A woman has gone viral after revealing the extraordinary encounter she had when a man tried to correct her on her own name and insisted that she had it wrong.
Cally Beaton, 55, explained in a video posted on TikTok (@callybeatoncomedian) that she was due to speak at an event earlier this month when she noticed that her name card wrongly listed her as Carry. She asked for it to be corrected, but rather than changing it, the man she spoke to insisted that Carry was correct, despite her protestations that it wasn't.
It was extremely frustrating for Beaton, who lives in London. She told Newsweek that it's all too common for people to "doubt a woman's credibility." She feels that this wouldn't have happened if she was male, but because she's a woman, the man chose to mansplain her own name.
Since she shared the "ultimate mansplain" experience on TikTok, the clip has been viewed over 425,200 times and gained more than 54,900 likes in just days.
Beaton, a comedian and podcaster, said: "I'm a very experienced speaker, and I feel that a woman probably would not have said that to me. She'd have tried to help. Also, if I was a male speaker, I don't think that guy would have said, No, that's not your name.
"I don't think he's a nasty man and I'm not angry, but this is part of the systemic problem. It's become part of a culture, as I've had people explain my job to me, tell me how to tell jokes and now someone literally arguing about my name."
Mansplaining is defined by Merriam-Webster as a man explaining something to a woman in a condescending way that assumes she has no prior knowledge of the topic. Its first known usage was in 2008, and it's become a popular term since.
It isn't just a popular colloquialism. A poll by YouGov U.K. revealed that 82 percent of British women had been subjected to mansplaining at some point. While 42 percent said they occasionally experience it, 18 percent reported that they face it often. Only 11 percent said they'd never experienced mansplaining.
The survey also revealed that the worst offenders for mansplaining are husbands/boyfriends/partners, as well as men at social events, all at 35 percent. Male colleagues and male friends were also reported to be culprits, at 26 percent each.
How Did TikTokers React?
Beaton regularly uses social media to discuss her real-life experiences. After presenting this "stark example" of mansplaining, she was astonished by the number of women who shared similar stories.
"I think it shows that there's a real community of people who've had enough of it," she told Newsweek. "Lots of women have had enough of being continually mansplained to, and I think we see that. There's some humor in it, but there's also awareness and a serious point behind it. There's an underestimation of women being taken seriously, and I think what happened to me was connected to gender."
Although the social media reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, Beaton has received some negative messages too. She said a lot of men commented and messaged her saying that she was wrong and that her "lived experience didn't happen."
She wasn't surprised that they thought they knew better, and she will continue sharing her stories on TikTok to connect with other women and ensure they feel heard.
The viral video has captured plenty of attention online, leading to more than 1,300 comments already. One person responded: "The less they know, the louder they know it."
Another wrote: "I've had a man correct me on how to say my own last name once."
Another comment reads: "Wow. It's the audacity for me."
Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones. Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
