This Twitter Thread Satirising How Men Talk About Women Is Too Good

'I half wonder whether men should be allowed in labs...'
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

What if we talked about male historical figures in the same way we talk about female historical figures?

Twitter user @manwhohasitall has thousands of people examining that alternative reality with one genius Twitter thread.

Man Who Has It All is a satirical Twitter account which highlights ridiculous gender stereotypes by tweeting about men’s lifestyle in the ridiculous ways some magazines would write about women. The account inspired a book published in 2016 titled “From Frazzled to Fabulous: How to Juggle a Successful Career, Fatherhood, ‘Me-Time’ and Looking Good.”

In an interview with HuffPost in 2015, the account’s operator, who prefers to remain anonymous, said the aim was to reimagine the “crap” that lifestyle publications and advertisements communicate to women.

On Friday, the Man Who Has It All launched an ongoing Twitter thread with a simple question.

My friend is a history teacher. She's compiling a list of great historical figures and she needs a male to add to the list. Suggestions?

— manwhohasitall (@manwhohasitall) September 1, 2017

People quickly responded with hilarious suggestions.

Surely there is a man married to a famous woman that needs some time in the spotlight, actress Mara Wilson responded. Many others tried to think of that one famously handsome man, but couldn’t remember his name.

In the Twitter thread below, watch as a group of people turn up the sarcasm and try to conjure the name of male historical figures who could be added to the history teacher’s list.

not a lot of people know, but Mark Twain was actually a man

— G Swain (@Swainwalker) September 2, 2017

I think that's been debunked though. How could that wonderful writing be done by a man?

— Kate Holly-Clark (@AntikaNueva) September 2, 2017

I know, it doesn't make a lot of sense. I think a lot of people just wish it was true.

— G Swain (@Swainwalker) September 2, 2017

That must be it. Because we all know men don't have the capacity to write like that....it's not in their inborn nature, bless the darlings.

— Kate Holly-Clark (@AntikaNueva) September 2, 2017

It's just biology; men are fine at some things, like lifting heavy objects. But they're not good at everything, like women are.

— G Swain (@Swainwalker) September 2, 2017

And they're so unstable. With all those mood swings, how can they concentrate on intellectual pursuits?

— Kate Holly-Clark (@AntikaNueva) September 2, 2017

True, look how 'hysterical' they get watching sport - you wouldn't want to trust nuclear codes with them.

— Sian Woolcock (@SWoolzie) September 2, 2017

Whenever a man gets overemotional I have to ask "oh honey, is it that time of the season?"

— G Swain (@Swainwalker) September 2, 2017

Rasputin

— Greg Johnston (@gjohnston33) September 1, 2017

Granted he was the lover of the Russian queen, but do we really want to parade the antics of a cat that really was gone before our children?

— Shaula Evans (@ShaulaEvans) September 2, 2017

Shaula, maybe rather than judge men on their sexual reputations, we should recognise the agency sex provided within a limited social sphere?

— Van Badham ✊🏻🌈 (@vanbadham) September 2, 2017

I hear what you're saying, Van, but I just can't get behind Boi Powerrr & Guyliner Meninists. What kind of husbands will they make?

— Shaula Evans (@ShaulaEvans) September 2, 2017

I'm not suggesting we promote them as role models, Shaula. But maybe fetishising their sexuality is the best way to control and police it?

— Van Badham ✊🏻🌈 (@vanbadham) September 2, 2017

I like the way you think, Van. After all, it's for their own good. Plus, we all know a little beefcake is good for morale around the office!

— Shaula Evans (@ShaulaEvans) September 2, 2017

Wasn't there a guy who worked in Rosalind Franklin's lab and wrote a novel about the people doing dna research?

— Adrian Turtle (@AdrianTurtle1) September 2, 2017

Watson Crick i think his name was...Crick Watson... i don't know, he wasn't even attractive

— April (@SpringMorning74) September 2, 2017

They're terribly dowdy a lot of these fellas, aren't they? One suspects the lab is a bit of a refuge for the plain boys.

— Van Badham ✊🏻🌈 (@vanbadham) September 2, 2017

Boys are terrible in the lab: they fall in love with you, then they cry...

— Ilaria Meliconi (@publish_advice) September 2, 2017

I half wonder whether men should be allowed in labs. Could be a distraction to hard working women. They at least need to dress appropriately

— Lucy Sherriff (@sherrifflucy) September 2, 2017

There might have been some married to great women?

— Mara Wilson (@MaraWilson) September 2, 2017

I think boys like him often marry successful women just to mooch off their careers. Not to be sexist! It's just you can't help but wonder

— Wendy Heard (@wendydheard) September 2, 2017

We've given them sooo much already.

I say stop pandering.

Research the facts, don't shoehorn in your manist ideology. pic.twitter.com/xIPJdr2fV1

— Alice Evans (@_alice_evans) September 2, 2017

1. Why are u rubbishing existing knowledge? How dare u?

2. Nice idea; not priority.

3. Didn't they just start wars? Anything constructive?

— Alice Evans (@_alice_evans) September 2, 2017

What we historians really ought to do is understand the causes of economic growth & falling income inequality.

This is a distraction.

— Alice Evans (@_alice_evans) September 2, 2017

I think you'll find that men DO feature in history books.
Sure, it's not 50%.
But that reflects REALITY.
They had a marginal role.

— Alice Evans (@_alice_evans) September 2, 2017

So don't try to reverse engineer history to suit your manist ideologies.
The facts are real.
Teach those.
Anything else is PC gone mad! pic.twitter.com/HWzzhgM3N7

— Alice Evans (@_alice_evans) September 2, 2017
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