Sometimes there are moments which, unlike the entirety of Alanis Morissette's hit song, are so ironic the internet cannot handle it.
47 year-old Lara B. Sharp was sitting poolside reading the feminist cult favourite 'Men Explain Things To Me' by Rebecca Solnit.
The title essay charts how women are silenced, largely through men's dominance and their in-built opinion that they know better, no matter the expertise or skills of the woman. In other words, the book essentially popularized the concept of mansplaining.
Cue Sharp, reading the book, only to be manterrupted by an older gentleman who then kindly asked if she'd like to be mentored by him.
The writer, who uses Facebook to document righteous feminist posts, was quick to type (using both her thumbs) the conversation with the man for our delectation.
It read:
[facebook ]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100521983008720&set=a.582436759960.2109996.5905128&type=3&theater[/facebook]
The post has been reacted to 48k times so far, with 18k shares and roughly one hundred comments.
Not only that, but Rebecca Solnit reposted it herself, which lead to the two women talking.
The HuffPost reports that Sharp was, 'very surprised, and extremely flattered' by the repsonse of the post, continuing:
'I'm just a middle-aged, menopausal woman, who writes about her life, on her Facebook page.'
Though she noted that she's 'not at all surprised that so many women could relate' because,'We all know John'.
And whilst hilarious, Solnit points out in her essay the danger of this kind of insidious dominance, since it can breed physical violence through women's silence.
Sharp dealt with this situation like a pro though, being aware of what was going on and not becoming victim.
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
