I found this article on the Independent (https://www. independent. co. uk/life-style/women/manspreading-chair-design-laila-laurel-award-brighton-university-a9008746. html), which provides some interesting context. So, this Laila Laurel is a 3D Design and Craft student who won the award from the University of Brighton; I guess we now know where all the funding went.
"Created as part of her final-year project entitled “A Solution for Manspreading", Laurel also created a second chair intended for women which uses a small piece of wood in the centre of the seat to encourage female sitters to rest with her legs parted, allowing them to take up more space."
So, basically, she created two chairs: one which basically forces women to sit with their legs spread and one for men that forces them to sit with their legs closed. Effectively, she's inverted the problem in order to make a point--except the point she's trying to make is kind of moot, because most men sit with their legs spread because we have these things called testes and a penis down there. All of women's sex organs are internal, which is why they can close their legs for more easily. Some men--not most, just some--intentionally sit with their legs extra wide just to take up more space and "assert dominance". We call them "assholes".
What really bothers me more, though is this paragraph, "According to the online Oxford dictionary, manspreading describes 'the practice whereby a man adopts a sitting position with his legs wide apart, in such a way as to encroach on an adjacent seat'." I couldn't care less about the chair, any jackass with $60 worth of wood, nails and a saw could make it in about 4 hours and lots of patience; it's the implications of both the award for its creation and this introduction of third-wave feminist dogma (manspreading) into the Oxford dictionary, and common vernacular by extension, that really bothers me. Basically, we're continuing down the path of normalizing discrimination against men, in every sector of life and every avenue of society and all of this is simply allowed to happen... for some reason.
Virtue signaling / attention grabbing on the part of the designer. I sure wouldn't have any interest in having a casual discussion with her. (I do recognize that if you asked her if she wanted to have a discussion with me, she would likely say the same thing.) The chair itself looks uncomfortable. As for manspreading, as a person who has balls, I would say it's extremely uncomfortable to sit with my knees together, but at the same time, some men go way too far with it, and it does bother me as well. Some of them do it because they're not aware of the nuisance they're causing. Others do it as "alpha male behavior" i. e. "I'm going to show dominance by taking YOUR space." Both of those reasons bother me, and I definitely wouldn't want to be around either of them but especially the latter.
While I do find it inconvenient to sit next to men in public places when their legs spread out to take up twice as much space as they need... I understand male anatomy and I respect their desire to have all their bits and pieces comfortable down there lmao
I also don't take public transportation often enough to really care. And if I'm on a bus or train long enough to be bothered by it, typically I'm next to my husband anyway so I'll just put my leg on top of his so I have enough space too lmao
I don't really have thoughts on that chair. I didn't realize it was that big of an issue? I'm also pretty small. I take up about half as much room as a normal human being lmao
It’s funny that women are fighting for men to close there legs while simultaneously fighting for the right bleed in public. I just love watching the irony.
I’m just saying that women are making the rules and are now policing men and praising women, don’t you think it’s ironic that women claimed male patriarchy was bad was used to control women, meanwhile their now doing the exact same thing.
It's this person that useless that can't do anything better with life? Plus, the problem with anybody (man or woman) spreading legs is not when they sit in a single chair with nobody around, it's only in public spaces in which there are too many people around, sits are on a row and some people take more space than they really need at expense of other people's space. If someone wants to open their legs 180 degrees and there's space to do so without highlybinvading other people's spaces... who cares?
I even have a bit of hope this girl did it as sarcasm or joke but something tells me she did it as something serious.
if you're looking at crotches in the first place i think that's your fault. man spreading is not about excluding women from sitting down. it's about advertising so you'll sit down on their seat with them.
If she is actually being serious here.. omg. I mean, on public transportation I get it that you aren't supposed to spread your legs wide open reaching into your neighbors seat, but I've NEVER seen anyone doing that. She should totally try having a thing dangling between her legs for a day, I'm sure I would do the same if I was male 😂
Do people really think a chair shaped in a triangle is gonna stop people (yes I said people because women spread their legs too), from spreading their legs? Like no one cares if the man or person is spreading their legs. If it becomes to the point where you are uncomfortable because their legs are touching yours then ask them to close them or scoot over a bit. Plain and simple. Y'all doing to much. Next step your gonna see is feminists asking men to cut off their balls. Smh.
Imagine if a guy made a shirt so breasts wouldn't take up so much standing room. This is sexist nonsense.
Testicles function at an optimal temperature below body heat, so mushing a man's legs together gives them suboptimal function as you increase their temperature. Complaining about man spreading is about as sensible as complaining about women using tampons--it's just a way for us to work with our physiology.
Designing a chair to prevent it is like making a bathroom stall to prevent tampon use. So stupid
Although I do realize on crowded European public transit, it's annoying asf to have to stand because some people are using multiple seats.
But that's because Europe needs to quit crowding public transit by halting overpopulation from poor immigrants and stop carbon taxing the fuck out of gas for cars
Our genitals all just float around down there and closing your legs shut can over time be uncomfortable and puts pressure on things. Additionally, to produce healthy sperm, the testicle need to be at a lower temperature than the rest of the body, which is why they hnag out like they do ala the Scrotum. Keeping your legs together pushes them back towards the body and surrounds them with that body temperature.
Its natural for men to be more comfortable "Manspreading" because that's just the way it is.
Women complain a lot about their breasts getting in the way or being uncomfortable in certain positions etc... They stick out, so if you're stuck on a crowded bus or train, should they have a device that compresses their boobs flat so they're not in the way of other people?
No.
People need to educate themselves and simply accept the differences the male and female bodies have.
... You think I can' man spread on that chair? you FOOLS! xD
But in all seriousness... just why? Who the fuck is actually bothered by "man spreading?" I think the first time I even heard the term was like two months ago. Guys want to sit comfortably and sometimes you've just gotta give your privates room to breath. Don't look at our crotches if it makes you uncomfortable. No one is asking you to. If women are allowed to get upset at guys looking at their boobs in a low-cut shirt, guys should be allowed to get upset at women looking at their crotch while man spreading xD
How does this stop "manspreading" and why are we creating inventions that hinder peoples freedom? Are we saying we won't allow men to be comfortable? And why win an award for this? Couldn't anyone have made this contraption? It seems fairly easy to make.
Are women not allowed to spread their legs? Why is she worrying about this? Aren't there more pressing issues at hand? Like the growing rent and homeless crises? Or that around 80 million people have little or zero healthcare insurance? Or that entrepreneurship is still at an all time low? But nope, sexist chairs... that is our priority. That will help end poverty and eliminate corruption in this country, chairs...
I think the chair is stupid and uncomfortable for anyone. Man spreading is ok as long as you're not a complete jerk about it. Like this guy here for example... you can't convince me that a man needs the space of 3 seats for his balls to be comfortable. 😑
That's kinda stupid, the only reason why men spread their legs is because they have balls and it's uncomfortable to keep their legs closed while sitting
And seriously? Won an award? I looked it up, and it was at New Designers in London (I believe, I may have found the wrong thing). She is a "feminist", and this being at new designers means this chair is her final project of her university degree. I went with a friend to New Designers, and I remember what was basically just a shelf winning an award too, along with a skateboard with turn signals, so I wouldn't take it too seriously.
Even if they didn't have one I wouldn't understand the amount of butthurt, it's not like they would actually take up a space someone else wants to sit it
A man should make a chair that makes it impossible to put your handbag down next to you just to troll these stupid man hating bitches. Or stir some shit between the body positivity people and feminists since they're so obsessed with taking up extra chair space.
Why are the females in chairs that help them spread? Men have anatomy down there that gives them a bit of an excuse for spreading in my opinion... unless you are pregnant, you can't really give yourself an excuse like men can 🤷
In all honesty the whole reason to man spreading was taken from a wrong perspective of a young lady who assumed it was to do with male dominance. When actually guys physically can not sit without their legs apart in a comfortable manner due to their private areas... Put it this way if you lady's didn't have bras and you were made to lay on your front without moving your breasts to the side it would be a similar example
Bothers me only in a good way when she stares at the bulge. Girls accentuate boobs to be looked at. Rare for a girl to stare or be interested in a man bulge though.
It's the obedience I have issue with. Considerate, sure, let's encourage that, but the fact that the chair forces people to sit a certain way annoys me. Even the female's chair seems more authoritarian than freeing.
Dumb as dumb can be. I go to university for a proper education and I want that to be respectable, but here someone is making a joke of it. You're 40k in debt now... for this? This is all you amount to? And worse still other retarded people celebrate this nonsense despite it being an example of lost time and wasted effort.
I think its ridiculous and a way for fake feminists to make a big deal out of nothing. EVERYBODY does this, men and women alike. If you want to be proper about it, clasp your hands in a folding position front of your groin so it's still covered. Or set your purse, magazine, shopping bag, whatever you're looking at in front of it.
Unless you're in the military, people dont need to control how you sit. Unless you're in a professional job meeting or interview.
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