Has the "Bear vs. Man" conundrum made you reconsider your writings?

[nice90sguy]

At the bathhouse, a Bear ate my ass once (more than once).

I think the second time was just a flashback

 

[MSM1969]

I think the second time was just a flashback

What about the next dozen times?

 

[StillStunned]

I agree.

Whether you encounter a man or a bear in the woods, the odds are that nothing is going to happen. But the thing is this. It might, and if it does, you sure as hell want to be facing a human instead of a bear. You can take certain precautions to fend off a man with bad intent. But if the bear has bad intent, you're a goner. You can just forget about it. You aren't going to outrun a bear, and you aren't going to outfight a bear. If you're dealing with a black bear, you aren't going to be able to get away by climbing a tree. If the bear wants to eat you, the bear will eat you. Whether you carry pepper spray or a gun, it's going to work better against a human than against a bear.

The chances of meeting a dangerous person are astronomically higher in an urban environment.

ETA: I'm not really sure where I'm going with that information.

 

[TheLobster]

Has this thread been derailed enough that it is time for puns, or would it still be unbearable at this time?

 

[VerbalAbuse]

Bears eat people? I always thought they ate big jars of HUNNY, except for polar bears, which I guess eat frozen yogurt

(I was brought up in the city)

It's cum, not yogurt. I know it's easy to mistake because of color.

 

[StillStunned]

Has this thread been derailed enough that it is time for puns, or would it still be unbearable at this time?

Does a bear shit in the woods? (And would you rather see a bear taking a crap than a man?)

 

[AchtungNight]

The women in my stories are often former military or elite athletes. They are trained well in ass kicking and very capable action girls. That’s a sort of woman I’m very attracted to IRL also. I am aware I don’t meet many of them though, so in practice most any woman who has the right combination of looks and personality will do. Of course that has to be backed by a sex positive attitude and in today’s world of social distancing and paranoia that’s rare as action girl capabilities. Also, I’m a decent guy at heart. I don’t mind walking away from people after I assist them with no expectations of quid pro quo if necessary. I always have my imagination and hands plus the net’s free porn archives for you know what. And I’m the kind of guy who gets a rush by being virtuous. The modern knight type most of my male main characters are. And like them, I’m the kind of person you’d want to run into out there when you’re in trouble. I’d help you hoping not to get friend zoned at the end, but I’d leave it up to you at the end.

I acknowledge not everyone is like me. Can you acknowledge that, as others have said, not many bears are either? I’d rather meet a man than a bear. You can reason with a man, possibly, and they might be decent like me. They might even be an attractive capable person. If I were a beautiful woman I like to think I’d respond well to that. Hope there are some ladies out there who might also.

 

[Voboy]

This almost universal lack of trust and fear of the human male is something that I am going to have to consider in some of the stories I am brainstorming.

What say you?

Lol. No.

I'll keep on writing the stories I want to write, thanks. Some will read them. Some won't. Some will enjoy them. Some won't.

We live in a society that has long since confused "meme-worthy" with "wise." That's not a trend I intend to support.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

In response to my earlier post, I have received a thoughtful PM from an individual I both know and respect. Their point was that the man-vs-bear question wasn't really meant to be literal, that it was designed to help others - men in particular - understand why (some? many? all?) women feel nervous in the presence of men.

I get that and I respect that. There is no doubt that women, no matter where or who, face a non-zero threat from men. Got it. Paint my full agreement on the wall so we can all see it.

That said, I still have my doubts and concerns about this sort of question. Particularly for women who have been the victim of a traumatic assault, being alone with a man or group of men can certainly be a cause for nervousness - I think I said something like that in my original post. One cannot argue either the reality of that nervousness or the why of it.

I do think however that most men, even the most switched-on, female-sensitive, supportive men, are going to, deep down inside, resent being classified as worse than a wild animal. True, it's not a charge most men will consciously consider, but I think most men will subconsciously note it. It's not a question of 'all men aren't like that' (which is both true and irrelevant for this discussion); it's that once again we are embarking on an exercise in polarization, of splitting the entire world into just two categories - threats and threatened - based solely on a genetic coin toss happening nine months before anybody was even born.

It may be natural to think that way, but I don't see it as being all that helpful in the long run to present it like that. It is a false dichotomy, I think. Having personally been through some seriously stressful times and incidents, some of them actually dangerous and some of them involving close encounters with large critters, I am morally certain, would bet my last dollar, that when the chips are seriously down, very few people of either sex would not seek support and solace from another human being (KKK hoods, swastikas and somebody else's head worn as a trophy being obvious off-ramps) rather than a carnivore regarding every other being as Food.

Rant ends. I understand the intent of this... call it a thought exercise perhaps. I still disagree with its value or validity.

Sincere empathy for those who have been hurt.

tp

Most of the respondents that I listened to on the Tik Tok post had never personally experienced physical or sexual abuse at the hands of a man, yet they still chose the bear.

A common statement was "If I am attacked by a bear, at least I'll get sympathy and understanding. I won't be made to think that it was my fault or because I dressed a certain way."

 

[intim8]

This almost universal lack of trust and fear of the human male is something that I am going to have to consider in some of the stories I am brainstorming.

What say you?

I probably won't, unless it matters to the story.

From my bio here:

I write in a fantasy universe where STD's aren't a concern and birth control works every time, where most people are intelligent, respectful, and well adjusted, where 18 or 20 year olds can be both sweetly innocent and wise beyond their years. and where older people are open to new things.

If you're aiming for any kind of realism, there's an undercurrent of fear in daily existence that many don't realize exists.

Hyperrealism is certainly a choice a writer can make, but it is not the default goal of storytelling. On that basis, my stories could just as well be criticized for having characters that never need to take a shit. That is a real-life fact of day to day life for everyone.

Yes, that dynamic of fear exists, but it is not necessary to reference it in every story. And not just here - where things are geared toward fantasies - but in storytelling generally. Selective reality, where not every detail of reality is explicitly referenced, is pretty much everyone's default choice. It doesn't mean it isn't a realistic story, it just means that large swaths of background reality - both mundane and profound - are not mentioned in the story.

This dynamic of fear can definitely be an essential element in many kinds of stories, but not all of them. Pretty much every story is examining some aspect of human nature, and not every aspect intersects with this. That does not mean that women don't experience that fear - along with predjudice, etc - every day or at least often enough to call it a regular thing; it means that even for most real life women who experience it, not every story of their lives hinges on it.

A theme - a "universal" or broadly "human" truth that is examined by a story - is usually treated in some sense as isolated, at least in terms of focus. To express a theme effectively means to isolate it from the infinitude of things humans have to deal with so it can be seen clearly. There are some themes in which this would be a vital part.

 

[Trionyx]

But if a woman is on her period, it isn't a good time to be walking the woods.

This fact is unfortunately not publicized by rangers and other park employees. I guess they don’t want to be accused of sexism. A ranger I once knew in grizzly country would refuse to hike with a woman on her period. He admits he pissed off more than one woman simply by asking them the question.

 

[SimonDoom]

Most of the respondents that I listened to on the Tik Tok post had never personally experienced physical or sexual abuse at the hands of a man, yet they still chose the bear.

A common statement was "If I am attacked by a bear, at least I'll get sympathy and understanding. I won't be made to think that it was my fault or because I dressed a certain way."

I'm guessing ALL of the respondents "had never personally experienced" being mauled by a bear. Or ever having confronted a bear in the wild, for that matter.

The "sympathy and understanding" response is daft. The bear's response, if it could give it, would be the same, by analogy, as the male attacker's: "You entered the woods looking like a snack, so I treated you as a snack. Don't blame me."

 

[jaykaythree]

Question - Why are you in the woods in the first place?

And there's the million dollar question, right there.

 

[astuffedshirt_perv]

When asked whether they would rather encounter a bear in the woods or a random man in the woods, most respondents (women and men), chose the bear.

You do understand that the video, carefully designed to accumulate views, purposely selected respondents that answered this way, right?

Right?

RIGHT?

 

[AchtungNight]

The main negative dynamic I have to overcome in writing my stories is making the girl a realistic character. Easy but not too easy, so to speak. I myself understand the issues people have with abuse and sexual harassment- I’ve been a victim of both of them myself. I’ve also been a victim of female cynicism- it hurts almost as bad, long run. This is why I often put my female characters in a situation where they are in a position to appreciate a decent handsome guy helping them out and give them an appreciative attitude. Sometimes they have to get there, but because it’s an erotic story, they get there. Wish real life was similar more often, or at least more women I’ve met were willing to understand I’m capable of putting up with friend zoning even if I don’t like it.

The real people I sometimes cast as characters in my stories are just actors playing a role. Look, here is a parallel universe where Sally from Hollywood is single, horny, and in the life of a decent single guy or maybe Julie Also from Hollywood who is similarly horny to Sally at the moment. And maybe Bob is willing to help and shag them both. If I feel like inserting Bob. Lesbian fantasies are fun too. It’s just a fantasy of attractive decent people having hot consensual adult fun.

Can you accept and enjoy that? Or is your cynical opinion more important? If the latter, fine. Next time I will let the dragon devour you, milady.

Not really, I will still fight the dragon and let you escape back to your loving husband or cynical life or comfortable freedom or whatever. I’m still a decent guy who needs to validate that for himself and higher powers now and then. Karma being one of said higher powers and will help me out eventually I hope.

My personal “bear in the woods” story would probably go something like this- young sexy male or female lead is stranded in the woods out of gas and cell reception, trying to make it home. They encounter vicious bear and try to avoid it but aren’t able to do that. They can’t fight because even if they are combat capable, it’s a freaking bear. Then maybe they’re rescued by Ranger Ramona (hope you don’t mind me borrowing her, MelissaBaby) or someone of similar attractiveness who’s into them and they’re willing to become that character’s friend with benefits or more for a while depending on what sort of story I’m writing. The hero doesn’t expect a reward but they don’t mind receiving it either. I also wouldn’t mind making a bigger bear intervene, scare off the vicious bear, and then turn into a decent guy or gal. The werebear then earns the same reward as Ramona previously mentioned if the dude or damsel in distress is into them. Which they are, because it’s an erotic story. I know it’s not real life. Get it?

Too many negative experiences with female cynicism is also why I write erotic stories, by the way. At least I have a healthier outlet for my fantasies than furthering the things that lead to female cynicism. And I am creative enough to create original characters hot as Sally & Julie from Hollywood if I’m not into them at the moment. I hope you can understand and allow me my fantasies and questionable but legit hobby, folks.

 

[RetroFan]

Bear, unless you were on your period.

Man Encounters Menstruating Woman In Forest: Runs in horror, terrified of the word period and any other expressions for menstruation.

Bear Encounters Menstruating Woman in Forest: Dinner time!

 

[Maximsdarling]

I agree.

Whether you encounter a man or a bear in the woods, the odds are that nothing is going to happen. But the thing is this. It might, and if it does, you sure as hell want to be facing a human instead of a bear. You can take certain precautions to fend off a man with bad intent. But if the bear has bad intent, you're a goner. You can just forget about it. You aren't going to outrun a bear, and you aren't going to outfight a bear. If you're dealing with a black bear, you aren't going to be able to get away by climbing a tree. If the bear wants to eat you, the bear will eat you. Whether you carry pepper spray or a gun, it's going to work better against a human than against a bear.

You are misunderstanding. Women dont expect to survive either. The bear will outright kill . Men will torture and rape for fun. Even after death. Cool that men on this thread think rape isnt too bad though. Either you dont know many women or they dont feel safe enough to tell you their experiences because Ive yet to meet a woman who doesnt have a story.


But yeah. Hysterical women. Who cares if we live in fear of rape and violence on a regular basis. Sooo dramatic.

And yeah we know its not everyone. We also cant tell who is good or bad. Do any of you have daughters or female relatives? What do we teach them? Be weary of men with good reason. When men dismiss this issue, they make it easier for the bad ones to do what they do. But again Im men wouldnt mind living as if they were in jail all the time right?
I dont think this will change anyones writing. But damn if I dont lose my faith in men everytime I see a thread like this. You turned something serious into a joke. Awesome. Not all men, but definetly the ones on this thread. Oh sorry forgot rape is hilarious. Cynical, silly me. Expecting empathy or that men would say man that sucks that women have to feel that way instead of joking and talking down to us.

 

[lovecraft68]

I've had the bear as my choice going back to before I was even in my teens and feel bad for anyone naive enough to believe otherwise, and this is on full display in all my non smut writing, and even shows up there as well.

People are the cockroaches of the world.

 

[Rob_Royale]

This almost universal lack of trust and fear of the human male is something that I am going to have to consider in some of the stories I am brainstorming.

What say you?

No. My stories are fantasies. For a brief time period I want readers to forget the worst of humanities defects and just enjoy a hot story.

 

[ChloeTzang]

When asked whether they would rather encounter a bear in the woods or a random man in the woods, most respondents (women and men), chose the bear.

I am embarrassed and disappointed to acknowledge that if I was making this choice for my wife or daughter, I would also rather they encounter the bear.

This almost universal lack of trust and fear of the human male is something that I am going to have to consider in some of the stories I am brainstorming.

What say you?

LOL The survey response is skewed to people who don't carry. Personally, I feel 9mm is adequate to deal with a male human, but not really cutting it for a bear. If it was bear country, and I was alone, I'd probably take a caliber better suited to bears. But either way it wouldn't worry me, except that you have to have a good excuse for the human body (unless you're in bear country lol). A rug is a bit easier to explain.

 

[Paul_Chance]

In terms of how it will influence my writing - depends entirely on the story I'm writing, if having one of the characters express or experience fear, then there it is. If it's not appropriate for the story, well there it isn't.

I agree with the comment that it's important to realize that the original posted meme/video was designed to garner a reaction for views/shares.

As for the question, my reaction was the same as several of the others.

"Uh, fuck that, I'll take the human - bears are fucking terrifying at close range in their natural environment and if the bear decides it's going to kill you, you're done, and pretty horribly, at least with a human you might stand a chance if you run or can fight or are armed."

But, as with bears, as with humans, a little situational awareness and a little precautionary actions go a long way. They just go farther with humans.

In some ways it reminded me of the surveys where they ask people if they think they can take a bear in hand-to-hand combat and they answer "yes, I think I could". Funny and no prior experience or knowledge of bears.

 

[AchtungNight]

You are misunderstanding. Women dont expect to survive either. The bear will outright kill . Men will torture and rape for fun. Even after death. Cool that men on this thread think rape isnt too bad though. Either you dont know many women or they dont feel safe enough to tell you their experiences because Ive yet to meet a woman who doesnt have a story.


But yeah. Hysterical women. Who cares if we live in fear of rape and violence on a regular basis. Sooo dramatic.

And yeah we know its not everyone. We also cant tell who is good or bad. Do any of you have daughters or female relatives? What do we teach them? Be weary of men with good reason. When men dismiss this issue, they make it easier for the bad ones to do what they do. But again Im men wouldnt mind living as if they were in jail all the time right?
I dont think this will change anyones writing. But damn if I dont lose my faith in men everytime I see a thread like this. You turned something serious into a joke. Awesome. Not all men, but definetly the ones on this thread. Oh sorry forgot rape is hilarious. Cynical, silly me. Expecting empathy or that men would say man that sucks that women have to feel that way instead of joking and talking down to us.

I never said rape was funny. Matter of fact, it isn’t in any way, shape, or form. I wish there was a way to convince you there are still decent men out there- yes, even in a place like this. But if you don’t want to acknowledge them, that’s fine too. Out.

 

[Britva415]

Just a fact check

https://bear.org/bear-facts/how-do-black-bears-respond-to-menstrual-odors/

 

[RetroFan]

Oddly enough this thread is kind of like the Geek Pride story I hope I can get finished in time for this year's contest, only it doesn't involve bears or dangerous men, but rather Bigfoot. In the story two square cousins attend a chaotic early 1970s music festival in Vermont where they are completely out of their element. Things go from bad to worse when the female cousin abducted by a group of Bigfoot when she goes into the forest to answer the call of nature (bathrooms or lack thereof a problem), the Bigfoot wanting to use her as a servant. It is up to the male cousin to rescue his pretty cousin from some large and rather unfriendly primates deep in the woods.

 

[AchtungNight]

Oddly enough this thread is kind of like the Geek Pride story I hope I can get finished in time for this year's contest, only it doesn't involve bears or dangerous men, but rather Bigfoot. In the story two square cousins attend a chaotic early 1970s music festival in Vermont where they are completely out of their element. Things go from bad to worse when the female cousin abducted by a group of Bigfoot when she goes into the forest to answer the call of nature (bathrooms or lack thereof a problem), the Bigfoot wanting to use her as a servant. It is up to the male cousin to rescue his pretty cousin from some large and rather unfriendly primates deep in the woods.

FYI if your male lead needs help, feel free to feature members of the Reptiles biker gang from my ficverse who are also at the festival. They’re combat capable, wouldn’t mind dealing with unruly primates, and happy to ride off into the night for their own orgy with each other once the female lead is safe. Give her privacy with the male lead and all that- presuming your story will go how I predict. Or if you have a plot in mind where tough decent war vet bikers would just get in the way, never mind. Either way, best of luck.