Taking Identity Politics way too far

Woman Designs Chair To Prevent "Manspreading"

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A British woman has been awarded for designing a chair that prevents “manspreading” by forcing men to sit as if they don’t have any balls.

“Manspreading,” otherwise known as ‘having a pair of testicles’ – is where men sit with their legs spread apart on public transport.

23-year-old Laila Laurel says she designed the chair “following her own experiences of ‘manspreading'”.

“It came both from my own experiences of men infringing on my space in public, and also from ‘The Everyday Sexism Project’, a website founded by Laura Bates in which women self-testify about sexism they experience,” she told LadBible.

“With my chair set I hoped to draw awareness to the act of sitting for men and women and inspire discussion around this,” added Laurel, who was given the Belmond Award for emerging talent (whatever that is).

But here’s the kicker; Laurel has also designed a chair which encourages women to engage in the very same behavior she complains about the men doing.

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The response to the design was not very sympathetic.

“This is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve read this year. She has made a chair to prevent men from ‘manspreading’ and made one for women which encourages it?” commented one Twitter user.

“She needs to wear that device that simulates having ball(s), maybe then she would learn to have some sympathy toward men instead of feeling entitled to tell them how to sit,” added another.

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Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur

snoopydawg's picture

@lizzyh7

Maybe I should Title this Essay Title Contest instead?

It just doesn't make any sense for her to bitch about men sitting like that and then think it's okay for women to. This has got to be the biggest wha da'fuc moment ever.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Centaurea's picture

I don't know the reason why this person created these chairs. However, I have a feeling people may be looking at it too literally.

Yep, sexual politics. Since you brought it up, I'll wade right in.

Look at those 2 photos, showing the traditional male and female positions reversed.

Which person looks relaxed, comfortable, body held in a natural posture, and ready to interact with the world?

Which one looks tense, uptight, controlled, and drawn in on themselves, with the body held in an artificially closed-in posture? (Prim and proper, one might say.)

For those who will say, "darn right he's uncomfortable, his balls are getting smashed", do you think the body posture in that photo is a happy one for women because their bodies don't include testicles? That's pretty much the way women are taught to sit all the time. Legs together, posture prim and proper, always thinking about how we look.

Human beings have always made up a lot of odd rules for living, haven't they? And ostracized those who don't comply.

My mother wore a girdle during her entire adult life. That's the way her generation did things, in order to "keep things under control" and make themselves look attractive.

When I was a teenager, she tried to make me wear one. Lol That lasted about a day. Good god, what a torture contraption.

Not as bad as the 15 pounds of undergarments, including bustles and tight corsets, that women in Victorian times had to wear, though. Try sitting in that get-up. Or walking. Or even just breathing.

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"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi

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detroitmechworks's picture

Matriarchy! Because shooting ourselves in the other collective foot for thousands of years went so well!

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfnAOcBirAs]

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Centaurea's picture

@detroitmechworks

speaking only for myself, I'm tired of both the matriarchy and the patriarchy. We've (the collective "we" there) done both already.

I'm ready to move on to something new and different.

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"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi

"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone

thanatokephaloides's picture

@Centaurea

Personally, speaking only for myself, I'm tired of both the matriarchy and the patriarchy. We've (the collective "we" there) done both already.

Right on! Matriarchy and patriarchy have one very important thing in common: they're both archy! And archy still sucks!

You know, "all power corrupts absolutely" and all that.

Smile

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Bollox Ref's picture

on a Harrow-on-the-Hill to Amersham Metropolitan 'tube' train at 10 at night (i.e., few passengers; lots of space), but well nigh impossible going into London during rush hour/working hours (see, No Space).

(Edited)

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

spread his legs? It might not be comfortable, but neither of those chairs looks comfortable. They seem better for sparking discussion than for sitting.

In any event, it's not all anatomy-driven. Any adult who has had to use public transportation daily knows that there is manspreading and then there is much less frequent "special" manspreading. The only solution for the latter of which I am aware is for the victim to change seats or to stand, if another seat is not available. And the reverse is true for "special" womanspreading. Unfortunate and unfair, but I don't know of any practical alternative.

A scarlet M?

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Centaurea's picture

@HenryAWallace
on where you propose to put the Scarlet M.

Smile

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"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi

"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone

@Centaurea

[video:https://youtu.be/F1lJFlB-89Q]

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Centaurea's picture

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"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi

"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone

thanatokephaloides's picture

snoop, you mentioned that the whackjob Brit who invented this torture device had been "awarded" for doing so. If what she had been awarded had been a patent, that just means that no one else had approached Her Majesty's Patent Office with this particular stupidity before the inventrix did.

Many volumes of amusement have been published from such patents, and now it's obvious that many more will be in the future, too! Biggrin

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"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

lotlizard's picture

@thanatokephaloides  
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Chindogu

http://infogalactic.com/info/Chind%C5%8Dgu

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polkageist's picture

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thanatokephaloides's picture

Up until very recent days indeed, Cardinals entering into Conclave to elect a Pope would have to sit in a chair possessing an opening exposing the genitals, while a Cardinal from each of the three Orders (Cardinal Deacons, Cardinal Priests, Cardinal Bishops) would observe and proclaim: "testiculos habet et bene pendentes" (i.e., "he hath testicles and they hang well") before they would be permitted to enter Conclave. This was in response to the various "Pope Joan" scandals.

It is my understanding that this requirement wasn't finally removed from the books until the Conclave regulations promulgated by Pope Paul VI (reigned 1963 - 1978)!

And the chair? It was a birthing chair from Byzantine Greece!

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

earthling1's picture

@thanatokephaloides

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

thanatokephaloides's picture

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

snoopydawg's picture

“It came both from my own experiences of men infringing on my space in public, and also from ‘The Everyday Sexism Project’, a website founded by Laura Bates in which women self-testify about sexism they experience,” she told LadBible.

“With my chair set I hoped to draw awareness to the act of sitting for men and women and inspire discussion around this,” added Laurel, who was given the Belmond Award for emerging talent (whatever that is).

First off I don't understand how this can be sexism if she turns around and has women sit just like the men that she is complaining about. Secondly it looks more like she has trouble with men getting in her personal space when it's crowded. But then she thinks it's okay for women to do it? Scratching my damn head...

As for the award I only found it has something to do with Tennessee university or Belmond hotels..

Scratch one-s head

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

to coexist. Right now all behavior is acceptable in the name of self expression. Confrontation breeds heroes and villains. Social media amplifies opposing points and builds flash movements. Legitimacy is gained through alliances of victims. So the same mentality that brought chastity belts into existence brings you specially designed chairs and is presented to us as a solution. Meanwhile it's us that fiddle as Rome burns.

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TheOtherMaven's picture

and that's really what this kerfuffle is all about. Doesn't matter that she's designed a product (two products) that no one in their right mind would buy - all that matters is that her name gets floated for a news cycle, until the next Silly Season story comes up.

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.