Alienated in the classroom

**DisposedMan** · 13th-September-2011

The following incident took place in a college classroom setting and because it was during lecture I recorded the whole lecture as a means to taking notes.

This class consists of about ~ 95% girls about 30+ girls and roughly 3-4 guys about 5% or less.

Yesterday while in my college class that's mandatory for graduation. A girl asked the professor, "Are the brains of guys and girls different?"
She then said, "Are guy's brains smaller?" Then about 95% of the girls including the fat and fugly female professor
started laughing. A single mom sitting in front of me made some dumb comment to the effect that it too got a round of laughter. The laughter continued for some time while all the men remained quiet and shamed for our biological makeup. The professor didn't even say, "Okay, that's a bit sexist." Instead, she continued laughing along as all the girls looked over at the 4 guys in class. So, naturally, I felt a bit alienated due to this anti-male rhetoric.

So, I thought to myself. No problem. I'll show them. I won't actively raise my hand and call them out on their
sexism. Instead, I'll show them who's smart. About a hour later we played a Jeopardy quiz game. This class is on Brain anatomy,
and other topics related to the brain, so the game questions were essentially regarding areas of the brain, different methods to test brain activity, etc. The class was divided into groups of about 6 with 5-6 in each group. The teams then played the game. So, guess who won after about a hour of answering tough questions? You guessed it. We did. Not only that, I, the only guy on the team, answered majority of the questions correctly. In fact, the girls relied heavily on my answers. The single mom turned to me and said, "Wow, you're so smart." So I thought to myself. Okay, let's get this straight. Girls, weren't you and the rest of the 95%
of women in my class just laughing at guys and their alleged small brain? Had it not been for ME, a guy, you girls would not have
gotten extra credit points. I was a one MAN team. Thanks for nothing ladies. I was hoping to rely on you for your smarts to win but yet
as usual I had to do most of the work.

Had the situation been reversed, where there were 95% guys and 5% girls in the room and the guys joked about girls being stupid. I guarantee you the campus would be closed or there would be some sort of civil action.

This message has been approved for by irony.

**Marx** · 13th-September-2011

I hope you keep the recording and make a complaint against the class behaviour that the tutor allowed and promoted?

Or - dun dun dun - is your brain to small for such a task?

No, seriously, complain. You have every damn right to do so.

**Richard** · 13th-September-2011

Nice one, you really showed them up

**Nynrah Ghost** · 13th-September-2011

You didn't simply made a point only to be scorned, but actually gave them a taste of their own medicine... Very good. A fine aproach.

Kudos to you.

**Douglas** · 13th-September-2011

Quote from DisposedMan

Had the situation been reversed, where there were 95% guys and 5% girls in the room and the guys joked about girls being stupid. I guarantee you the campus would be closed or there would be some sort of civil action.

And I seriously suggest that rather than tolerate it, you take action and complain. Loudly and if necessary publicly (but give the university chance to correct before going to the press).

**nickb275** · 13th-September-2011

As said often in the MRA arena, always ask, if the roles were reversed, what would happen? You yourself stated they would have rallied and maybe civil action would have been taken. Why you wouldn't bring this up with the direction of the college would be tantamount to not only letting them get away with this sort of behavior that time, but also it pretty much gives them free access to your resources and also encourages them in the future to laugh outright at you and your other 3 or 4 male members of this class in the same stride. This is called entitlement.

You are doing every male member of this group/class a disservice if you are in possession of a recording of misandry and sexism and not using it to promote what feminism supposedly adheres to, which is equality.

This example you have shown here only goes to show how they rely on men and in the same token can laugh and ridicule them.

Like Marx, I strongly suggest you complain. Let ego aside and fight for your feeling alienated. They certainly would and would expect another female to do so if the roles were reversed, that is for damn sure.

**Black Knight** · 13th-September-2011

Mhm, sum action is necessary. However, dont go straight to the director - in the military we're taught to solve problems at the lowest level possible. Start at the source, your professor, THEN move up if the situation isn't solved (chain of command). When you run out of that chain, make it public.

**The Possible Human** · 13th-September-2011

Interesting article. I would have raised my hand and told the professor that I was extremely offended by her sexist and misandric humor. Freak the class out a bit, but thats me. I'm past putting up with crap like that. We all should be.

**rohara** · 14th-September-2011

Do share the recording here with us!

**Celtic Druid** · 14th-September-2011

Quote from The Possible Human

Interesting article. I would have raised my hand and told the professor that I was extremely offended by her sexist and misandric humor. Freak the class out a bit, but thats me. I'm past putting up with crap like that. We all should be.

I most certainly would have spoken up in such a situation also, but wouldn't ask for permission to do so (playing by their rules). The more people within earshot the better is my motto.

Academia is infested with bigoted propagandists masquerading as teachers and professors who detest anything which questions their ideology.

**Douglas** · 15th-September-2011

DisposedMan, you might well be daunted by the idea of going up against the matriarchy. Take heart for although most of us can't be there with you, you have seen how many of us urge action and we are all available for advise, help and maybe some direct action if or when it becomes viable. You could be scared of the consequences of complaining but don't be downtrodden, for a man must stand up for something, or he stands for nothing.

I and others here will give advice, write draft letters, suggest tactics, etc. if any of that will help you.

**DisposedMan** · 15th-September-2011

Quote from rohara

Do share the recording here with us!

The lecture was 3 hours. I'll need to find the said mockery incident and then split it. I'll have it up hopefully soon for everyone to hear.

I think one of the users recommended I start small then move up. It is likely that I will talk to the Professor first and ask her to formally apologize in front of the class.

What else would you guys recommend?

**Yan Yan** · 15th-September-2011

Let me get this straight. Did you actually PAY student fees for this course? Why would you do that?
Did you actually pay for this course with your own money?
Or we're you a government-funded "scholar" - afraid of losing your funding?

I was a one MAN team. Thanks for nothing ladies. I was hoping to rely on you for your smarts to win but yet
as usual I had to do most of the work.

You get it!! Welcome to the club! I hope you will go far.

**BertieW** · 18th-September-2011

I would reccommend that when you talk to the instructor, you also point out that a question about differences in male and female brains is a valid question to ask in a college class on brain anatomy, and ask her to give the class a serious answer to what should have been treated as a serious question. The correct answer is that men have bigger brains, both in absolute terms and relative to body size, and some researchers believe this is one reason why studies show that men are more intellegent than women. A list of scientific papers about sex differences in brain anatomy can be found here:
TRIGGER ALERT!: Sex Differences In The Brain

The fact that there are so many studies demonstrates that professionals in this field take the question of sex differnces seriously enough to write the papers, so your instructor should have taken it seriously too. Differences in intellegence that may be a result of differences in brain anatomy can be found here
Men are more intelligent than women, claims new study | Mail Online
and here
Intelligence Nature Nurture - Men are More Intelligent than Women

I have a feeling she may have treated the question as a joke because the school would not allow her to admit that there are differences, and that they favor men.

**Douglas** · 18th-September-2011

Quote from DisposedMan

The lecture was 3 hours. I'll need to find the said mockery incident and then split it. I'll have it up hopefully soon for everyone to hear.

I think one of the users recommended I start small then move up. It is likely that I will talk to the Professor first and ask her to formally apologize in front of the class.

What else would you guys recommend?

I think an apology (doesn't have to be 'formal') should be made. I agree with Bertie that the question should also be treated as a serious scholastic manner. She doesn't have to agree with any particular stance but if she doesn't, then a scholarly reasoning should be given (such as quoting other studies, or a short discussion on the way intelligence is measured [those are the usual rebuttals to 'men are more intelligent']).

If you get that, I'd say it's enough for a 'first offence' and should hopefully be enough to warn her not to engage in misandry in the classroom. If you do get both apology and proper tutoring, you could still lodge it as a formal complaint to the college, but stating that you have addressed the issue with the lecturer and are not seeking any further action - which means there will be a record there, should there ever be a next offence.

If apology or proper tutoring are not provided, then those become subjects for complaint requiring action.