Reading Needs Practice? Who Knew?!

Recently I had the concept of reading mansplained to me, an English language teacher, on an academic forum.

Some context: I'm currently at a UK-based distance learning university and recently started an optional module in English Literature (big fucking mistake - have since realised the error of my ways and switched over to history, which I now intend to double major in). Anyway, the first set text on this module was by a white male Victorian writer known for taking great delight in punishing his female characters, so naturally the misogyny was utterly relentless right from the first page and I really struggled to stomach it or find any motivation to continue reading.

I went on the student forums to seek some useful tips or advice which might help with grinding through this hateful fucking text, clearly stating the specific source of my struggle, and while the women who replied were encouraging and supportive, I received the absolute doozy below from a man - and by the tone and overall writing style I'm also hazarding that this is specifically a white middle aged or older man. From other posts of his I've been able to gather than he considers himself a 'collector of degrees' (aka he's retired and does this for a hobby, what a lark), has previously studied law, and all in sounds like exactly the type of ponderous fucking arsehole that would enjoy white male Victorian fiction.

I have never read anything so pompous, patronising, and chock full of unfounded assumptions (clearly he didn't learn much on that law degree) in all my life. Needless to say I did not deign to reply.

Ladies, go forth and roast.

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erythrura

Oct 19, 2023

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Women: "The blatant misogyny in that novel makes me want to stop reading it."

Men: "Awww, the little woman struggles with understanding a big, big text by a big, big male author with her little female brain. Let's explain reading to her like she's in first grade!"

It's the same when you dare to criticise their favorite movies, TV shows or video games and say you don't want to watch them because of the gratuitous violence, rape and the depiction of female characters that is solely for the male gaze. As a woman, you are just not intellectual enough to understand that this is art, you know.

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sentient_stardust

Oct 19, 2023

Replying to

I know, right?! That was the part that honestly slayed me the most. Like, please tell me where in my original post I said that I wasn't an avid reader (I very much am, though I don't particularly care for novels and prefer nonfiction generally), or that I struggle with vocabulary (that could not be further from the case and my writing alone should give that away)? Neither of these two things were mentioned, anywhere, because they are not part of the issue.

Let's see what other unfounded assumptions there are:

Reading is not a joy for me: it is, just not when I'm being beaten over the head repeatedly with turgid, misogynistic bullshit;
I don't sufficiently practice reading: my head is never out of books;

I am incapable of suspending disbelief: I'm just as capable of doing so as anyone else and indeed, go to the theatre regularly which requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief;

My reading speed must be slow: on the contrary, my reading speed is above average and I've been reading since long before I started formal schooling;
I find it a strain to read: again, where did I say that?;
I' m not an avid reader: see points above;
I don't 'relish' reading large amounts of text: I wouldn't have returned to education if I didn't;
I won't be able to handle postmodern fiction (Ali Smith): nothing to say to this except fuck off;
I've never encountered audiobooks before and don't know how they work: also fuck off;
I don't know how linguistic or literary analysis works: I wouldn't be an English language teacher if I didn't so FUCK OFF.

Thanks for putting words into my mouth that don't belong there, arsehole. 🖕🏻

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Mykki

Oct 19, 2023

Replying to

Ever notice our "escapist" fantasy is women having autonomy and not being rape holes for men and they HATE IT, but of course their escapists fantasies include even more violence against women than irl. If most men (like they say) were so virtuous and only 3/100000 men were sexual sadists like they insist, their media would reflect that. But the most obviously obvious thing I've ever obviously concluded is that.... men do not want to live in a world where sexual violence against women does not exist

sentient_stardust

Oct 19, 2023

Replying to

Absolutely. Even pre-FDS I always maintained that there is no better illumination into the character of a man than the contents of his bookshelf (or music collection, or *insert other media of choice*). FDS has of course helped to add entirely new levels of insight and understanding to that basic wisdom, and the only conclusion I can reach the majority of the time is exactly what you're said: men actively enjoy watching women being punished, tortured (literally or figuratively), and firmly 'put in their place', whether they admit this or not or whether they're even conscious of it or not. It's right there in our media, our literature, our art. We've been steeped in these narratives for millenia.

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