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Man Gets Called A ‘Pervert’ For Hanging Out With Coworker’s 7-Year-Old Daughter
Classic sexism tells us that men are aggressive and reserved. They can take out the trash, change a lightbulb, and fix the car, but they can’t give affection to a child because that requires more emotional capacity.
Even though this notion sounds ridiculous, it’s still widespread in our society. So when Reddit user AlNuevoMundo was spotted playing with his colleague’s 7-year-old daughter, he instantly became the office creep.
As the man tried to explain himself, he realized that he was confronting not just a suspicious workplace, but also rigid gender stereotypes.
RELATED:
Some people think men who are affectionate and friendly with children are dangerous because that’s not who they are
Image credits: astrakanimages (not the actual image)
So when this guy started playing with his colleague’s 7-year-old daughter, the office noticed
Image credits: davidpereiras (not the actual image)
Image credits: AlNuevoMundo
What we perceive to be creepy is very much tied with ambiguity
Interested in the issue, Frank McAndrew, Cornelia H. Dudley Professor of Psychology at Knox College, asked 1,341 people to rank how creepy 44 behaviors or traits were on a scale from one to five, where one was very unlikely and five was very likely. Additionally, McAndrew also invited the participants of his study to name occupations and hobbies that they thought were creepy, too.
Creepy traits and behaviors included:
- Standing too close to someone
- Smiling peculiarly
- Talking too much about a topic, especially sex
- Laughing at inappropriate times
- Not letting someone out of a conversation
- Displaying unwanted sexual interest
- Asking to take pictures of people
- Displaying too much or too little emotion
- Having bulging eyes
- Having long fingers
- Having pasty skin
- Having greasy hair
- Having dark eye bags
- Wearing dirty or weird clothes
- Licking lips
While the creepiest hobbies were:
- Taxidermy
- Collecting things, including dolls, insects, and — eww! — fingernails?
- Any kind of watching, such as bird watching or photography
Meanwhile, the creepiest professions were said to be:
- Clown
- Taxidermist
- Sex shop owner
- Funeral director
- Taxi driver
“Creepiness is all about not being able to figure out whether there is a threat,” McAndrew said.
Creepy people make us uncomfortable because we can’t predict how they will act or what they will say and do. So maybe if the Redditor’s colleagues had spent more time with him, they wouldn’t have thought he was that menacing?
Image credits: Antonio Sokic (not the actual image)
As his story went viral, the man joined the discussion in its comments section
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What do you think ?
Kat O'Sherry 1 year ago
Maria is gross and weird and this poor guy is in a toxic environment. He should get out of there as soon as possible.
Glasofruix 1 year ago
I'm a tall dude with a beard, for some reason i ATTRACT children like some kind of magnet. Whenever there are children at an event there is almost a 100% certainty they'll pool around me. I've practically raised my nephews and at this point i'm comfortable around kids but i have to thread veeeeeery carefully because being a man it's not really a quality.
Red Lotus 🪷 1 year ago
Kids just know if a person is "safe" or not. So, lucky you, they probably think you're a "safe" person to be around
Load More Replies...
Cosmikid 1 year ago
Nothing - damages a child - more than some adults seriously asking "Oh, are you ok??!! Did something BAD happen to you??" The kid never thought of bad until some adult suggested it. Men playing with female kids are really at risk for this c**p. Harmful to all concerned. Not saying "don't think it!" - because you do need to think it. But find out what's going on- and not in front of the kid. That friendship could be the most important most wholesome thing the kid has - and incidentally the same is true with little boys.
Cyber Returns 1 year ago
Report Cathy's presence to HR as an attempt to create constructive dismissal. They are not including you in group discussions, excluding you from meetings and are now setting up conditions to make you look bad or worse, a criminal. You are the only male in an all female group. Ask to either be moved to another group or for Maria to be banned from bringing her kid to work if she feels threatened by male interaction
Jaya 1 year ago
This is why we need to fight discrimination against men too, men aren't even allowed to experience and express one of the most fundamental human feelings: liking children. This is horrible towards men. And also horrible towards children, because they might miss out on playing with someone who could be their favorite adult, and a great role model. And miss out on someone who might have been the best kindergarten teacher ever. And sure, an adult man who plays with a kid could be grooming a child, BUT SO COULD EVERY WOMAN. So she should keep her kid away from all the women in the office too, if she's that concerned.
FreeTheUnicorn 1 year ago
This is so crazy, do the women in the office just think of fathers as sperm donors and not dads?
PeakyBlinder 1 year ago
If she does not want her coworkers to talk to het kid, she should not bring it to the office, let alone leave jetzt there
Kat O'Sherry 1 year ago
Maria is gross and weird and this poor guy is in a toxic environment. He should get out of there as soon as possible.
Glasofruix 1 year ago
I'm a tall dude with a beard, for some reason i ATTRACT children like some kind of magnet. Whenever there are children at an event there is almost a 100% certainty they'll pool around me. I've practically raised my nephews and at this point i'm comfortable around kids but i have to thread veeeeeery carefully because being a man it's not really a quality.
Red Lotus 🪷 1 year ago
Kids just know if a person is "safe" or not. So, lucky you, they probably think you're a "safe" person to be around
Load More Replies... Cosmikid 1 year ago
Nothing - damages a child - more than some adults seriously asking "Oh, are you ok??!! Did something BAD happen to you??" The kid never thought of bad until some adult suggested it. Men playing with female kids are really at risk for this c**p. Harmful to all concerned. Not saying "don't think it!" - because you do need to think it. But find out what's going on- and not in front of the kid. That friendship could be the most important most wholesome thing the kid has - and incidentally the same is true with little boys.
Cyber Returns 1 year ago
Report Cathy's presence to HR as an attempt to create constructive dismissal. They are not including you in group discussions, excluding you from meetings and are now setting up conditions to make you look bad or worse, a criminal. You are the only male in an all female group. Ask to either be moved to another group or for Maria to be banned from bringing her kid to work if she feels threatened by male interaction
Jaya 1 year ago
This is why we need to fight discrimination against men too, men aren't even allowed to experience and express one of the most fundamental human feelings: liking children. This is horrible towards men. And also horrible towards children, because they might miss out on playing with someone who could be their favorite adult, and a great role model. And miss out on someone who might have been the best kindergarten teacher ever. And sure, an adult man who plays with a kid could be grooming a child, BUT SO COULD EVERY WOMAN. So she should keep her kid away from all the women in the office too, if she's that concerned.
FreeTheUnicorn 1 year ago
This is so crazy, do the women in the office just think of fathers as sperm donors and not dads?
PeakyBlinder 1 year ago
If she does not want her coworkers to talk to het kid, she should not bring it to the office, let alone leave jetzt there
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