Woman Uses Art To Demonstrate What Types Of Men Are Toxic (10 Pics)
Nothing gets the point across like a good slideshow. And Nicole Tersigni is creating the ultimate one. The comedy writer pairs classical fine art with modern captions, producing timeless pictures that expose the deep roots of mansplaining. She calls it ‘Men to Avoid in Art and Life’.
“I was fed up with the way men regularly explain my own jokes to me, so I decided to make a quick joke about it,” Tersigni told Bored Panda. “I did an image search for ‘woman surrounded by men’ because that’s how that moment feels sometimes, and one of the results was a beautiful painting of a woman holding her bare boob with men crowded around her. I paired it with the caption ‘maybe if I take my tit out, they’ll stop explaining my own joke to me.’ And it eventually turned into a thread with similar classic paintings and modern captions, and people really connected with it.”
Eventually, the thread went viral and literary agent Rachel Sussman contacted Tersigni to ask if she would be interested in making it into a book. She was!
The book went on sale on August 10th and due to an article in The New York Times which called it “razor-sharp”, it sold out its first printing within 48 hours.
More info: Amazon | Chronicle Books | Instagram | Twitter
Nicole Tersigni pairs classical fine art with modern captions to show just how condescending men can be
Image credits: Nicole Tersigni
The series called ‘Men to Avoid in Art and Life’ has become so popular, it even got its own book
Image credits: Nicole Tersigni
The hilarious situations include men sharing keen insight on the female anatomy and offering advice about horseback riding to women who actually own the horses they’re on
Image credits: Nicole Tersigni
Everything starts with the visuals. “The paintings come first, and I write the joke around them,” Tersigni explained. “I think the funniest jokes take details from what’s happening in the painting, so I like to start there and see what I think is happening based on their faces or the scenery.”
Image credits: Nicole Tersigni
The writer looks for any paintings that have at least one man and one woman, where you can see their expressions. “You’d be surprised at how many classic paintings have women directing blank looks at men.”
She then works a joke around them. “Occasionally, I’ll have a vague idea for a joke and I’ll scroll through all my art until I find a painting that could work for it, but usually it’s the other way around.”
Image credits: Nicole Tersigni
“I’ve spent many, many hours scrolling through art databases and saving any pieces that could potentially work in a huge file on my desktop called ‘Paintings’ because I’m very good at using computers.”
Image credits: Nicole Tersigni
Tersigni is really grateful for the overwhelmingly positive feedback she has gotten since the book was released. “I’ve had so many people sharing their own stories and experiences with me, and telling me how thankful they are for the book.”
“It’s nice to be able to laugh together about something that’s normally very frustrating.”
Image credits: Nicole Tersigni
ADVERTISEMENT
Image credits: Nicole Tersigni
Image credits: Nicole Tersigni
Image credits: Nicole Tersigni
Image credits: Nicole Tersigni
Image credits: Nicole Tersigni
People are absolutely loving the series
Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!
Follow Bored Panda on Google News!
Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!
Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.
Read less » Rokas Laurinavičius
Writer, BoredPanda staff
Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.
Read more »
I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place
Read less » Ilona Baliūnaitė
Author, BoredPanda staff
I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place
I have a PhD in Soviet history. I felt that "wikipedia article I perused" one in my soul. Its basically a daily occurrence on social media at this point.
Oh and Dan Marsh, thanks fr proving my point. The USSR is not "coterminous with the Russian Empire" as at one point the Russian Empire also included places like Alaska and California. Its also a completely different style of governance and until the beginning of WWII did not include the Baltic countries, much of Western Ukraine or Belarus, which had been given to Poland and the USSR NEVER included Finland which the Russian Empire had ruled. But thanks for proving my point by expressing skepticism at my study of something you think is the exact same as Russia because you perused wikipedia.
Load More Replies... Aww Dan I'm flattered you googled me but not impressed at your skills. Yes I teach in Russia, Soviet history is my specialization and that is the program I finished at the University of Pittsburgh. And I have no idea what book you think I wrote on collectivization that doesn't address the "Holdomor". My book is on the 1936 Stalin Constitution and my publication on collectivization is a microhistory looking at a specific collective farm in Udmurtiia which is no where near Ukraine. The book I am working on is also a history of collectivization in the Kirov region, which again is no where near Ukraine and in fact has a whole chapter on famine in it. And yes I can tell you learned history from wikipedia since you demand I include an event that doesn't take place in the regions I study. It's like screaming "Why didn't you include the Trail of Tears when writing about the Iroquois Confederation"? But thanks again for proving my point about mansplaining and doubling down on your bull.
Thanks K. I think I am fine. The joys of living in the middle of no where is that it would take way more effort than a troll is willing to expend to come find me. And I think most are cowards anyway. I also think in person they wouldn't behave this way. They feel emboldened by screens and anonymity. But thanks for the support.
Imagine why there are so many online articles pointing out toxic behavior. If Dr. Samantha Lomb and I had these conversations in person, we would no doubt be facing more than a barrage of nonsense. Should I be worried for your safety Dr. Lomb? Like you said, it gets tiring sometimes and disengaging is easier. This is a bit more fun and quite the learning material. It’s quite late where I am and I have a morning class, but I’d like to toast you with wine of your choosing. Hopefully, I’ve given some humorous material on shutting down a fool. EDIT: I don’t know if the person is trying to mansplain, but people who challenge others on topics “way beyond” their expertise are the modern day Don Quixote. If you squint from far away.
Bacony Cakes- California. Russia had a colonial outpost in Northern California called Fort Ross. It's now a state park featuring a Russian fort.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
I didn't address you at all... and I didn't say that there were no boundary changes... but you just "mansplained" a whole ton of stuff that I didn't learn from Wikipedia... but from High School!!! And with a lot of information that while true, doesn't negate anything I said, because the 1945-1989 Soviet Union did have almost exactly the same borders as the the 1894-1914 Russian Empire. Your straw-man argument, that they were identical for all of eternity, is an absurd interpretation. But it turns out that I was also correct about the odd phrasing of "Soviet history" as a degree title, because I found out that while you certainly do specialize in Soviet governance, your degree title is simply "history" and you teach inside Russia. That you would write an entire book on collective farming in 1930s USSR while dodging govt malfeasance (holomodor) furthers the hunch I did express.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
And that has to do what with mansplaining? So you can't be contradicted and at 34 y.o. you already know everything there's to know.
1. You attacked a female, who is just one amongst many, speaking out about the reality they face. Becoming an example of the very thing they’re speaking out against. 2. As more people like Samantha are forced/threatened/told to shut up, despite earning recognition of expertise in their field, we lose credible sources of information. We lose a valuable insight into the nature of what’s wrong in our society. 3. Experts from all genders have to deal with these buffoons, but disproportionately so.
Thank you. Luckily I don't do what people tell me and I don't back down from trolls but it gets wearing and it is sad the goal of most of this behavior is to force women out of public discourse spaces.
2 weeks late: trust me, I didn’t project any so called bias of you possibly being in academia or representing “all men.” Simply because I believe there are more good men and misguided men than awful constipation excrements like you. Mostly because you had trouble understanding simple sentences that you read. EDIT: the vibe of the comments section didn’t get much better, but I learned a few things to upgrade my back-talking. I look even more attractive talking (and showing my values/beliefs) than when I’m smiling.
At Aahzmandus, If you share an office with a woman. You will notice her opinions will be second-guessed and questioned far more than yours are.
Hi Edward while it's clear you don't understand the difference between trolling and conversation, many people do and those are the people I am happy to engage with on social media.
Pretty sure it's the guy trolling women because he refuses to believe mansplaining exists, despite the wonderful example from Dan Marsh three comments away. Harassing women doesn't make us go away
Samantha, there is no talking to some of the guys here on Bored Panda. One time I was trying to explain something and got called a man hating dyke.
Aww it's so cute how he keeps trying, Edward 🙂...why don't you try smiling more, maybe show a little more leg and we might think you prettier. Otherwise you're clearly out of your league in this "conversation"...
deanna woods- that is typical troll behavior all over the net. Any time you don't back down and agree with them they transition straight to insults, usually about your sexuality or appearance though I have met some people who decided I was both a Stalinist and a Nazi somehow. It's really sad how many men think this behavior is appropriate and how it is the go to response to women who challenge their points of view
That one reminded me of talking to antivaxxers or trump voters or something
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Ok that's awesome Ms. Lamb. But what I really wanna know is, how lucky the boys were, back in the USSR. Asking for a friend.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Sure, but does it have anything to do with your gender? Are all the PhD's getting the same treatment, or is it just women?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Well, at least you asked her, even if your question seemed a little rhetorical. Although frankly, my bias is that I would slightly skeptical of anyone who studied Soviet history instead of Russian history. (Yes, the Soviet Union was quite nearly coterminous with the Russian Empire, contrary to the implication made by the fact that "Russia" was only one of the Soviet Republics.)
Maybe the title of the article shouldn't have read 'Mom uses classical paintings...'. Especially given the content. 'Writer uses classical paintings....' seems more appropriate since her being a mom has nothing to do with it. Identifying someone by their status or title in relation to someone else is demeaning. Especially when it has nothing to do with anything immediately relevant.
"Father of two painted the ceiling of the Sistine chapel" (*note, Michelangelo never actually had children.... it's just the first example I thought of)
Yeah, pretty stupid. I remember they did the same thing with Bernadette Banner - the historical costume expert ('Girl dresses in...'). Took flak for it at the time, and rightly so.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
This goes deep into our thought processes. During CoVID-19 I have engineered the cr*p out of the domestic situation. Not that the Wife was EVER required to do the housework, we always divided the work up. But, we are at the point where the wife is saying now saying things like "women are yelling at you from 30 years back, why didn't you think about us doing it this way sooner??"
The first time a man told me to smile to be prettier, I didn't know it was a thing. I only knew it bothered me. If you don't like my face the way it is, then don't look at me.
The trick is to give him the most demented smile you can muster. Perhaps he'll think twice before he does it again...
Load More Replies... 
Look up terminator 2 deleted scenes - learning to smile XD that's the kind of smile I'd like to give in return!
The day I lost my mum to cancer (I was 19) a man who walked past me in the street said “cheer up love, things can’t be that bad, you’ll look better if you smile”. If only people though before they spoke to a stranger that way.
I am so sorry about your loss and people do need to think before they speak about situations they know nothing about.
Yep. Common words of encouragement are more a sign of their bad character then your taking it badly is a sign of your feeling badly. If only people could understand things in context and not put themselves at the centre of every interaction.
“I usually do, but the object in front of me is visually displeasing”
At what point in life did your gonads and sense of identity both find their place in a handbag?
I was once told, it's all about woman's attitude; women are required to smile!(?)
I suggest beginning to cry and say your father just died... Watch the panic happen.
I worked at a nightclub years ago and one night I was sick. While I was waiting to see if I could go home I was sitting huddled on a stool trying not to fall asleep or throw up and this new guy walked past me and told me to smile. I told him to f off, not something I normally do but I was miserable. I found out later that he went into the office saying some really nasty things about me. My husband worked there too and I was really good friends with all the floor walkers (my boys). The new guy did not have a good night. He never came back and he was a regular before he got the job. I was really sad I missed it.
I would rather say something like 'shut up you little twat or I will call your mother with a mouth like that' treat them like the children they behave like and make sure you use your finger like a school teacher!
So, maybe, he's telling you in his perhaps awkward or un-self-aware way "I love you" and you're hearing "You're ugly". Who's more maladapted in this situation? You? Him? Maybe you're both imperfect together?
This is delusional thinking that results in toxic femininity. Maybe you're just misinterpreting. Like, sometimes I can look at a face and not really feel much, but in some circumstances, when I feel a closer bond for whatever reason, I can look at that face and it is just more pleasing - I might call that beautiful. And that doesn't mean that I don't generally think the person is beautiful, but rather that the oxytocin (often called the cuddle hormone for its role in motherhood, but you may be surprised to learn that it also plays a role in male aggression, making men more protective, obviously from a similar evolutionary development) and other such chemicals running through my system as a result of whatever interaction or situation is making me notice more so.
Women: "Smile, it makes the world happier" "...makes the world a better place" "A smile is the best gift you can give" "A smile is the best thank you" ... In practice: "I like it when you smile" "F*****G ARSEHOLE WHY DO YOU HATE ME!"
I have a PhD in Soviet history. I felt that "wikipedia article I perused" one in my soul. Its basically a daily occurrence on social media at this point.
Oh and Dan Marsh, thanks fr proving my point. The USSR is not "coterminous with the Russian Empire" as at one point the Russian Empire also included places like Alaska and California. Its also a completely different style of governance and until the beginning of WWII did not include the Baltic countries, much of Western Ukraine or Belarus, which had been given to Poland and the USSR NEVER included Finland which the Russian Empire had ruled. But thanks for proving my point by expressing skepticism at my study of something you think is the exact same as Russia because you perused wikipedia.
Load More Replies... Aww Dan I'm flattered you googled me but not impressed at your skills. Yes I teach in Russia, Soviet history is my specialization and that is the program I finished at the University of Pittsburgh. And I have no idea what book you think I wrote on collectivization that doesn't address the "Holdomor". My book is on the 1936 Stalin Constitution and my publication on collectivization is a microhistory looking at a specific collective farm in Udmurtiia which is no where near Ukraine. The book I am working on is also a history of collectivization in the Kirov region, which again is no where near Ukraine and in fact has a whole chapter on famine in it. And yes I can tell you learned history from wikipedia since you demand I include an event that doesn't take place in the regions I study. It's like screaming "Why didn't you include the Trail of Tears when writing about the Iroquois Confederation"? But thanks again for proving my point about mansplaining and doubling down on your bull.
Thanks K. I think I am fine. The joys of living in the middle of no where is that it would take way more effort than a troll is willing to expend to come find me. And I think most are cowards anyway. I also think in person they wouldn't behave this way. They feel emboldened by screens and anonymity. But thanks for the support.
Imagine why there are so many online articles pointing out toxic behavior. If Dr. Samantha Lomb and I had these conversations in person, we would no doubt be facing more than a barrage of nonsense. Should I be worried for your safety Dr. Lomb? Like you said, it gets tiring sometimes and disengaging is easier. This is a bit more fun and quite the learning material. It’s quite late where I am and I have a morning class, but I’d like to toast you with wine of your choosing. Hopefully, I’ve given some humorous material on shutting down a fool. EDIT: I don’t know if the person is trying to mansplain, but people who challenge others on topics “way beyond” their expertise are the modern day Don Quixote. If you squint from far away.
Bacony Cakes- California. Russia had a colonial outpost in Northern California called Fort Ross. It's now a state park featuring a Russian fort.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
I didn't address you at all... and I didn't say that there were no boundary changes... but you just "mansplained" a whole ton of stuff that I didn't learn from Wikipedia... but from High School!!! And with a lot of information that while true, doesn't negate anything I said, because the 1945-1989 Soviet Union did have almost exactly the same borders as the the 1894-1914 Russian Empire. Your straw-man argument, that they were identical for all of eternity, is an absurd interpretation. But it turns out that I was also correct about the odd phrasing of "Soviet history" as a degree title, because I found out that while you certainly do specialize in Soviet governance, your degree title is simply "history" and you teach inside Russia. That you would write an entire book on collective farming in 1930s USSR while dodging govt malfeasance (holomodor) furthers the hunch I did express.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
And that has to do what with mansplaining? So you can't be contradicted and at 34 y.o. you already know everything there's to know.
1. You attacked a female, who is just one amongst many, speaking out about the reality they face. Becoming an example of the very thing they’re speaking out against. 2. As more people like Samantha are forced/threatened/told to shut up, despite earning recognition of expertise in their field, we lose credible sources of information. We lose a valuable insight into the nature of what’s wrong in our society. 3. Experts from all genders have to deal with these buffoons, but disproportionately so.
Thank you. Luckily I don't do what people tell me and I don't back down from trolls but it gets wearing and it is sad the goal of most of this behavior is to force women out of public discourse spaces.
2 weeks late: trust me, I didn’t project any so called bias of you possibly being in academia or representing “all men.” Simply because I believe there are more good men and misguided men than awful constipation excrements like you. Mostly because you had trouble understanding simple sentences that you read. EDIT: the vibe of the comments section didn’t get much better, but I learned a few things to upgrade my back-talking. I look even more attractive talking (and showing my values/beliefs) than when I’m smiling.
At Aahzmandus, If you share an office with a woman. You will notice her opinions will be second-guessed and questioned far more than yours are.
Hi Edward while it's clear you don't understand the difference between trolling and conversation, many people do and those are the people I am happy to engage with on social media.
Pretty sure it's the guy trolling women because he refuses to believe mansplaining exists, despite the wonderful example from Dan Marsh three comments away. Harassing women doesn't make us go away
Samantha, there is no talking to some of the guys here on Bored Panda. One time I was trying to explain something and got called a man hating dyke.
Aww it's so cute how he keeps trying, Edward 🙂...why don't you try smiling more, maybe show a little more leg and we might think you prettier. Otherwise you're clearly out of your league in this "conversation"...
deanna woods- that is typical troll behavior all over the net. Any time you don't back down and agree with them they transition straight to insults, usually about your sexuality or appearance though I have met some people who decided I was both a Stalinist and a Nazi somehow. It's really sad how many men think this behavior is appropriate and how it is the go to response to women who challenge their points of view
That one reminded me of talking to antivaxxers or trump voters or something
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Ok that's awesome Ms. Lamb. But what I really wanna know is, how lucky the boys were, back in the USSR. Asking for a friend.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Sure, but does it have anything to do with your gender? Are all the PhD's getting the same treatment, or is it just women?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Well, at least you asked her, even if your question seemed a little rhetorical. Although frankly, my bias is that I would slightly skeptical of anyone who studied Soviet history instead of Russian history. (Yes, the Soviet Union was quite nearly coterminous with the Russian Empire, contrary to the implication made by the fact that "Russia" was only one of the Soviet Republics.)
Maybe the title of the article shouldn't have read 'Mom uses classical paintings...'. Especially given the content. 'Writer uses classical paintings....' seems more appropriate since her being a mom has nothing to do with it. Identifying someone by their status or title in relation to someone else is demeaning. Especially when it has nothing to do with anything immediately relevant.
"Father of two painted the ceiling of the Sistine chapel" (*note, Michelangelo never actually had children.... it's just the first example I thought of)
Yeah, pretty stupid. I remember they did the same thing with Bernadette Banner - the historical costume expert ('Girl dresses in...'). Took flak for it at the time, and rightly so.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
This goes deep into our thought processes. During CoVID-19 I have engineered the cr*p out of the domestic situation. Not that the Wife was EVER required to do the housework, we always divided the work up. But, we are at the point where the wife is saying now saying things like "women are yelling at you from 30 years back, why didn't you think about us doing it this way sooner??"
The first time a man told me to smile to be prettier, I didn't know it was a thing. I only knew it bothered me. If you don't like my face the way it is, then don't look at me.
The trick is to give him the most demented smile you can muster. Perhaps he'll think twice before he does it again...
Load More Replies... Look up terminator 2 deleted scenes - learning to smile XD that's the kind of smile I'd like to give in return!
The day I lost my mum to cancer (I was 19) a man who walked past me in the street said “cheer up love, things can’t be that bad, you’ll look better if you smile”. If only people though before they spoke to a stranger that way.
I am so sorry about your loss and people do need to think before they speak about situations they know nothing about.
Yep. Common words of encouragement are more a sign of their bad character then your taking it badly is a sign of your feeling badly. If only people could understand things in context and not put themselves at the centre of every interaction.
“I usually do, but the object in front of me is visually displeasing”
At what point in life did your gonads and sense of identity both find their place in a handbag?
I was once told, it's all about woman's attitude; women are required to smile!(?)
I suggest beginning to cry and say your father just died... Watch the panic happen.
I worked at a nightclub years ago and one night I was sick. While I was waiting to see if I could go home I was sitting huddled on a stool trying not to fall asleep or throw up and this new guy walked past me and told me to smile. I told him to f off, not something I normally do but I was miserable. I found out later that he went into the office saying some really nasty things about me. My husband worked there too and I was really good friends with all the floor walkers (my boys). The new guy did not have a good night. He never came back and he was a regular before he got the job. I was really sad I missed it.
I would rather say something like 'shut up you little twat or I will call your mother with a mouth like that' treat them like the children they behave like and make sure you use your finger like a school teacher!
So, maybe, he's telling you in his perhaps awkward or un-self-aware way "I love you" and you're hearing "You're ugly". Who's more maladapted in this situation? You? Him? Maybe you're both imperfect together?
This is delusional thinking that results in toxic femininity. Maybe you're just misinterpreting. Like, sometimes I can look at a face and not really feel much, but in some circumstances, when I feel a closer bond for whatever reason, I can look at that face and it is just more pleasing - I might call that beautiful. And that doesn't mean that I don't generally think the person is beautiful, but rather that the oxytocin (often called the cuddle hormone for its role in motherhood, but you may be surprised to learn that it also plays a role in male aggression, making men more protective, obviously from a similar evolutionary development) and other such chemicals running through my system as a result of whatever interaction or situation is making me notice more so.
Women: "Smile, it makes the world happier" "...makes the world a better place" "A smile is the best gift you can give" "A smile is the best thank you" ... In practice: "I like it when you smile" "F*****G ARSEHOLE WHY DO YOU HATE ME!"
371
331