Of Brownies and Men

[sesquepadalia]

Am I the only person who gets annoyed by the use of "Man Cards" and "Man Points"? 

Men do not have a monopoly on being useful and awesome. Nor should being awesome be something out of the ordinary for men but expected for women, or vis versa. 

I approve of the idea of "Adult Points" for people doing something Like An Adult (or Like A Boss, as I've also heard).
I also approve of the idea of "Brownie Points" for going above and beyond the call of duty in being shiny and awesome.

The idea of giving and deducting Man Cards for conforming to gender stereotypes can fuck right off. 

Anyone with me?

Comments

[raggedhalo.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[nelsolidarida.livejournal.com]

Yep.

[vevaphonics.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

Also "Man Up", for similar reasons.

[kurenai-tenka.livejournal.com]

Also 'grow a pair'.

'big balls'

etc etc

[sesquepadalia.livejournal.com]

I have the balls. They're in a jar on my desk. :p

But yes - we need to stop thinking that testicles = bravery.

I tend to prefer using "guts" or "spine" in such contexts.

[kurenai-tenka.livejournal.com]

Indeed. This stand-up segment basically sums up my thoughts on the matter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcM0DPH2bNo

[sesquepadalia.livejournal.com]

AWESOME clip :D

I have decided I love that guy

[kurenai-tenka.livejournal.com]

Ikr?

I watched the rest of the standup act yesterday, and the whole thing is full of the same amazingness. :D

[casparrrrgh.livejournal.com]

In select and specific contexts, I have been know to use man points (namely subversion of hegemonic models).

In general though it's bloody stupid, along with "man up".

[chess]

Hmm. I've mostly encountered 'man cards' and 'man points' in the context of people mocking the idea of gender stereotypes, saying that non-stereotypical activity will endanger someone's man card or that they lost man points for doing something nonstereotypical in order to indicate how daft it is that the activity is considered non-manly...

[casparrrrgh.livejournal.com]

Nail. Head.

The phrase "man up and watch ponies" being a prime example.

[liz-ddraig.livejournal.com]

That's a yes from here too.

[sarahlascelles.livejournal.com]

yep, I'm with you.

[sarahlascelles.livejournal.com]

Also, the concept of 'man flu' annoys me; it's sexist and judgemental garbage, tantamount to saying 'you aren't ill'.

[sesquepadalia.livejournal.com]

"Man Flu" annoys me less, because there is a phenomenon (not confined to men, but in my experience more prevalent amongst them) of "You're ill," "No, I'm fine, Really, I'm fine, I'm FINE!!...[an hour later]... OH MY GOD I'M DYING" which could be termed "Man Flu" - not because said men are milking it but because it's seen as unmanly weakness to have a cold, so anything which actually makes you feel like shit must be considered equally Manly in order to justify the duvet day that results. Hence so many men claiming it's The Flu, when it's just a seasonal cold.

That said, it's sexist garbage that men feel they have to do that.

[sarahlascelles.livejournal.com]

The context I find it really annoying is the one used by Boots adverts* in which the brave little woman soldiers on through her illness whilst her husband collapses in bed.

*Boots adverts are a whole other rant for me - specifically the "here come the girls" sequence of ads which propogates gender stereotypes. And there I shall stop, and not rant all over your LJ...

[sesquepadalia.livejournal.com]

Oh my God KILL THEM WITH FIRE.

Yes, totally totally agreed. Hate them.

[kurenai-tenka.livejournal.com]

With you.

[riggingchimp.livejournal.com]

Yes.

I vote for humanity points, because anyone can be a decent human being, regardless of age... and yes that's an odd statement for me to be making, but occasionally even kids can make my day better.

[islandgorilla.livejournal.com]

People are still using 'man points'?
Are they obnoxiously appending 'not' to their sentences and calling each other 'jive turkeys' as well? Good grief.

...Boss points I could get behind. Especially as you don't have to be an adult (or be acting like an adult) to get them.

[trail-of-fire.livejournal.com]

It's good to read posts like this - I often risk losing context in terms of what language is acceptable in my chosen society, because I'm embedded day-to-day in a sociolect which has its own, very particular, very unique characteristics and semantics which would often be frowned upon in any other setting.

You're right. And thank you :)