOTOMAYOR, AND ELENA KAGAN).

Further, despite strict rules against advocates speaking while a justice is talking, 10% of all interruptions came from male advocates. In order to be heard and avoid interruption, female justices began to set aside polite prefatory phrases such as “May I ask,” “Can I ask,” “Excuse me,” or the advocate’s name and adapt their speech patterns to those of men. Yet interruptions still occur at a disproportional rate compared to men. This means that often the female justice’s comments are left unaddressed which inherently limits her ability to influence the outcome of a case.

What this reality suggests is that even in the most prominent position, the voice of women is interrupted at significantly higher rates compared to her male colleagues and thus, the impact of womens’ thoughts and ideas remain far more silenced.

ON A MACROSCOPIC LEVEL Mansplaining is a social injustice. It is a virus that has plagued our world for far too long. Since western civilization’s earliest writings, women have been subject to silencing, interruption, and blatant disrespect solely because of their gender. While gender discrimination has declined in America, mansplaining persists as a cultural issue that needs to be addressed.

Because of the institutionalized socialization of gender inequities, mansplaining finds itself insinuated into children within an early age and following them into adulthood infecting numerous levels of society by creating gender disparities in leadership roles, political representation, and voices in the arts to name a few.

The lack of women in these various roles highlight the contempt that society has for women’s assertive voice. The perpetuation of this unconscious bias that goes unrecognized inevitably leads to a society that values the male voice more than their female equals. This reality results in numerous negative repercussions including men stealing and discrediting women’s discoveries, violence and sexual harassment, and the perception among many that women continue to be less than men.

Though not all men have mansplained or participated in silencing and denigrating women, every woman can give an account of a time when she was mansplained to.

As Rebecca Solnit writes,

MANSPLAINING IS NOT A UNIVERSAL FLAW OF GENDER, JUST THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN OVERCONFIDENCE AND CLUELESSNESS WHERE SOME PORTION OF THAT GENDER GETS STUCK. 6 Therefore, it is imperative that men recognize their unconscious bias, understand the ill effects of mansplaining, and use their privilege to amplify the voices of women and allow for more room within dialogue in order to promote equity within our words and actions.

RESULTS OF MANSPLAINING WHEN WOMEN ARE EVALUATED AS BEING “ASSERTIVE,” THEIR PERCEIVED COMPETENCE DROPS AROUND 35% AND THEIR WORTH BY $15,000. 22 OF THE TOP 250 FILMS OF 2017, 88% HAD NO FEMALE DIRECTORS, 83% OF THE FILMS HAD NO FEMALE WRITERS, AND 96% HAD NO FEMALE CINEMATOGRAPHERS. 23 OVER 70% OF ALL CHARACTERS PORTRAYED IN THE TOP 900 FILMS BETWEEN 2007 - 2016 WERE MEN. 24 BASED ON THE AVERAGE WAGE GAP, OVER A 40-YEAR CAREER, THE AVERAGE LIFETIME EARNING LOSSES FOR WOMEN TOTAL $430,480. 25

DURING PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS, WOMEN CONTRIBUTED ONLY 25% OF THE DIALOGUE. 26 IN 2000, THE GUGGENHEIM IN 2000, THE IN GUGGENHEIM NEW IN NEW YORK HAD ZERO YORK SOLO SHOWS HAD ZERO

BY SOLO SHOWS BY WOMEN. IN 2014,WOMEN. 14% OF THE IN 2014, SOLO ONLY 14% OF THE EXHIBITIONS SOLO WERE EXHIBITIONS

BY WOMEN.WERE BY WOMEN. 27 WHEN WOMEN SPEAK UP, INTERRUPT, OFFER ADVICE OR PROVIDE SOLUTIONS, THEIR LIKABILITY DROPS, THEREBY DECREASING OPPORTUNITIES THAT MORE “LIKABLE” AND EQUALLY SUCCESSFUL MEN MAY RECEIVE. 17 IN PRIMARY CAREINVISITS, PRIMARY FEMALE CARE VISITS, FEMALE PATIENTS WERE PATIENTS MORE LIKELY WERETO MORE BE LIKELY TO BE INTERRUPTED THEN MEN. INTERRUPTED THEN MEN. 28 IN 2016, MORE THAN 40% OF FEMALE PARLIAMENTARIANS SAID THEY HAD RECEIVED THREATS OF DEATH, RAPE, BEATINGS OR ABDUCTION, AND THREATS TO KIDNAP OR STEAL THEIR CHILDREN WHILE SERVING IN OFFICE. 29 WHEN WOMEN ARE 80% EVALUATED OF PARLIAMENTARIANS AS SAID BEING “ASSERTIVE,” THEY THEIR HAD PERCEIVED BEEN SUBJECTED TO COMPETENCE DROPS PSYCHOLOGICAL AROUND 35% VIOLENCE WITHIN AND THEIR WORTH BY $15,000. THE WORKPLACE. 29 THE LARGER THE GAP IN SOCIETAL STATUS BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN, THE MORE LIKELY A SOCIETY IS TO BE INVOLVED IN INTRA-AND INTER-STATE CONFLICT. 30

REAL LIFE CASES

EYEBEAM: WHAT DO YOU MEAN, I HAVE “MALE ANSWER SYNDROME”?

SALLY: IT’S THE COMPULSION TO PROVIDE AN ANSWER TO ANY QUESTION, EVEN IF IT MEANS RESORTING TO PURE SPECULATION. EYEBEAM: I KNEW THAT… SALLY: IT’S A VERY WIDESPREAD PHENOMENON. BETH: I WONDER WHAT CAUSES IT? EYEBEAM: CAUSE? WELL, SOCIETY HAS CHOSEN MALE ROLE MODELS WHO ALWAYS EXHIBIT TOTAL CONTROL… IF A MALE SAYS “I DON’T KNOW”, HE’S ADMITTING TO CONVERSATIONAL HELPLESSNESS AND FAILING TO LIVE UP TO THAT SOCIETAL STANDARD… SALLY: PRETTY PITIFUL, HUH? EYEBEAM: DAMN! BETH: …AND I ALWAYS THOUGHT THEY LEARNED IT ALL IN “SHOP”. ― SAM HURT, THE MIND’S EYEBEAM

NOV 1, 2014 CNN anchor Fredricka Whitfield: O my goodness, it’s the video that so many people have been talking about. A woman being catcalled over and over as she walks through the streets of New York. A viral video marketing agency actually made this video featuring this actress. A foreign anti-street harassment group called Hollaback. 31 Whitfield: Well joining me now to talk about this video and the controversies surrounding it, Amanda Seals, a stand-up comedian who has been feature on VH-1’s “Best Week Ever” and Steve Santagati, author of “Code of Honor” and the best-selling book “The Man-ual.”

CNN NEWS ROOM

Whitfield: And how are you interpreting this? Are these -- are you interpreting this as compliments? Are you annoyed by it?

Seales: No. This is not -- this is not complimentary, which is which is Seales: No. This is not -- this is not complimentary, funny because I think guys think thatthink by letting you knowyou thatknow that funny because I think guys that by letting they would bewould interested in sleeping with you,with thatyou, that that is a that is a they be interested in sleeping compliment.

And actually really it’s justreally objectifying me whenme when compliment.

And it’s actually just objectifying I’m tryingI’m to walk daily tryingintomy walk in life. my daily life.

I have a whole set on stage about this.

You this. know.

I have15-minute a whole 15-minute set on stage about You know.

About God bless you, man,you, about oh,about I see oh, youIma. About God bless man, see You you know, ma. You know, you’re supposed to be smiling. expected -- to you’re supposed to be Women smiling.are Women are expected -- to the minute leave we theleave housethe wehouse are expected to be smiling thewe minute we are expected to be smiling SANTAGATI: OH, and available for whatever men wantmen to say to to us.say And and available for whatever want todon’t us. And don’tCOME ON. get me wrong. is fine.

Like I’m from and the and the get meHello wrong.

Hello is fine.

Like Granada I’m YOU... from Granada west cities.

If someone says hello andhello you don’t saydon’t hellosay hello west cities. If someone says and you back, that is actually rude. Butrude. alot of these back, that is considered actually considered But alot men, of these men, they’re not just saying hello.

They sayThey hello,say andhello, whenand youwhen you they’re not just saying hello. say hellosay back, what thatwhat means that’s an invitation to holler to holler hello back, thatismeans is that’s an invitation at you. And I canAnd seeIyou you’re head but you are not at you. canshaking see you shaking you’re head but you are not *SHAKING HEAD AND SMILING* an expertan onexpert this, my you are not woman onbrother, this, mybecause brother, because youa are not a woman walking on the street. walking on the street.

NO, NO. BUT I AM MORE OF AN EXPERT --

Whitfield: Uh-oh, Steve.

I’M Seales: What?

MORE OF AN EXPERT THAN YOU -AND I’LL TELL YOU WHY BECAUSE I’M A Seales: Absolutely not.

GUY AND I KNOW HOW YOU THINK. MORE THAN YOU GUYS WILL EVER KNOW. I CAN’T GET IN A WOMAN’S HEAD ANYMORE THAN JUST LIKE THINKING ABOUT IT. BUT I’M A GUY, I KNOW WHY THESE GUYS DO THIS. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS, LADIES. YOU WOULD NOT CARE IF ALL THESE GUYS WERE HOT. THEY WOULD BE BOLSTERING YOUR SELF ESTEEM, BOLSTERING YOUR EGO. THERE’S NOTHING MORE THAN A WOMAN LOVES TO HEAR IS THAT HOW PRETTY SHE IS.

WHAT WENT WRONG? First, Mr. Santagati tried interrupting and was laughing in a very deplorable manner while Amanda Seales was in the middle of answering the question. Further, Santagati went as far as to say he knew more about how women think than actual women - a classic example of mansplaining.

THE SOLUTION Have respect for women when they are talking, treat every woman as a unique individual, and do not even think that you know more about how a woman thinks just because you’re a guy (that’s just the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard).

FEEL FREE TO RIP THIS PAGE OUT AND RID THIS BOOK OF MANSPLAINERS.

Whitfield: And how are you interpreting this? Are these -- are you interpreting this as compliments? Are you annoyed by it?

Seales: No.Seales: This is not thisisisnot not--complimentary, which is which is No. -This this is not complimentary, funny because I think guysI think that letting know that funny because guysby think thatyou by letting you know that they wouldthey be interested sleeping in with you, that that is that a that is a would be in interested sleeping with you, compliment.

And actually it’sactually really just me when me when compliment.

And it’sobjectifying really just objectifying I’m trying toI’m walk in my life. trying to daily walk in my daily life.

I have a whole 15-minute on stage about this. about You know.

I have a whole set 15-minute set on stage this. You know.

About God About bless you, oh, I about see you ma.

You know, God man, blessabout you, man, oh, I see you ma. You know, you’re supposed be smiling.

Women areWomen expected to you’re to supposed to be smiling. are--expected -- to the minute the we leave the expected be smiling minute wehouse leavewe theare house we aretoexpected to be smiling and available whatever want to saywant to us.toAnd andfor available formen whatever men say don’t to us. And don’t get me wrong.

Hello is fine.

LikeisI’m from Granada and the get me wrong.

Hello fine.

Like I’m from Granada and the west cities.west If someone hello and don’t cities. Ifsays someone saysyou hello andsay youhello don’t say hello back, that is actually rude. But alot of these men, back, thatconsidered is actually considered rude.

But alot of these men, they’re not they’re just saying hello.

They hello. say hello, not just saying Theyand saywhen hello,you and when you say hello back, whatback, that means is that’s an is invitation holler to holler say hello what that means that’s antoinvitation at you. AndatI can you shaking you’re headyou’re but you arebut notyou are not you.see And I can see you shaking head an expert on my on brother, because you are notyou a woman anthis, expert this, my brother, because are not a woman walking on walking the street. on the street.

Whitfield: Uh-oh, Steve.

Seales: What?

Seales: Absolutely not.

SEPT 13, 2009 Russel Brand: The best female video goes to...

Taylor Swift! 32

VMAs NEW YORK

Taylor Swift: Thank you so much! I always dreamed what it would be like to maybe win one of these someday, but i never actually thought it would happen. I sing country music so thank you so much for giving me the chance to win a VMA award.

KANYE WEST: YO TAYLOR... I’M REALLY HAPPY FOR YOU AND IMMA LET YOU FINISH, BUT BEYONCE HAD ONE OF THE BEST MUSIC VIDEOS OF ALL TIME. ONE OF THE BEST VIDEOS OF ALL TIME.

WHAT WENT WRONG? Kanye West ran up onto the stage and took the mic away from Taylor, both interrupting her and then subsequently bashing her music video by claiming that Beyonce had the “best music video of all time.”

THE SOLUTION Do not interrupt a woman when she’s receiving an award. Even if you don’t think she deserves it, have some respect. This doesn’t just apply to awards. If you find yourself in a position of possibly interrupting a woman, ask yourself if you’re doing this to gain power during the situation. If that is the case - shut up and don’t be a manterruptor.

FEEL FREE TO RIP THIS PAGE OUT AND RID THIS BOOK OF MANTERRUPTORS.

Taylor Swift: Thank you so much! I always dreamed what it would be like to maybe win one of these someday, but i never actually thought it would happen. I sing country music so thank you so much for giving me the chance to win a VMA award.

EVERY DAY Casey Johnston (@caseyjohnston): Senior editor of The Outline. 34 Tomas Sancio (@tsancio): Author of “The Oyster Cocktail.”

Annemiek van Vleuten (@AvVleuten): Pro cyclist Mitchelton-Scott, Winner of the Giro Rosa 2018, World Champion TT, 4x National champion, Tour of Flanders & World Cup 2011.35 Martin A Bentacourt (@MartinArielB): Just some random-ass mansplainer.

Jessica Meir (@Astro_Jessica): NASA Astronaut. Comparative physiologist. 36 Casey O’Quinn (@CaseyOQuinn): Another random-ass mansplainer.

TWITTER

Katie Mack (@astrokatie): PhD Theoretical astrophysics and assistant professor of physics at the North Carolina State University (NCSU). 33 Gary P Jackson (RAT) (@gary4205): Texan, Conservative Activist, Record Holding Drag Racer.

Katie Mack @AstroKatie: Honestly climate change scares the heck out of me and it makes me so sad to see what we’re losing because of it.

GARY P JACKSON (RAT) @GARY4205: @ASTROKATIE MAYBE YOU SHOULD LEARN SOME SCIENCE THEN, AND STOP LISTENING TO THE CRIMINALS PUSHING THE #GLOBAL WARMING SCAM! Katie Mack @AstroKatie: @gary4205 I dunno, man, I already went and got a PhD in astrophysics. Seems like more than that would be an overkill at this point.

Casey Johnston @caseyjohnston: So many “solutions” to the lack of women in tech don’t get at the actual problems arstechnica.com/business/2014/...

TOMAS SANCIO @TSANCIO: @CASEYJOHNSTON READ THE FULL ARTICLE. THERE’S A CHICKEN AND EGG PROBLEM W/ FEMALE TECH ROLE MODELS. MEN WANT TO BE THE NEXT JOBS/GATES/ETC.

Casey Johnston @caseyjohnston: @tsancio I wrote the article

Annemiek van Vleuten @AvVleuten: I am now in the hospital with some injuries & fractures, but will be fine. Most of all super disappointed after best race of my career.

MARTIN BENTANCOURT @MARTINARIELB: @AVVLEUTEN FIRST LESSON IN BICYCLING, KEEP YOUR BIKE STEADY...

WHETHER FAST OR SLOW. Jessica Meir (@Astro_Jessica): My first venture >63,000’, the space equivalent zone, where water spontaneously boils! Luckily I’m suited!

CASEY O’QUIN @CASEYOQUIN: WOULDN’T SAY IT’S SPONTANEOUS. THE PRESSURE IN THE ROOM GOT BELOW THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF THE WATER AT ROOM TEMP. SIMPLE THERMO.

WHAT WENT WRONG? A bunch of negligent and amateurish men mansplained their opinions to women who were experts in the fields that they had posted about.

THE SOLUTION Before ripping a ludicrous response, take the time to understand the background of the woman. Then ask yourself these following questions: Do you have relevant experience?

Would most men with her education and experience already know this? Did you ask if she needed it explained? If you can definitely answer “yes, by a fair amount,” “no,” and “yes, she said she did” to the previous questions you are most likely not mansplaining. Refer to the chart further on in this book if you have any questions. 38

FEEL FREE TO RIP THIS PAGE OUT AND RID THIS BOOK OF MANSPLAINERS.

Katie Mack @AstroKatie: Honestly climate change scares the heck out of me and it makes me so sad to see what we’re losing because of it.

Katie Mack @AstroKatie: @gary4205 I dunno, man, I already went and got a PhD in astrophysics. Seems like more than that would be an overkill at this point.

Casey Johnston @caseyjohnston: So many “solutions” to the lack of women in tech don’t get at the actual problems arstechnica.com/business/2014/...

Casey Johnston @caseyjohnston: @tsancio I wrote the article Annemiek van Vleuten @AvVleuten: I am now in the hospital with some injuries & fractures, but will be fine. Most of all super disappointed after best race of my career.

Jessica Meir (@Astro_Jessica): My first venture >63,000’, the space equivalent zone, where water spontaneously boils! Luckily I’m suited!

FEB 2, 2015 Kelly Evans: Obviously the big news of the day here is the proposal with you and Barbara Boxer.

That would allow our companies which have about $2 trillion worth of cash overseas, to bring it home, a one-time holiday, I think at a 6.5% Corporate tax rate. Senator, I’m sure you know that most of the research on this indicates that these actually cost more money over the long term than they save. Are you saying that your plan will be different? 37 Senator Rand Paul (R-KY): Well that is incorrect.

Let’s go back again. Your premise and your question is mistaken.

Kelly Evans: Alright.

CNBC NEWS ROOM

RAND PAUL: MOST OF THE RESEARCH DOESN’T INDICATE THAT. IN FACT, THERE IS A PROMINENT STUDY BY ROBERT SHAPIRO LOOKING AT THE HOLIDAY IN 2005, WHEN WE LOWERED THE RATE TO 5%, AND HIS CONCLUSION WAS THAT IT BROUGHT $300 BILLION OF NEW CAPITAL HOME. AND THEN IT BROUGHT IT ABOUT $30 BILLION OF NEW TAX REVENUE. THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF DOING THIS IS TO BRING MONEY HOME. Kelly Evans: Right, but it works that first year, senator. But their concern is down the road.

RAND PAUL: HEY, LET ME FINISH. HEY, HEY, KELLY. Kelly Evans: I’m sorry,RAND go ahead.

PAUL:

SHH, SHHHHHHHHHH CALM DOWN A BIT HERE, KELLY. LET ME ANSWER THE QUESTION. RAND PAUL: THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS LEGISLATION IS THAT MONEY HAS BEEN ACCUMULATING. MUCH MONEY HAS ACTUALLY BEEN INVERTING AND PEOPLE ARE REINCORPORATING BECAUSE THE TAX CODE IN OUR COUNTRY IS NOT ENCOURAGING MONEY TO COME HOME. SO THIS IS TO LOWER TAX RATE, TO BRING MORE MONEY HOME, AND TO TAKE THAT NEW MONEY, SOME OF THE TAX REVENUE, AND PUT IT INTO THE HIGHWAY FUND. I THINK THIS IS A WINWIN-WIN. YOU LOWER A TAX RATE, YOU BRING IN MORE REVENUE AND YOU ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO PLUG A WHOLE WE HAVE IN OUR HIGHWAY TRUST FUND.

WHAT WENT WRONG? Rand Paul just demonstrated a classic definition of patronization and condescension. Kelly Evans has a career covering economics that includes her time with the Wall Street Journal, the Global Economics bureau, co-anchor and journalist of CNBC’s Closing Bell, and presently an anchor for CNBC’s The Exchange and co-anchor for CNBC’s Power Lunch. When it comes to economics, Evans is a genius on the topic. Thus, when Evans tries to ask a question after it seems like Paul has finished his statement, Paul’s condescending remarks and shushing is done to try to gain power in the conversation.

THE SOLUTION Do not ever shush a woman nor tell her to “calm down.” This is condescending and incredibly disrespectful. Instead listen to the question and then respond in a polite manner. Simple as that.

FEEL FREE TO RIP THIS PAGE OUT AND RID THIS BOOK OF MANSPLAINERS.

Kelly Evans: Right, but it works that first year, senator. But their concern is down the road.

Kelly Evans: I’m sorry, go ahead.

HOW NOT TO MANSPLAIN

IF HE’D EXPLAINED HIS REASONING WITH HUMOR, RATHER THAN WITH CONDESCENSION, SHE MIGHT HAVE STAYED SANE; NOW SHE’D GRIND HIS BONES TO MAKE HER BREAD. ― JAMIE HARRISON, THE WIDOW NASH

HERE’S A CHART TO HELP IN CASE YOU ARE CONFUSED

DO YOU HAVE MORE RELEVANT EXPERIENCE? She has more and is a well known expert

Yes by a fair amount.

About the same, or I’m not sure.

She has more.

WOULD MOST MEN WITH HER EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE ALREADY KNOW THIS?

DID YOU ASK IF SHE NEEDED IT EXPLAINED? No Yes; she said she did.

Yes; she said no.

I did not ask.

Yes

“PROBABLY MANSPLAINING” “DEFINITELY MANSPLAINING” “JUST STOP TALKING NOW” “NOT MANSPLAINING”

CHART DEVELOPED BY KIM GOODWIN - AUTHOR, CONSULTANT, JOURNALIST, WOMAN EXTROARDINAIRE 38

WAYS TO HELP

ADMIT THAT YOU MAY NOT BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR MANSPLAINING This does not allow you to claim ignorance, but rather acknowledge the problem. Next, ask your female colleagues “How did I mansplain?”

Listen attentively, thank your colleague for the explanation and then work on being self-aware of your actions and words during discussions and dialogues. 39

MAKE ALL MEETINGS AND DISCUSSION INTERRUPTION-FREE While this may not always be possible, make sure to support women when they have been interrupted by saying to the interrupter, “wait, I want to hear what she has to say.” 3

THINK BEFORE YOU INTERRUPT Ask yourself: Are you interrupting to become the speaker and gain power?

How will you look to everyone else in the room? Are you interrupting to get clarity? If so, make sure you ask a clear question and allow the speaker to regain the floor. Are you interrupting because you think you will forget what you want to say? Jot key words on your notepad for use later, instead of interrupting. 40

AMPLIFY FEMALE VOICES After a woman’s key points are listened to repeat their point by giving them credit. This forces people who are apart of the discussion to remember the contribution and who made it.

Do not praise women for being quiet.

Ensure women are given equal or more opportunities to speak. 20

GET INVOLVED IN PROGRESSING GENDER EQUITY From early childhood education to the wage and leadership gap, get involved with or help organizations that are working to ensure women’s voices are heard, advocating for equitable opportunities, and embracing gender diversity in politics, religion, classrooms and the workforce.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Merriam Webster, s.v. “Mansplaining,” accessed November 30, 2018. https://bit. ly/2RvQNio 2. Merriam Webster, “Words We’re Watching: Mansplaining.” March, 2013. accessed November 30, 2018. https://bit.ly/2pF2JRu 3. Bennett, Jessica. “How Not to Be ‘Manterrupted’ in Meetings.” Time. Last modified January 14, 2015. https://bit.ly/1KKhFmJ 4. Nicole, Gugliucci, September 22, 2017. https:// bit.ly/2Q81z1H 5. Baird, Julia. “How to Explain Mansplaining.”

The New York Times. Last modified January 19, 2018. https://nyti.ms/2s9kzwO 6. Solnit, Rebecca. “Men Explain Things to Me: Facts Didn’t Get in Their Way.” TomDispatch.com.

April 13, 2008. https://bit.ly/2FSh9tL 7. Homer, and Robert Fitzgerald. 1990. The Odyssey. New York: Vintage Books.

8. Beard, Mary. “Women & Power: A Manifesto.”

Liveright Publishing, 2017.

9. Rutherford-Morrison, Lara. “9 Times Men Were Given Credit For Women’s Historic Accomplishments” Bustle. March 1, 2017. https:// bit.ly/2AHozdr 10. Gagnon, Pauline. “The Forgotten Life of Einstein’s First Wife.” Scientific American.

December 16, 2016. https://bit.ly/2ifToLH 11. Bagley, Mary. “Rosalind Franklin: Biography & Discovery of DNA Structure.” Live Science.

September 19, 2013. https://bit.ly/2I9mTfz 12. James Watson and Francis Crick. “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid.” Vol. 171. Nature. April 25, 1953. https://bit.ly/2FiOugU 13. Anne E. Lincoln, Stephanie Pincus, Janet Bandows Koster, Phoebe S. Leboy. “The Matilda Effect in science: Awards and prizes in the US, 1990s and 2000s. Social Studies of Science.

2012. https://bit.ly/2QuuHzG 14. Snyder, Kieran. “Boys Learn to Interrupt.

Girls Learn to Shut Up.” Slate. August, 14, 2014. https://bit.ly/2KOwdr9 15. Snyder, Kieran. “How to Get Ahead as a Woman in Tech: Interrupt Men.” Slate. July 23, 2014. https://bit.ly/2SsFOGN 16. Szirom, Tricia. “Teaching Gender?: Sex Education and Sexual Stereotypes.” Routledge.

June 26, 2017.

17. Strauss, Valerie. “Teacher of the year: How schools silence girls — and how I played a part.”

Washington Post. Last modified October 10, 2018. https://wapo.st/2FSG54n

18. Wellesley College Center for Research on Women. How Schools Shortchange Girls. The American Association of University Women. 1992.

19. Lavey, Victor and Edith Sand. “On The Origins of Gender Human Capital Gaps: Short and Long Term Consequences of Teachers’ Stereotypical Biases.” The National Bureau of Economic Research. January 2015.

20. Crockett, Emily. “The Amazing Tool That Women in the White House Used to Fight Gender Bias.” Vox. Last modified September 14, 2016. https://bit.ly/2Hf7Hwf 21. Jacobi, Tonya, and Dylan Schweers. “Female Supreme Court Justices Are Interrupted More by Male Justices and Advocates.” Harvard Business Review. Last modified April 11, 2017. https://bit. ly/2p4ni9U 22. Joseph Grenny and David Maxfield. Women Judged More Harshly When Speaking Up Assertively. VitalSmarts. August 5, 2015. https:// bit.ly/2Q6jbLs 23. Thompson, Derek. “The Brutal Math of Gender Inequality in Hollywood.” The Atlantic. Accessed December 2, 2018. https://bit.ly/2D6BfO4 24. “Gender Inequality in Film.” New York Film Academy. Last modified March 8, 2018. https:// bit.ly/2E9nlf5 25. Holmes, Kaitlin, and Danielle Corley. “The Top 10 Facts About the Gender Wage Gap.” Center for American Progress. Last modified April 12, 2016. https://ampr.gs/2jG617P 26. Christopher F. Karpowitz, Tali Mendelberg, and Lee Shaker. Gender Inequality in Deliberative Participation. American Political Science Review. August 2012.

27. Reilly, Maura. “Taking the Measure of Sexism: Facts, Figures, and Fixes.” ARTnews. Last modified June 1, 2015. https://bit.ly/1F9ABFj 28. R Rhoades, D & F McFarland, K & H Finch, W & Johnson, AO. Speaking and interruptions during primary care office visits. Family medicine. 2001.

29. Sexism, harassment and violence against women parliamentarians. Inter-Parliamentary Union. October 2016.

30. Valerie M. Hudson, Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill, Mary Caprioli, and Chad F. Emmett, Sex and World Piece. Columbia University Press. February 2014.

31. Amanda Seals and Steve Santagati. “Catcall Video Sparks Controversy.” Interview by Fredricka Whitfield. CNN Newsroom. November 1, 2014. https://cnn.it/2KOwJW7 32. MTV “Video Music Awards.” Filmed [September 13, 2009].

33. Mack, Katie. August 15, 2016. https://bit. ly/2FWD03b 34. Johnston, Casey. December 6, 2014. https:// bit.ly/2zELSFc 35. Swartz, Anna. “Female Olympic Cyclist Crashes, Fractures 3 Vertebrae, Mansplainer Thinks He Can Help.” Mic. August 8, 2016. https:// bit.ly/2PeC8pP 36. Anderson, Tomikka. “Twitter user mansplains thermodynamics to NASA astronaut.” Houston Chronicle. September 9, 2016. https://bit. ly/2Uf0WSC 37. Paul, Rand. “Senator Rand Paul Speaks with CNBC’s Kelly Evans on “Closing Bell” Interview

by Kelly Evans. CNBC. Closing Bell. February 2, 2015. https://cnb.cx/2BL1yYS 38. Goodwin, Kim. “Mansplaining, explained in one simple chart.” BBC. July 29, 2018. https:// bbc.in/2uY10ev 39. Vaughn, Dale Thomas. “A Gentleman’s Guide to Mansplaining and Manterrupting.” The Good Men Project. January 20, 2016. https://bit. ly/2Q8Vi69 40. Shore, Leslie. “Gal Interrupted, Why Men Interrupt Women And How To Avert This In The Workplace.” Forbes. January 3, 2017. https://bit. ly/2EaoNhA 41. Krock, Lexi. “Anatomy of Photo 51.” NOVA. April 22, 2003. https://to.pbs.org/2U755rs

COLOPHON

This publication accompanies current discussions on mansplaining, interrupting in the workplace, the pervasiveness of misogyny, and gender inequities.

Font: Helvetica Neue You may use the following blank pages to write any comments, questions, or concerns to send to me at CPO 4269.

“YOU’VE BEEN MANSPLAINED TO.”