Why do we segregate by gender? (and why is it acceptable and even expected)

[Ryan Timothy B]

Haha now you're making me sound like a prude. No. I don't run away "Oh god I gotta fart".

Unless a person is super clingy and spends every moment with their girlfriend, then they pretty much have to do it in front of her. All I'm saying is there are PLENTY of moments throughout the day to pass gas without looking like a jackass. How many times do you piss a day, or go to your bedroom to get something, or leave the house. Plenty of times.

You don't see the handsome swoony guy on a chick flick spreading cheek on the couch to let one go - it would ruin what the women see in him. Unless of course it was somehow a fart joke or something to enhance his comical side. Oh how they love funny guys.

The majority of girls I've known have never passed gas in front of me. Friends, relatives, lovers, etc. They do it out of respect and self preservation. I wouldn't get pissy and say "Oh my god! You're disgusting". It happens and needs to happen.

Everyone has the friend or relative that burps his ass off twelve different ways while drinking a can of pop. I personally find it rude (To be off-topic and honest, I actually am more baffled how someone could physically burp that much during one can of pop. Seriously. I would need to drink a whole 2L bottle to burp that much. They've got to be swallowing air along with it or something). How does that enhance his image to you. Why does he need to burp louder than he talks? Is the burp a form of communication? No. But most guys who do this have formed this persona of: "I need to belch this shit out and let everyone know I'm a real man". Their dad does it, or friends do it, they copy them. They don't think about it, they just do it.

And to those men, they see it as actually being feminine if they're not belching out the alphabet or shooting the birds with their ass gas. Just like how you're baffled how I choose to do these things at moments when it's more suited. You've likely pinned me with a feminine tag and are super confused by it - just because to you, it's just a fart. It's a manly fart. "It's part of our nature. Why hide it?".

So why don't we all just shit in a coffee can on the living room floor while our family is all gathered together to watch a movie. Sounds like the new future of openness to bodily functions.


My point. Simple. How is shitting on the living floor any different from farting?


Edit: I forgot to comment on this:

So it's disrespectful for someone to fart in your presence?  And for a woman, it's not only disrespectful but will lead to an eventual total loss of sex appeal?

Honestly. To a degree yes. If I were hooking up with a new girl and it's only been a couple weeks and she's already at that stage where she can fart around me. It would all depend on how the fart itself was presented. If she's gotta do it, then by all means. I just wouldn't want us sitting side by side on a picnic table having her let one rip, take a swig of beer, and then let another rip.

But if she were to do it in a respectful way, like stand up and move a move away a bit, I'd be much better with it. Even an apology or an excuse me would be nice.

The same would still apply for someone I've had a long term relationship with. But it's much less unappealing with someone I love.


Edit: How this went from segregating washrooms to being socially polite is a baffle, but it pretty much stems on the same shit.
I mostly meant I don't care so much if my male friends or family are farting like animals when it's just us (the mens washroom - basically). But when a woman is around (having a unisex washroom), I feel like we should be more polite - just as I would expect women to do the same around men.

I mostly don't care if men are pigs around me because men can be disgusting and I don't care about the sex appeal of my male friends. Which is why I like having separate washrooms. I don't want a woman to enter a unisex washroom to see all the piss on the urinal or floor and think "men are gross", grouping me in that category as well.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

You don't see the handsome swoony guy on a chick flick spreading cheek on the couch to let one go - it would ruin what the women see in him. Unless of course it was somehow a fart joke or something to enhance his comical side. Oh how they love funny guys.

This actually made me laugh because I honestly had the impression earlier that many of your opinions about this were formed from movies...and it seems I was bang on!

just because to you, it's just a fart. It's a manly fart. "It's part of our nature. Why hide it?".

This is amusing on two levels:  one, because you are the one associating manliness with farting and not me, and two because you've somehow mixed up something natural with being primal or mannish only.

My point. Simple. How is shitting on the living floor any different from farting?

This is just a total distortion of anything resembling a valid comparison.  I could think of a lot of differences both culturally and ethically (not to mention logistically...farts are temporary, ethereal events in time but that shit is still going to be on the floor tomorrow for you to smell and step on)  between passing gas and hunkering down over the floor with your ass cheeks spread dropping monsturds out for everyone to see...and quite honestly, I think you do as well. 

I just wouldn't want us sitting side by side on a picnic table having her let one rip, take a swig of beer, and then let another rip.

This ties into my earlier point about the difference between doing something because it's necessary and natural and doing it simply to be obnoxious and offensive.  Regardless, you still seem offended when it's done out of necessity unless they move away from you or apologize profusely like they stepped on your foot. 

Is a quick 'excuse me' enough to satisfy you or does the woman still lose appeal and approval in your eyes?

Also, send me some of these girls that have never ever farted or done anything untoward around you.  That sounds pretty unique!

[Ryan Timothy B]

Also, send me some of these girls that have never ever farted or done anything untoward around you.  That sounds pretty unique!

They're Canadians.

I'm serious though. I've only known one girl who would fart around guys. She was a yappy girl with attitude, skinny as a toothpick, very tiny and super gorgeous. Which is probably the main reason it didn't bother me as much. When I was younger and working at the grocery store with her, she would randomly walk up to me, fart then laugh about it. Then she'd quickly walk away as a customer came down the aisle. The person would without a doubt think it was me. It was pretty funny actually.

This actually made me laugh because I honestly had the impression earlier that many of your opinions about this were formed from movies...and it seems I was bang on!

I'm confused as all hell by this. So it's only Hollywood magic to be nice to others? My opinions aren't formed from movies. It's what I've learned to dislike. It's mostly what I've learned to dislike about my father (he's one of those people open to farting whenever the urge strikes). I actually adopted his behaviors when I was young and used to do the same around my girlfriends.

I just started to notice how I didn't like my dad doing it all the time. It's actually probably his recent girlfriend he's been dating for the past 10 or so years that made me realize how unappealing it is. When he'd let one rip at inappropriate times, she'd scold him in a serious but joking attitude (not disgusted, but basically trying to point out that he could've held it - she's not farting like a machine gun all the time, so why does he need to).

This is amusing on two levels:  one, because you are the one associating manliness with farting and not me, and two because you've somehow mixed up something natural with being primal or mannish only.

Fine, we'll replace "you" with "most men". Because it's exactly why they do it. It's the exact reason why I have done it. It can also be a joke and a competition when you're with other guys.

Shitting is just as natural as farting. But just because one is temporary, doesn't make it less gross than the other. It only makes it more forgettable because, like you said, you're not walking in it the next day. And don't tell me you're willing to stick your nose into your boxers after letting go a large fart. Your anus is not magical - it's not just gas that's getting released.

Unless you're trying to argue that a fart isn't gross, then I can't see why we're arguing that it's not appealing. Period.

Is a quick 'excuse me' enough to satisfy you or does the woman still lose appeal and approval in your eyes?

Why would I lose appeal because she has to fart? Excuse me is all I ask for and to be less gross about it - like aiming that cannon away from me. Or in bed, just lift the covers on the side that you're on to not trap that lovely brew in there.

My main argument about damaging sex appeal was mostly about witnessing something unappealing from the masses. Like my last edit above with the girls thinking all men are gross because of the piss on the floors or urinal. Hell, just from the amount of times I go into the stall to find a nice yellow surprise on the toilet seat (it's almost every single time). Some guys are pigs. It's a fact. Imagine a girl having to enjoy that as much as I do - especially when they pretty much need to sit down.

Just because I love a vagina doesn't mean I want to see photographic shots of the innards before making love or oral. Same with her taking a Mexican night shit and wanting to make love afterwards. Shower it up baby. lol

I don't have a cork up my ass and am walking on eggshells around women, so don't think of me as being like that. I just prefer a woman who respects herself as much as she does me, and I like to do the same.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

It seems clear that we have different definitions of respect.  I don't see respect as repressing natural functions like gas because they may be momentarily unpleasant but rather about seeing the other person as an equal and therefore free to engage in all the things other people do.  Now I suppose if you find a girl who views respect in the same way as you do then it works but most women I have known will pretend they didn't fart or hold it in for hours, etc because they have been conditioned that it's 'improper for women', which I think is just some real outdated bullshit.

Fair is fair, and I like women to be feminine and girly and all those nice things, but taking exception to them passing gas is like saying they can't swear or spit...it's not only unrealistic but I think, personally, it's insensitive to women who are, afterall, human beings just like you and me.

[Tuomas]

I don't know who designed the toilets to be separate to begin with, the men or the women, but I can see both sides being uncomfortable with others around. And it's not just something they've learned(sp) in their own toilets, but... well, I remember reading a "pooping" board at the forum of a Finnish baby-magazine. It's actually a great source of fun, but anyway, you'd be surprised to know the amount of women who are arfaid to take a shit when there's someone in the room or behind the door. There was a whole discussion about how to shit without making a sound etc. I'll say let them have their and us ours.

[ddq]

Aww, I missed a cool thread.

[Armageddon]

I thought this was a thread about why games and movies often pick a white American male to be the protagonist.

[EchosofNezhyt]

GTA:SA THAT IS ALL.

But in all seriousness I prefer not hearing or smelling woman taking dumps.

[Eric]

Implying that it's men you enjoy hearing and smelling?

Edit: That explosion of smileys was an accident, but I'll leave them for posterity.

[EchosofNezhyt]

Well now If I get my choice I'd be all alone in there... Honestly I really don't care... Its the people who do the godawful things in the restrooms that I want to be segregated from.
Any who I'm to lazy to write a educated response to this.