Are you choosing the man or the bear?
That seems to be the question on everyone’s lips on social media at the moment – but where did it come from, and what does it even mean?
Well, it’s pretty simple.
This hypothetical question is flooding the likes of TikTok as a means to spark conversation around the concept of danger – focusing on the experiences of women.
The question was first asked by Screenshot HQ in a TikTok that has since garnered more than 14 million views, and was worded as: Would you rather be stuck in a forest with a man or a bear?
The news outlet took to the streets in the UK earlier this month to ask women to answer with their preferred choice in the theoretical scenario.
@screenshothq The question of being stuck in a forest with a man or a bear is circulating on TikTok right now and sparking some interesting conversation…. we know what our answer would be 🐻🌳 #manvsbear #tiktok #tiktoktrend #trending #challenge #streetinterview #voxpop ♬ Terror Music (Scary Song) – IMPERIUM RECORDS
When faced with the decision of being trapped with a man or a bear, the women featured in the TikTok had some very interesting responses – but they all seemed to be on the same page.
They responded mainly in favour of being stuck in a forest with the bear and some didn’t even need much time to think about their answer.
“Bear. Man is scary,” one woman replied in the short video.
“Depends on what … but probably a bear,” was one other reply.
A third responded by saying: “Well, I’ve heard about bears, they don’t always attack you, right? Unless you like f— with them. So maybe a bear.”
“Oh, 100% a bear, which is terrifying to say,” another woman said before adding, “definitely a bear. Some men are very scary out there.”
Since this video took off, hundreds of other people have posed the question to their friends, partners, and family members online and the answers are highlighting the reality of the challenges women face when it comes to their safety.
TikToker @anaidmargo recently spoke about how the hypothetical question raises the broader issue of support and victim-blaming that many women face when reporting an attack or assault.
“I was asking my sister-in-law about this. I asked her the question, you know, just for giggles,” she explained.
“She was like, ‘You know, I would rather be with a bear because if the bear attacks me, and I make it out of the woods, everybody’s gonna believe me and have sympathy for me.
“But if a man attacks me and I make it out, I’m gonna spend my whole life trying to get people to believe me and have sympathy for me.’
“And that left me speechless.”
@anaidmargo Would you rather be stuck in the woods with a bear or a man?
♬ original sound – Diana
So we want to know; would YOU rather be trapped in the forest with a man or a bear? Let us know your answers over on Instagram and Facebook.
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