what if genders were reversed in this situation?

[Liberal_in_LA]

I wonder if anyone stopped to ask if the man was ok, or called the police? What they have just gawked if this was a woman? Would the incident have been treated so lightly. I'm female - the image bothered me. I believe it would have been met with outrage if this was a woman being lead by a leash video of him crawling about at the link:


London man on all fours wears dog leash as woman casually walks him down street
The brunette strutted while leading a man — wearing dress slacks and shirt — through the busy streets while onlookers stared and tried to figure out what was happening. Much speculation was thrown around on social media, including some saying it was a PR stunt, and others suggesting the man was in the doghouse for cheating and this could have been his punishment.


"A woman is walking a man on a dog lead up cowcross st. He's literally on all fours. London you've surpassed yourself this morning," added another.

"Did we really just see this outside work? A woman walking a man like a dog on a lead in #Farringdon #London #bizarre," tweeted a third.

Some commenters have speculated that the incident was a PR stunt, but no firms have yet come forward to claim the publicity.

The "dog walker" also did not appear to be wearing any distinct brands.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/video-woman-takes-man-acting-dog-walk-article-1.1755645#ixzz2yuHzLHup

[Johonny]

1. It's such a fine line between clever and stupid

[msanthrope]

3. This is stupid turned up to 11. nt

[eridani]

2. Either way, most people would take it for some kind of stunt

Especailly in a big city, where people have seen far weirder stuff. Someone in a small town would probably stop to say WTF or something of the sort.

[Humanist_Activist]

4. Couldn't he just be her sub and she is his Dom?

I mean, people need to grow up and understand that others have various ways of expressing themselves.

The only issue I have here is one of safety and/or sanitation if they, for example, took public transportation, the leash should probably be temporarily removed.

[1000words]

5. Luckily, offending others' sensibilities isn't against the law.

Nor is making one's self a public spectacle.

[Silent3]

6. I know that emotionally my reactions to this and a hypothetical gender-reversed situation...

...would be very different. I'm much more likely to think of this as a prank, a stunt, maybe even something the man paid for to get off on it...

But then I also question myself for thinking that way.

I know that if I questioned anyone else for thinking that way around here, I'd get chewed out for "false equivalency" and "MRA" and all of that shit for even daring to bring it up.

It's a good thing it's a woman bringing up this OP. If a man posted this, the very fact that he were a man bringing this up would have to mean that he was only doing it to diminish and negate every bad thing any woman has ever suffered, that he's out to defend the patriarchy! It would be the ONLY POSSIBLE explanation!

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. How about ethnic differences? Or what about class differences? Man was wearing overalls

[libodem]

7. I think I would have been more offered if it were a woman

As it was, I thought to each his own. It made me think of D&B. The man has to be a submissive. And the humiliation must be exquisite because it is public. Some people get off on all the shame that is produced. It must be hardwired next to their sexual development, somehow.

[Warren DeMontague]

8. Diff'rent Strokes, For Diff'rent Folks

[alittlelark]

9. Possible scenario...he did something direly bad

And told her he would do anything to get her back - and this was what she chose.

....just sayin'

[seabeyond]

11. since you are making it into a he vs she thing.... at a guess, i would imagine you would have about

the same reaction if it was a woman. t he same feel of disgust, wtf, not knowing what is up.

call the police? not likely anymore than this. it is such an oddity to come across i imagine the reaction would be the same.

no. i am not seeing this a he vs she thing.



i wont be back in the thread, whatever this was about, it is sad. very sad that two people are reduced to this, for whatever reason.

[Humanist_Activist]

12. Asked and answered, old thread warning!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x7379341

[Liberal_in_LA]

15. at least that leash person gets to walk upright. Still disturbing though

[Humanist_Activist]

16. Why is it disturbing? n/t

[Liberal_in_LA]

18. person on a chain, leash. disturbing.

[Humanist_Activist]

19. I don't see how that is disturbing, unless its non-consensual, then there are problems.

Other than that, and the aforementioned safety issues, I don't see a problem.

[1000words]

21. I find a "child leash" to be the very same public spectacle

http://www.buzzfeed.com/justinj13/35-ridiculous-pictures-children-on-leashes-7khw

[seabeyond]

22. obvious difference. an adult can navigate street and surround. a 2 yr old cannot

[seabeyond]

20. they think they are so cutting edge, daring. it is foolish, they just look foolish. a game.

the man on the sidewalk more bothersome, but looking at your picture, the two faces, i see only fun game playing for them. what ever.

[Humanist_Activist]

23. People are allowed to look foolish, I have friends who go LARPing occasionally...

and they go nuts with it, dressing up as barbarians, princesses, rogues, etc. carrying wooden swords and stuff in public parks. Of course they look like fools, but that can also be part of the fun.

What anyone does out in public, as long as they aren't endangering themselves or others, is fine. What I don't understand is the need for others to have such base, emotional reactions to harmless activities.

[seabeyond]

28. you do understand nowhere did i state that people are not allowed to look foolish, right?

so, what was your purpose with your first sentence telling me that people are allowed to look foolish. yes. people are allowed to look foolish. and other people are allowed to say that those people look foolish.

what i do not understand is why you have to work so hard to make it out like i am saying they are not allowed to do something. or why you would choose to wrap up my comment as a "base, emotional reactions" when i made a statement that they are trying to be all cutting edge adn merely look foolish. two people that look like the are having fun.

i think, you are looking to argue something, and no one is around to argue with. so you are making up your own argument.

[PeaceNikki]

38. Holy nostalgia.

Some names in there I miss.

And some I do not.

[newcriminal]

45. I remember that thread.

[maddezmom]

13. Looks like it is an advertising stunt?

Last edited Mon Apr 14, 2014, 09:05 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/weird-news/a-businessman-is-being-walked-on-a-leash-in-farringdon-9254188.html

https://www.facebook.com/Aquaint

Or maybe they are just using it...

[name not needed]

14. As long as she cleans up his poop, I don't care.

[JI7]

17. i would think it was some PETA type thing

[Lady Freedom Returns]

24. I have seen this type of thing before.

With women and men. Yet this is the first on all fours.

Most of the time the "Pet" was walking regular.

[Vashta Nerada]

25. No word from the usual suspects.

I guess it's okay if it happens to men.

[cyberswede]

27. It's ok if what happens to men?

Do we even know what is happening in the photo?

[seabeyond]

29. usual suspects. why the nasty?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

26. Shrug.

I can't see where the genders matter if both are consenting adults. It might give some religious prudes vapors, but whatever floats your boat, if it's legal. Just don't do it in the streets and scare the horses...

[Warren DeMontague]

32. They still have horses in London?

Weirds.

Some places, it'd be like "meh"

[valerief]

30. Don't men pay women to do things like this to them? nt

[davidn3600]

33. The point is that would you find it a bigger problem if the genders were reversed?

[valerief]

43. Probably, because I don't think many women pay men to do such things to them, so

the situation would likely be the woman was coerced. Women get coerced by men vastly more often than the reverse, because (1) men are bigger and stronger generally and (2) men have more testosterone and that drives aggression.

[Arcanetrance]

31. Not to cross any lines or step on toes

But I think people read to much into this. I have a few friends in the S&M scene this really is tame and yes people of both genders do enjoy this stuff. Personally not my cup of tea but as long as it's all consensual who are we to judge.

[nomorenomore08]

34. Wouldn't necessarily freak out either way. But the imagery would seem a bit different

with the genders reversed, for lack of a better way to put things. Historical precedent and such - not as if women, at any time in recorded history, have treated men as servants en masse for hundreds of years.

[CFLDem]

35. The Hoff would be all up in arms

if the genders were reversed.

Glad it wasn't so we could avoid yet another major shitstorm on DU.

Edit: I may have spoken too soon.

[seabeyond]

37. of course you did, as you and others often do. at least you had the honestly to edit...

in your comment.

thank you for that anyway

do you know how many times people throw that crap out, without any fact or actual knowledge, purely assumption, and they are wrong.... ?

often.

start taking note. or not

but, thank you for at the least, acknowledging what you did.

[CFLDem]

39. No Sea

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

Thank YOU!

[seabeyond]

40. you just wanted some of this

[CFLDem]

41. That's our Sea!

No one hassles the Hoff!

[maddezmom]

36. Actress reveals she walked man around central London on a lead for theatrical stunt

-snip
She said the idea was to create art by filming reactions to the man being taken for walkies.

A hidden camera was put in a tissue box and carried by a woman walking alongside them, but as soon as people began filming the camera operator joined the crowds.

Many speculated the pair were part of a PR stunt and mock-up pictures of the pair advertising cleaning products emerged.

More: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/actress-reveals-she-walked-man-around-central-london-on-a-lead-for-theatrical-stunt-9261059.html

[NCTraveler]

42. I would take the two situations as completely different.

Is that the answer you are looking for. I mean completely differently. There is a certain possibility if the roles were reversed that does not exist in this situation. I am sure you know that.

[zappaman]

44. I just hope she picked up his poop.

I hate it when people don't clean up the poop!

[moriah]

46. Whatever gets you going....

... for all we know, the guy was enjoying every second.

And if a woman chooses to allow someone to lead her on a leash, I'm not going to judge either. Kink is strange, and it might squick me a bit, but the difference between squick and sick is consent. Hopefully it was a consensual thing all around and a good time was had by all.