Manspreading: something every public transport commuter is familiar with, whether they are aware of it or not. If you’re unaware or simply lucky enough to dodge public transport in your day-to-day life, manspreading is basically when a man opens his legs excessively wide when sitting down. It is supposedly the only comfortable option, because I guess men’s dicks are simply too big to be restricted to the dimensions of a train seat.
My recent job change has meant getting involved in the super fun past time that is commuting on the London Underground during rush hour. Not only is the nightmare of sweating it out in a cosy carriage full of too close for comfort strangers traumatizing enough, but when I am lucky enough to find sanctuary in a seat, I more often than not find my space invaded by a man and his all too prominent spread. Once or twice I’ve even been cornered in a 2×2 seating arrangement by three spreads so large that my seat should’ve ceased to exist. I was practically invisible in the eyes of my ‘big dick’ wielding commuters.
I get it- maybe I sound like an over the top feminist, nit picking at something that I probably don’t understand. Men have to sit like that for comfort right? But this goes far beyond males’ battle with their balls. We don’t have a problem with you trying to sit comfortably, its what you take away from the people around you. Lack of respect honey! It is one of the many examples of the male spacial dominance that diminishes and controls the behavior of women. Hundreds of thousands of years of this assumed dominance in many societies acts in favor of reinforcing the genderised structures of society. In short, manspreading on the tube is one example of many that widens the cultural gender gap. If female freedom of public behavior was aligned with that of men, maybe, just maybe, there wouldn’t be such a damn wide gender pay gap.
Women arn’t encouraged to take up space whilst men are- isn’t the equality obvious? Either everyone should be able to open their legs wide and proud or no-one (preferably the latter so that the odds of a seated commute are more in my favour after a long ass day at work).
This translates into professional and social spheres too. How are women supposed to be heard in meetings and gatherings when they can’t even move freely in their daily journeys? If the beautiful world of gender equality ever comes to be, women’s behavior should not be restricted in any sphere of life. Men are taught to unapologetically take up space, which in turn looks like it has something to do with the disproportionate amount of men in positions of power and influence.
I often wonder what the reaction to a train full of open legged women would look like. Would they be slut shamed or simply ignored? I remember that if I ever sat this way as a child, I’d be scoulded and told to close my legs, as to not be ‘unladylike’. Would I still recieve this kind of reaction as an adult?
And what about the men who sit with their legs closed, or, shock horror, crossed? Does this diminish their masculinity? In a society that is beginning to protest and move beyond gender norms, I hope that the public opinion of these issues will start to change.
And yet, there has been a huge backlash against Brighton design student Laila Laurel, who created chairs that aim to break the gendered norms of spacial behavior. Her female chair forces women to sit with their legs spread, whilst the male one is shaped in a way that they have to sit with their legs closed. Cue and onslaught of defensive men. And yet, I think that it’s hilariously ingenious. Who knew that such a simple timeless piece of furniture could be the battleground for performing gender identity?
So, ladies, spread your legs wide if you have to. Impose on that bullshit male space. Do whatever the fuck you want. Let’s reclaim the commute for ourselves.
Cover photo credit: Daily Mail
Leave a Reply