Posted on Nov 10, 2020

Women Are Sharing The Mind-Numbingly Sexist Things Men Have Said To Them

Can society start moving forward instead of backward already?

Krista Torres

by Krista Torres

BuzzFeed Staff

TikTok user @mandyalise recently asked women to share a time when a man said something super sexist to them:

@mandyalise
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In her TikTok, she told the story of a time when she went to a menswear store and the salesman explained the care instructions for her fiancé's new dress shirts directly to her — and not her fiancé, who was right beside her, buying the shirts for himself.

Thousands of women started flooding the comments to share the mind-numbingly sexist things men have said to them, like that women can't do simple math:

"My former boss at a cafe once told me to always use the calculator when someone pays in cash because 'I'm a woman so I can't do maths'"

And that not wearing makeup is unacceptable in the workplace:

"not wearing makeup at work is unprofessional"

Some women's fathers even tried to make them believe ridiculous things growing up, like that only girls do the dishes:

"My dad told me to do dishes and I said let the boys do it and he's like 'ur a girl and it's ur job, don't embarrass my boys by making them do dishes'"

And others were told that things like politics are off limits:

my dad told me women don't belong in politics, and if i ever ran for president he wouldn't vote for me because i'm a girl"

Some dads even tried to minimize their own daughters' period pain:

This girl gets paid way less by her own father than her brother:

"Me and my siblings work for my dad I get paid $5 an hour and my brother gets paid $20 he says he deserves more because he's a man"

All of them — but especially the ones coming from dads — are horrifying:

"my dad said that the world has gone to [smiling poop emoji] since women started wearing trousers and got the right vote"

This girl was basically told a boy would do a better job than her:

"After being offered a job 'we change our minds we actually want to hire a boy sorry' I was 17 and didn't know it was illegal so I was like oh ok"

Some women had teachers who were incredibly sexist:

"When I was 11 a teacher wanted someone to demonstrate push ups. I volunteered, he said 'no, I need a boy, girls can't do push ups'" [upside-down face emoji]

And were made to believe they could never be as strong as a boy:

"When I was in elementary and the teachers would ask for a strong boy to help [three sad face emojis] I can help [two sad face emojis]

In fact, some women were told that it was wrong to even have muscles at all:

"U have to be careful that ur muscles don't get too big. I'm not even that muscular"

One male worker who was HIRED to clean up after a wedding told women that he was doing their job:

"At the end of my cousins wedding the male cleaner looked over at my sister and I and says loudly 'you should be doing this!"

This woman was told she wouldn't be able to comprehend what her electrician was doing:

"An electrician came to install my light and was saying how difficult it was and I couldn't possibly understand because I'm a girl (actual words)...

This male relative tried to make his niece believe she couldn't do anything without first considering how her ~hypothetical~ husband would feel:

"When I told my uncle about me attending post secondary and my future career options, he replied "How will your future husband feel about that?"

Some men think that only other men can solve problems in the workplace:

"my absolute fav thing that has happened while working in retail: 'i said I wanted to speak to a MAN-ager not you'"

And others apparently don't think women have brains:

"I work in a camera store and people always ask to speak to a man so they can get some 'real information'

This woman was treated poorly and disrespectfully during childbirth by her own male doctor:

when my mom was pregnant (in spain) the doctor would always direct his words at my dad, who didn't even speak spanish at the time

One man told a woman that the only reason he wanted to get married was because he never wanted to clean:

The only reason I'm getting married is bc I realllly hate cleaning"

Lots of men in college have tried mansplaining periods — something they've never experienced:

It's sad to know that some male educators truly don't even believe women belong in their class:

My high school physics teacher said: "Why are there so many girls in this course? You're supposed to be married by now instead of wasting time on..."

This woman was told her intelligence didn't count because it came from actual literature:

my ex told me my intelligence wasn't as valid as his cuz mine came from books

And this woman was told that her dog wouldn't obey her because she was female:

My ex told me that my dog wouldn't respect me because I was a woman...

This male boss didn't want helpful suggestions or input coming from females:

I discussed with my boss more efficient ways to improve current procedures. Boss said asked if that's how I talk to my husband. I said yes

And this woman was straight-up told she was paid less because she was female:

This woman was made to feel like she couldn't buy a car on her own:

Buying a car: car dealership would only talk to my ex even though I did all the research, comparisons/bargaining online, and had the down payment [rolling eyes emoji]

There are some men who truly don't believe women can like superheroes:

I told these guys I was excited for Infinity War (because I love the MCU) and they were like 'you only watch those cause your boyfriend does'...

Or video games:

I was told what would a woman possibly know about videos games at a friends house while I was still in my eb games uniform, PLAYING A GAME [woman face palming emoji]

This college professor assumes the only medical field women want to go into is nursing:

I'm a medical student (emt) and I had my professor tell me 'Honey the nursing class is down the hall' I said I know but I'm in this one'

And this man thinks all women don't know directions:

I gave a customer directions once and he had to double check if I mean left because 'you know women always getting confused with these things' [twinkling stars emoji]

This woman's ex assumed she didn't know how to swallow pills because she was female:

My ex tried to teach me how to take a pill

And this woman's ex couldn't stand the thought of her being more successful than him:

My ex boyfriend told me he would leave me if I ever made more money than him

There are so many sexist things being said by men to young girls...

I was 12 and my dad had me go up to the store and buy an iron. This old man smiled at me and went it's great you know your place being so young

...And to full-grown, adult women:

I was going through a hard time and I was 'sad' at work and my boss told me 'Jessica I know you are depressed but your period can't last a whole year'

SOCIETY, DO BETTER.

ABC

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