CuriositiesJUL 5, 2022

"Men Writing Women": This Online Group Exposes Clueless Male Authors Who Know Nothing About Women (35 Pics)

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Reading a piece of fiction is like an invitation to escape the immediate world and immerse yourself in fantasy. You’re expected to put your disbeliefs aside and blot out any distractions to fully experience the story. But some passages in those same books are so blatantly disrespectful and hilariously inaccurate that they can leave half of the population straight-up rolling their eyes. You guessed it, we’re talking about male authors portraying female characters and missing the mark by a long, long shot.

Some male writers are notorious for describing women as one-dimensional beings in unrealistic, often sexualized, and very unnecessary detail. So let us introduce you to the 'Men Writing Women' online community dedicated to busting such examples. This corner over on Reddit has simply had enough of "how men who create films, books, TV, and graphic novels characterize women," and pokes fun at their clueless endeavors.

Dedicated bookworms from all over the world have been sharing their equally ludicrous and infuriating findings. We’ve gone through the subreddit and gathered some of the best examples to share with you all. So continue scrolling to witness just how little some men know about women, as well as to read our in-depth interview with writer, developmental editor, and book coach Trisha Loehr. If you can handle even more examples of women being depicted in baffling ways, check out Part 1 of this feature right here.

#21 Old Advertisements That Didn't Age Well

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Most of us have encountered pieces of prose, movies, or TV shows where the male author has written about women poorly, to put it gently. At the same time, we have spent many years of our lives overlooking or unconsciously ignoring it because we submerge ourselves and devour the plot of the story. Luckily, many women are starting to see what’s been right in front of them all along, and they’re not staying silent.

The 'Men Writing Women' subreddit has inspired many book-lovers to seek justice and have discussions around the misogynistic breadcrumbs scattered all over our favorite and most lauded pieces of writing. One spin-off project, the 'Men Write Women' Twitter account, was created as a more condensed version of the online group on Reddit. "Women just want to be written as human. That's it," Meghan Vondriska, an advertising social strategist and founder of the page, told Bored Panda in a previous interview.

#22 Haven't You Ever Shut Your Vagina In Rage? Ways Of Going Home By Alejandro Zambra

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#23 I... Have No Words

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#24 Ah Yes, The Good Ol' Death By "Letter-Reading Fits"

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#25 Behold, My Brother’s Twitter

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#26 I'm Looking At You Stephen King, You Big Virgin

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#27 Don't Your Boobs Roll Like Your Eyes? [ It's Kind Of A Funny Story- Ned Vizzini]

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Vondriska pointed out that a lot of male writers who tend to be thought of as the "founders of the literary canon" are continuous offenders. "John Updike, for instance. But the greatest repeat offender is definitely Stephen King. His portrayal of his female characters is honestly offensive," she added.

"Pay attention to what you're reading, and who you're reading. You have to make sure your bookshelf isn't made up of just men. Add in some spice—some female authors, some nonbinary authors, authors of color. And lastly, just because you were assigned a book in high school doesn't mean it's good!"