Jul 31

Man vs. Bear: An Online Thought Experiment's Insight Into Women's Safety

By Avery Benbow

On 10 April this year, a 29-second video was released on TikTok by the account Screenshot HQ. It featured eight random women, who were asked if they would hypothetically prefer to be trapped in the woods with a random man or bear. Seven responded with “bear”. The video went viral with 2.4 million likes as of 1 July, inciting a massive online response, mostly made up of women agreeing with those in the video, and men disputing them in outrage. This could be perceived as a harmless example of social media’s polarisation of differing experiences. However, many more feel it is instead a manifestation of dismissive attitudes towards the societal issue of women’s safety. With this in mind, let’s examine, and attempt to explain, the response to the ‘Man vs. Bear’ question…

Image from the original TikTok by Screenshot HQ

In this short thought experiment, some of the women questioned provided their reasoning for picking a bear, with one saying, “Men are scary,” and another relating, “From what I’ve heard about bears, they don’t always attack you, right?” The comments seemed to sympathise, as one comment by @mattislikesrain said, “Worst thing a bear can do is kill me”, receiving 80.1 thousand likes. Another by @lyssalenae, saying “Someone would believe me if I was attacked by a bear,” was liked 152.2 thousand times.

While this consensus, in the comments and beyond, mainly came from women, some men also agreed. One TikToker, Meredith Steele (@babiesofsteele), even asked her husband if he would prefer their daughter meet a man or bear in the woods, to which he replied that he preferred the bear, despite “not lik[ing] either option”.

Other comments on the TikTok by Screenshot HQ

This reflects the significant violence and harassment towards women, often at the hands of men, that society is largely unresponsive to. This is revealed by the fact that less than 1 out of 10 reported sexual assault cases lead to a conviction, with legal experts attributing this to a lack of substantial evidence [ABC News, 2018]. However, many victims also blame biased attitudes within the legal system, as well as demoralising court delays. Guardian reporter Amy Remeikis even recalls how, when she went to report her sexual assault to police, was asked, “Had I been drinking?... Had I looked at the man? Had I smiled? Had I caught his eye?” [ABC News, 2018]. This systematic victim-blaming also neglects to account for the many experiences of violence and harassment that are not reported to the police. This disproportionately applies to women who are Indigenous, disabled, elderly, or part of the LGBTQ+ community, all of whom are more likely to be affected by, yet less likely to report, instances of abuse and assault [OurWatch, 2024]. This can be attributed to a mistrust of the police, as well as fear regarding the social and financial implications of a legal case [OurWatch, 2024].

The real question, however, remains as to how many women have experienced harassment or violence, and how many more have reason to fear men in a generalised capacity. Well, according to the 2021-2022 Australian Bureau of Statistics, 39% of women have experienced some form of violence from the age of 15, predominantly perpetuated by men. This additionally fails to consider the violence experienced before the age of 15, as a 2018 study by Plan Australia found that 90% of Australian women had experienced public catcalling or sexual harassment, mostly as children. These statistics reveal the large amount of objectification women face societally, to the point where some men feel justified in forcing their control and will upon them, without consent or consideration.

This behaviour can be partially attributed to a lack of men’s education surrounding respectful boundaries and communication with women. However, it is also a symptom of society’s patriarchal expectations of men. These toxic standards of masculinity, regarding having to “prove” oneself as a dominating, unfeeling man, are unconsciously ingrained from a young age (think Superman action figures). As such, for some men, “women and children [become] a way to re-establish their manhood, often through betrayal, subjugation, and violence” [Shanspeare, 2024], because this facilitates a societally-endorsed belittling of femininity. While this is not universally applicable, it provides a broader social explanation for the behaviour of men against women, and a possible solution to breaking these mutually-damaging cycles.

In contrast, the chances of being attacked by a bear upon an encounter are 1 out of 2.1 million, as stated by the American National Park Service. The ‘In Defense of Animals' organisation also confirms that “The most common outcome of a bear encounter is that the bear flees”, as they only hunt for food and rarely target humans. In regards to fatality, the World Animal Foundation estimates that in North America, there is just less than one human death per year due to a bear attack. While this does not negate the danger of coming across a bear in the woods, it does explain the responses of the female majority, as a wild animal with some regard for personal space is an acceptable threat, when compared to a random man with uncertain intentions.

Image of a Grizzly Bear by World Animal Foundation

As aforementioned, this consensus has offended some men online, some even making reaction videos with statements like, “There’s no way y’all would rather be trapped in the woods with a bear over a man,” or memes mocking the stupidity and doomed nature of women who picked the bear. A new online thought experiment was also launched, with men being asked if they would rather share their feelings with a woman or a tree. This retaliation indicates the offence taken by some men at not being women's preference. Some have interpreted this response as yet another manifestation of women’s choices and safety being ignored, as put by @itzkennyg on TikTok saying, “This is a hypothetical situation and you [men] still can’t take no for an answer”.

Overall, while debate remains on the fundamental question of ‘Man vs. Bear’, in the words of @aceambrosemusic on TikTok, “they should question why that question exists”. As such, perhaps the fact that many women would rather be trapped with a large, predatory animal than a fellow human should induce a societal contemplation of the threats women face, not just in the woods, but in homes, streets, schools, workplaces, and more. So that instead of women’s experiences being ignored, they can be supported and protected, and men can be educated and emancipated from misogynistic ideals, with women’s safety becoming the given it should be.

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Man vs. Bear: An Online Thought Experiment's Insight Into Women's Safety

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