Simple things that men are unable to do!

Shelmiss

Foxygloves

With all due respect, this makes me so cross.
My DH absolutely did not have the sort of shortcomings OP itemises, but to extrapolate from her personal experience that men are unable to do these is not light hearted banter but every bit as sexist as those dinosaurs who tell us not to “worry our pretty little heads” or claim women can’t parallel park or insist that only they can put up a shelf straight.
What century are we in for heavens sake?

Absolutely agree!

I try but I can’t see it as light hearted, or a bit of fun to list ‘simple things that men can’t do’.
It’s just a tad demeaning.

My GCs can do more with my phone than I can.
One of my DS's is better at ironing than I am and makes better Yorkhire puddings. Another makes better cakes.
Making lists of things men can't do isn't funny. It's infantilizing them , sadly a lot of women do it. Then they wonder why we don't have equality.

If men ‘can’t’ do these simple practical things it shows that they haven’t been brought up properly. Their parents (perhaps especially their mothers) must have enabled their incompetence. The same applies to girls.

Grandmas-‘so can I add wives/partners to your list. I was getting ready to go away for a week with female friends 40 years ago. A work colleague asked if i had cooked and labelled an evening meal for all 7 nights for mr I.
Nope of course not.

Sorry, the curse of predictive text. That should read Grandma70

Their parents (perhaps especially their mothers) must have enabled their incompetence oh dear perhaps especially their mothers, it's always women to blame for absolutely everything!

When you are single you just have to get on with tasks yourself rather than waiting around for some slacker (aka partner) to do it.

I have put up shelves both for myself and others. I own a hammer drill and a whole collection of tools. I used to do all my own decorating and did it well! Ive also wired in cookers, sockets and light fittings although Im told this is now illegal. Im no longer physically able to do these things so I employ a gardener and a handyperson when I need one.

My sister still does most of her own car maintenance.

My Yorkshire puddings have always been below par. I generally am a good baker but once was tasked with making some unicorn cakes for younger sons school fayre. I managed to produce what can only be described as a tray of penis cakes.
For those blaming mothers for any adult mens failings if I remember rightly the best prediction of Male competence in household activities is the fathers acting as good role models in that department.

There would be an outcry if some had posted my wife can’t use her mobile, change a toilet roll or put things away.

So I will decline lemsip’s invitation to take myself elsewhere.
(But I get the feeling I would not be on my own if I did.)

Just what's under his nose.. Totally unobservant.

Iam64

Grandmas-‘so can I add wives/partners to your list. I was getting ready to go away for a week with female friends 40 years ago. A work colleague asked if i had cooked and labelled an evening meal for all 7 nights for mr I.
Nope of course not.

Mr When does all the cooking (he enjoys it, whereas I cook(ed) just to feed people) but when he went away recently for a few days he certainly did not leave me cooked and labelled meals. He would have regarded that as patronising, and so would I.

LISTEN

Foxygloves

With all due respect, this makes me so cross.
My DH absolutely did not have the sort of shortcomings OP itemises, but to extrapolate from her personal experience that men are unable to do these is not light hearted banter but every bit as sexist as those dinosaurs who tell us not to “worry our pretty little heads” or claim women can’t parallel park or insist that only they can put up a shelf straight.
What century are we in for heavens sake?

I totally get where you're coming from, Foxygloves, but, in my opinion, sexism (or any other -ism) is supposed to belittle the person or group of people, coming from someone who has power over them. It's often to their face to embarrass them, in front of others who have a connection to the belittled person.

Glorianny

My GCs can do more with my phone than I can.
One of my DS's is better at ironing than I am and makes better Yorkhire puddings. Another makes better cakes.
Making lists of things men can't do isn't funny. It's infantilizing them , sadly a lot of women do it. Then they wonder why we don't have equality.

I agree with you (makes a change, eh?!).

The historic jokes about women and their supposed lack of ability in practical endeavours... not to mention their lack of logic, were all "light-hearted". We weren't meant to be upset by those adverts etc, that infantilised them.

I'm old enough to remember that 'culture' and it rankled, even as a child sometimes - especially when my male school mates joined in the banter... and the best form of insult they could hurl at each other during a spat was to accuse each other of behaving like a girl.

I'm not about to join the same stereotyping of men - all my offspring and grandchildren are male, and none of them are helpless little boys, or men.

Visgir1

Just what's under his nose.. Totally unobservant.

In men are from mars it pointed out that men don’t have peripheral vision which is why , when you tell them their socks are in the cupboard they’ll say they’re not there even though the are. And the can’t scan a room of people. I often think that, if the book had come out sooner, I might not have ended up getting divorced as I would have understood my husband better. I had no brothers and went to an all girl school so didn’t understand men at all.

Foxygloves

So I will decline lemsip’s invitation to take myself elsewhere.
(But I get the feeling I would not be on my own if I did.)

... no, you wouldn't!

Good on you for risking the wrath of those who feel that we are lacking in the humour department (humour is, of course, subjective anyway).

Mr and Mrs May declared that there are boys' jobs and girls' jobs.

Mr May, told presenter Alex Jones (The One show) said: “Well it’s a good question. There’s give and take in every marriage. I get to decide when to take the bins out not if I take the bins out.”

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said online: “Seconds in to The One Show, the Prime Minister tells the country there are ‘boy jobs and girl jobs’ at home – I despair.”

Well, Kezia, I am with Theresa - if you are lucky enough to have an OH to take the bins out that is wonderful.
You do it if you want to make a point.

Having had to take the numerous bins out over a period of several weeks, it was one job I was very happily to relinquish.

Typos, sorry!!

I would rather carry on taking the bins out if I don’t have to cook! Surely we can all do most things if we have to, but some we enjoy and/or are good at, and some we are happy to leave to someone else. Boys’ jobs and girls’ jobs are an irrelevance these days and we all make our own decisions about who does what.

Wheniwasyourage

I would rather carry on taking the bins out if I don’t have to cook! Surely we can all do most things if we have to, but some we enjoy and/or are good at, and some we are happy to leave to someone else. Boys’ jobs and girls’ jobs are an irrelevance these days and we all make our own decisions about who does what.

I'd rather cook!

Surely we can all do most things if we have to, but some we enjoy and/or are good at, and some we are happy to leave to someone else

Absolutely. I'll happily leave the bins and the ironing to someone else.

Mr M takes the kitchen bin out because it’s rather heavy, but I empty the bedroom bins and do most of the recycling. I clean the bathroom, he does the kitchen. I bake and he cooks. We both do food and household shopping, not usually together though. He does the garden because I don’t want to and he enjoys it. He does a lot of DIY and car stuff, but if I was on my own I’d simply pay someone else to do it.
Recently, because I’ve got a very painful problem with my hand and arm, he has done all the hoovering and ironing. I’d like to get back to doing those things because to be honest, I do them better. But needs must at present.

Cleaning up after himself.
Putting the inner rolls from toilet rolls in the bin not even 3 feet away, but he can put them in the baskets on the windowsill above him!!
I hate to diss him as he's such a good bloke, but his hygiene and cleanliness are left wanting these days! 🤣

Mine was one of the most unpractical men I’ve come across. I had my own set of screwdrivers and threatened to emasculate any of my men who didn’t return them! They always came back…
For a very tidy man, DH incredibly cavalier with tools.
As for loo rolls, it was always my turn to change (and start) them!

Some of us have to do both the “pink” and the “blue” (ghastly notion) whatever and if we come up against something which exceeds our capabilities, such as clearing drains, advanced carpentry or brain surgery, we get someone in.

What larks to diss the male sex though!

Now how about some “little woman jokes” to even things up?