If you thought we left mansplaining in the dark ages of 2018, my friends, think again. We already have a contestant for 2019 Mansplaining Champion, and hoo boy is it a doozy.
It all started with a Guardian feature, titled “Me and my vulva: 100 women reveal all“. The yarn is about photographer Laura Dodsworth‘s project to take portraits of 100 vulvas, but that bit is not why we’re here – we’re here because of one Paul Bullen.
Your mate and mine Paul decided it was incumbent upon him to correct the Guardian – a major, international news publication with several dedicated editors whose job it is to know the meaning of words – on the use of the term “vulva”.
Paul, you see, reckons they’ve gone and fluffed it. He reckons the word they actually meant to use is “vagina”.
The correct word is vagina.
— Paul Bullen (@paulbullen) February 10, 2019
Quick fact check:
Thank you, Google.
In case it’s not abundantly clear, Paul is Wrong. The vagina – though colloquially used to refer to the entirety of the female genital area – is the inside bit. The vulva is the outside bit. Many of the fine citizens of Twitter took the time to let Paul in on this little secret.
No, those are vulva. The vagina is the internal passage leading from the uterus. If you don’t know this at your age, any female sex partners you’ve had have my utmost sympathy.
— Deedeemarz (@deedeemarz) February 11, 2019
Vulva was used because it is vulvas that have been photographed and it is vulvas that are being discussed in the article/photography piece. It’s that simple. Vagina is not the correct word. Vulva, Paul, vulva. #issavulvabruh
— Molly | Transatlantic Notes (@saltwatersong) February 11, 2019
https://twitter.com/decolover61/status/1094686587835756545
And then Paul realised he’d made a boo-boo, had a little chuckle at himself, acknowledged he’d got it wrong, and logged off to do some knitting.
Oh wait, no, the opposite of that.
That’s an incorrect use of the word mansplaining. :-). Not that I want to legitimize the term, but by its own definition it requires more than just having just a man who is explaining something. Even if some in the audience are women.
— Paul Bullen (@paulbullen) February 10, 2019
PAUL. MY MAN. PLEASE. NO.
Clearly realising at some point that he was, in fact, wrong, Paul chose to make a subtle change of tactic. No longer was he simply telling the Guardian and its readers that they’d used the wrong word; no, he was defending the right of people everywhere to use the wrong word.
I am supporting widespread female usage, as in the Vagina Monologues. I am defending how actual people speak.
— Paul Bullen (@paulbullen) February 11, 2019
Relatedly, if a pregnant woman speaks about the baby in her belly, I would not tell her she should be referring to it as a fetus. Fetus is a technical term appropriate in scientific contexts. Even a doctor does not ask “Would you like to see your fetus?”
— Paul Bullen (@paulbullen) February 11, 2019
I am making a factual claim about how most people do in fact refer to their genitalia. And I am defending their use. I am taking issue with those who are telling them they should not do that. And I am responding politely to those who fail to understand what I am saying.
— Paul Bullen (@paulbullen) February 11, 2019
The mind truly boggles. It’s like watching the dummies on Married At First Sight try to convince their partners that they didn’t call them a stupid ugly slapper, when they literally had a camera resting on their shoulder as they said it. WE HAVE THE RECEIPTS, PAUL. Your rejection of reality does not extend to observers!
https://twitter.com/EbonyMcKenna/status/1094765235292975104
https://twitter.com/VeronicaInPink/status/1094866089861922816
You know, all of this could be avoided if we just followed my general rule of referring to the entire area by its far superior name: the Pussy. Food for thought, Paul.
