Poll: Do You Manspread

[s0denone]

Snip

???? None of this is remotely relevant to the question I was asking until the very end.

Are you saying that "manspreading" is defined as "Knees further apart than the width of your shoulders"? Are you claiming that the be the one and only definition?

I was asking about that image in particular in order to legitimately understand what the fuck constitutes "manspreading". That was my whole point. I don't give a fuck about where the image was from or about anyone being nagged or not being nagged. I just used the image because I had already seen it in the thread.

So I ask you again, because you never replied (or at least did so implicitly causing me to remain unsure): Do you think the image that I linked, the first one in your post, is "manspreading"?

 

[Cowabungaa]

Nah man, that shit is rude.

Though I admit, I do extend. No that's not penis-related, I simply have enormous legs and extending them feels sooooo gooooood. But I always pull them in when someone has to walk through the aisle.

 

[josemlopes]

People think way too much about shit.

Usually if there is someone sitted then that person is just sitting in a way that is confortable for him/her.

A guy being sitted with his legs open are the same to me as a girl with her legs crossed, and vice-versa, who fucking cares or thinks about this shit (apparently a lot of people, huh)?

It would only suck if its a tight situation with small seats and stuff where it could bother the person next to him, otherwise...

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

I have no idea why it would be "physiologically impossible". When you stand up, your legs are close to straight down, not spread. This should not cause any pain to your genitals. If you can keep your legs straight standing up, you can keep them straight sitting down. Basic geometry, and I would know.

Fuck the stupid ass idiot who decided to make it a gender thing in the first place, which to my understanding was a Tumblr blog so there you go. It has jack fucking shit to do with gender, and more to do with basic goddamn manners, male or female.

It has a tangential relevance to gender. A woman wouldn't be unjustified in feeling threatened or creeped out if some strange guy started trying to show off his groin around her or trying to encroach on her personal space. Someone bodily shoving his leg up against yours and showing his nards off to the world is on a different level than putting your shopping bag in the seat next to you (which you also shouldn't be doing, for other reasons).

But that's just a subset of the greater issue of it being a personal space thing. Some people would just find it rude or irritating. But then there are some people who would interpret that as being sexually aggressive. It's one of those things where it's best to err on the side of caution.

Anyone would be feeling this way if anyone did it to them unless they happen to find them attractive enough to appreciate it. It isn't a superior infringment of personal space because you can interpret it sexually if you so choose because you can interpret anything, from a smile to someone moistening their dry lips and a thousand other things as sexual. Also, I find it ludicrous that sitting comfortably amd naturally is equivalent to showing off your balls while if a woman sits in a way that shows off her chest or butt and one points it out they'd be decried for it. Aren't you slut shaming men there? Or is it ok cause when men do it it's creepy and not sexy (according to you I prsume...)? Do we ever even describe women as creepy for being publicly suggestive in this manner lol.


It isn't only men who do this, I have spent a dozen hour flight sitting next to an old lady who'd place her handbag on the shared armrest perpetually, so trust me, anybody can take up more of their fair space due to rudeness.

 

[mad825]

I place my legs and feet to whatever feel comfortable to me. Neither am I an arse will take all the space just for the sake of it.

/thread.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

This might seem weird, but I've never seen anyone manspread. Ever.

Subways and para-transport services don't seem like their peak hours would allow for a lot of people showcasing their family jewels - and attempting to do that in a short bus adapted for use by the disabled would pretty much get you slammed by the driver. What little seats are there are sorely needed, so you can forget your wordly aspirations of electing domain over the back row's three-seater.

As for my little self? Nope. Never felt the need. I don't clench my thighs whilst in public transportation, but I allow myself the barest possible minimum of claimable space. I'm one of those *supposedly* rare guys who can contemplate an over-the-knee leg cross and not have nightmares about brutalized testicles.

So yeah. Relatives have given me the "MAH BALLZ!" reason-slash-joke in the past; but I tend to mentally retcon that as "I've had one glass too many and no longer give a shit about anyone else's personal space. Two more beers and I'll think doing the starfish on the dining room table is an acceptable display of dinner etiquette."

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

So is sitting like this:

as was linked on the bottom of page 2, manspreading?

So let's clarify for a moment.

I was curious about the context (especially since he was supposedly "nagged" about it, according to the person who posted it) and so I ran a Google image search. The original source for this photo appears to be the Daily Fail in an article covering this specific Gothamist video.

My first thought: the woman who is supposedly "nagging" the commuters comes off as a reporter for any such "on the street" segment and asks roughly the questions I would expect a reporter to ask when dealing with a contemporary issue. Things like "do you know what it is," "are you doing it," and "how much space do you think is justified/too much?"

One of the other things I noticed was that the guy in the picture moved his legs in when asked about it. He moved them in even more if you go to the segment when hes asked what the appropriate level of space is.

From the Fail's own pictures, compare this:

To this:

I think it's particularly interesting that when asked what the appropriate amount of space was, this guy was cognisant enough to adjust his legs so his knees were roughly the width of his shoulders. This tells me he thinks this is the appropriate amount of space to take up. It also tells me he thinks he was "manspreading."

Also, I find the onlookers rather amusing.

Also also...you seriously don't know how to judge the relation of your knees to the rest of your body?

I will say, that if he was at all familiar with the term(even if not, any intelligent person could hazard a guess as to what "manspreading" would mean), him closing his legs doesn't inherently mean he thought he was actually guilty of doing the act, but that someone, expressly inquiring about the act of it, came up to HIM about the subject.

Not an extreme leap to imagine him adjusting himself was a natural defensive move to a socially conscious subject. It's not really all that uncommon when people are interviewed about socially unpleasant things to 'check' themselves on it when the questions begin, whether they were guilty or not.

That said, you're right, entirely possible he could have realized(or previously known) what he was doing and changed it when confronted.


One thing that strikes me, looking at those pictures, is why do people have an issue with 'manspreading' but also don't demand they check their elbows, which, as those images show, are causing him to take up more space, even before the "manspreading" is corrected. Is it only an issue with legs, and elbows taking up the same or more space is fine?

I think the really intriguing part is how well he seems to be taking being approached by some arse-holes with a mic and camera. I think my response would be more like "Excuse me, who the hell are you? No, I don't want your tape measure or to be in your video. Piss off."

This is a non-issue. My thoughts on comfort: Yes, sitting with my legs further apart than straight ahead is a hell of a lot more comfortable than sitting with them perfectly straight. After a day at work my private area is sweaty & sticky & unpleasant. It really could use any extra room it could be afforded. Frankly, if it were socially permissible to open my fly to let some air in I'd strongly consider doing that too.

What's funny is this basically goes away if you just talk to people. "Would you mind giving me a bit more room, you're spread out quite a lot?" or "Could you move your bag so I can sit down, please?" is pretty non-confrontational and easily said. A nice man who will entertain being asked to measure the gap between his knees by some ass-hat can be asked by anyone else (amicably) to take up a little less space (if the situation actually requires it). Are people imagining that he's going to thump them in the face? What's going on here? Just talk. Employ social skills.

This is divisive bollocks that isn't likely to help anybody in any meaningful way. This pity-party with it's ugly tint of man-bashing should to be treated like the molehill that it is. If you genuinely can't ask nicely for a little consideration from your fellow passengers then you have bigger problems than "manspreading".

 

[bastardofmelbourne]

this is the dumbest goddamn forum topic I've seen in a while.

Not meaning to piss on the OT or anyone posting here, but seriously. Manspreading? for real.

just move your dang legs. goddamn.

 

[DocJ]

In my experience, it can get quite uncomfortable, to the point I'll either get up to fix it or just sneakily put my hand in my pocket and try to fix it that way. I never sit in a spreading position permanently, but I might just do it to detach everything and then go back to sitting normally. If I'm next to someone my behaviour kind of depends. If its a guy there's sort of that knowledge of 'hey, it happens' and they usually don't mind a quick spread to clear it all up for a bit as long as I have the same mentality. It's almost one of those unspoken rules among guys up here. When it's a girl, I simply tend not to do it. I might end up fidgeting a bit, but I won't outright invade her personal space just to make myself comfortable.

 

[Kaymish]

No i like wearing skirts and it is viewed as unseemly to spread your legs out when wearing a skirt even though i usually wear short tights underneath and i find it more comfortable to keep my legs together anyway

 

[snave]

Furthermore, I have heard that the term is sexist as it excludes female spreaders from the argument but, from my personal observations, the most vocal pro manspreaders base almost all of their arguments upon the male physiology necessitating it.

Depends entirely on the health of your prostate. There's a reason its often older guys.

 

[Stewie Plisken]

Do You Manspread

Only in the days I don't mansplain. The Patriarchy High Command forbids doing both in the same day, lest the conspiracy is exposed, our lords deposed and our exclusive priveleges rescinded. But y'all already knew that.

So, short answer: no. I also don't sit like an asshole in the bus/train/whatever. It's a matter of personal space for me; I don't like others getting into my own and I extend the same courtesy. Everybody has their own spot.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Not if I'm sharing a seat.

 

[Silvanus]

I refuse to believe it is preferrable to anyone to sit with their knees pressed together, if they have testicles or any kind of thighs. There is no way that can be preferrable. No way.

Disbelieve all you want. This is simply generalising your (quite unrepresentative) experience to all mankind. Plenty of men cross their legs, and I see very few leaving more than a minor gap.

I suppose that makes this an issues of both "fat-" and "Fit shaming". Interesting, bud.

"Fit-shaming"? That's a real classic, right there. Real classic.

EDIT: I also think it is pretty hilarious that you talk as if testes are all the same size. You don't have to have testicular cancer to have big balls(within reason), friend.

I'm well aware they're not. I merely said that they're very rarely humongous enough to warrant an obtuse leg angle, which is true. They'd have to be grapefruit.

I would guess that this issue of comfort has less to do with testicle size and more to do with the size and shape of a man's thighs. My thighs are particularly noteworthy in their girth due to sports, which means creating the necessary space to avoid uncomfortable pressure requires a greater angle for my knees to be open. I don't have to lug my testicles around in a wheelbarrow, but I do suspect I do quite a bit more manspreading than might be average, especially if I'm wearing suit trousers or jeans.

Fair enough. I imagine extensive exercise probably does necessitate a wider angle. I wouldn't know from experience, being a lazy fucker myself.

Sure. I didn't say we needed an obtuse angle. I just said a decent angle is more comfortable. I personally wouldn't want an obtuse angle unless I just wanted some stranger to run up and kick me. But I've seen it when a person was trying to fall asleep while sitting. The wide stance helps with balance in that case.

It's particularly wide angles which are the subject of conversation here as far as I know; little gaps are fine, and go uncommented on tubes and trains. Comfort is fine (and must be weighed against the comfort of others), but I'm taking aim at the argument from biological necessity, which is another thing altogether.

If a guy is doing that it will (should) at least eventually lead to the good ol' creeping pain. There's also other factors like zippers that might still find a way to press against the sack despite it being through a pair of underwear.

"Should"? That's not medically sound advice. It's tremendously common to do so, as is sitting cross-legged.

I remember people asking me in the schoolyard how I could sit with my legs crossed, and frankly, it always came across as a subtle method of boasting about the size of their junk. The question always came from those who would be most likely to do exactly that, too. It says a lot that as I've grown older, the questions have disappeared, and I've seen more and more men sitting just as I did then and still do.

 

[TwoSidesOneCoin]

If the subway or train or bus isn't packed and there is room, I'll get comfy. You wanting to stare at my junk doesn't mean shit to me. Oh no, some stranger on the bus is looking at my groin! Give me a break.

 

[Dango]

I mean, yeah if there's enough space on public transport than why not? Otherwise yeah, I have a dick, so it can feel pretty necessary sometimes.

 

[Ambitiousmould]

If I have the pair of seats to myself, then a bit, yes. It is physically impossible as an averagely sized human to not spread out on British trains, there simply isn't enough chuffing legroom. If someone sits next to me though, I sort of put my legs together and twist them to a sort of side-saddle-ish position. It's uncomfortable as buggery but it's the only option.

Now people talking loudly on their mobiles, that's the real issue. I'd say, "Oi, dickhead, some people are trying to do the crossword, and none of us want to hear what your Kelly said to Sue about Dennis", but I'm British so I quietly seethe and try to think of a five letter word for "Stupid, Foolish" (A--sh).

I would also complain about the dire quality of the Metro but it's a free paper, so meh. And train pissheads just make me laugh, so I won't moan there, either.

 

[CyanCat47_v1legacy]

whoever does it is an absolute arse. there is very little space on public transportation to begin with and anybody who actively takes up more space than they need is an inconsiderate arse. besides genitals are soft and can easily endure the pressure of human legs