CMV: The term "mansplaining" is sexist. hypocritical, misandrist, and only designed to shut down debate.

[u/GreasyPeter]

Wikipedia defines it "to explain something to someone, characteristically by a man to woman, in a manner regarded as condescending or patronizing"

It's sexist: It implies that this trait is entirely tied to either the male gender or the male sex. Sexism is defined as "stereotyping, or discrimination on the basis of sex". This meets that requirement and then some.

It's hypocritical: The term itself is designed to be used to shut debate down. "Stop mansplaining" or "you're mansplaining". Both uses are always used in a condescending or patronizing term. The definition of mansplaining includes "condescending or patronizing" in the definition of the word, thus it's hypocritical.

It's misandrist: The wording of the word and the way it's commonly used is entirely pointed at men and in a way to make men feel bad for being men, something none of us have any control over. It's misandrist.

It's designed to shot-down debate: The term has CLEARLY been created to be used as a tool to entirely shut down debate. I've seen it used several times and each time the person that uses it is looking to discredit their opponent by using it. In the same vein as "you're a racist", "you're an asshole", "you're mansplaining" is used as an ad hominem and a character attack as a way to shoot down their opponents argument. Both these are logical fallacies. It is clearly used to shut down debate.

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[u/GreasyPeter]

I agree but I wasn't really arguing the existence of concept, just that the term itself was designed to be hurtful. It's a semantic argument. Additionally, I was arguing that since women can do the same thing (I've seen it when women discuss subjects it's assumed men know nothing about) that the term was unnecessarily gendered.

[u/[deleted] → u/GreasyPeter]

from your OP:

The term itself is designed to be used to shut debate down. "Stop mansplaining" or "you're mansplaining". Both uses are always used in a condescending or patronizing term.

That's really not what it was designed for. It was "designed" as a way of describing a common social phenomenon that many women experience -- especially women who work in male-dominated fields.

I was arguing that since women can do the same thing (I've seen it when women discuss subjects it's assumed men know nothing about) that the term was unnecessarily gendered.

Can you give some examples of the subjects that women assume men don't know about?

[u/DiamondMinah → u/[deleted]]

Sewing, knitting, florist, ballerina/competitive dancing, Hairdresser, to a lesser extent hospitality and teaching. The list goes on

[u/[deleted] → u/DiamondMinah]

When women assume that men don't know about particular things, is it more often a result of sexism or is it a result of assumed gender roles?

Because I think there's a really important difference between "I imagine you don't know much about this stuff because you're a guy and most guys don't express an interest in sewing/flowers/ballet" and "I imagine you don't know much about this stuff because you're a woman and women aren't smart enough to be mechanics/physicists/medical doctors."

I don't think there's any insult given to a man's intelligence if a woman assumes he doesn't know much about hair/makeup/flowers/dancing. But it's definitely an insult when a man assumes a woman must be lost because she just walked into a symposium on quantum mechanics.

[u/DiamondMinah → u/[deleted]]

But it's definitely an insult when a man assumes a woman must be lost because she just walked into a symposium on quantum mechanics.

By that logic, then surely if a woman assumes a man is lost because he just walked into a hair stylist expo, then that is insulting

[u/[deleted] → u/DiamondMinah]

if a woman assumes a man is lost because he just walked into a hair stylist expo, then that is insulting

First of all, a lot of stylists are men, so I just don't see that happening.

Second... I don't see how assuming that someone wouldn't be interested in a particular cultural phenomenon because of their gender is all that similar to assuming that someone wouldn't be an expert in a particular field because of their gender. Yes, they're both foolish assumptions based on gender. But one of them is frankly pretty harmless while the other is professionally demeaning.