The CreComm Edition of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

Photo courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

Girls and guys are often accused of being from different planets. Harmless comments often have different perspectives or meanings when it comes to different sexes, I asked people from the Creative Communications program about some comments and what they mean:


You look good today:

Guy: "I look good today? If it's the seventh day in a row wearing a shirt, I know your lying. If you compliment my shirt on the 2nd day I'm wearing it, you want to sleep with me."

Girl: "He think's i'm pretty"

Guy: "Oh f ya. That made my day"

Girl: "He wants to marry me"

Girl: "Do I have something on my face?"

Guy: "She wants to bang me"


It's not you it's me:

Guy: "Are we talking about a fart?"

Girl: "It's definitely me."

Guy: "This is them trying to sugarcoat, there not feeling it"

Girl: "He totally has another girlfriend"

Girl: "He's gay"


Do I look fat today?

Guy: "I plead the fifth"

Guy: "If you think you're fat"....*jiggles stomach*

Guy: "Than she goes eating an entire jar of Nutella..."

Girl: "Such a turn-off, guys aren't supposed to ask"


Your hanging out with the girls/guys again?

Guy: "Well I'm not just going to not hang out with them

Guy: *Put's on glasses* "Deal with it"

Girl: "He loves me!"

Girl: "I think it's his way of showing he cares and wants to spend time with me, so I would probably stay home with him"



Some of these examples made me refer back to the Genderlect Theory. Studied in the 1970's, genderlect can be a tad outdated in some of the examples, although I believe there is substance behind the claim that speech and social norms are associated with a particular gender. Deborah Tannen suggests that part of this conversational difference is because females seek connection and men seek status.

For example, men will avoid anything "emotional," preferring only solid facts. Women generally talk about their feelings and relationships. They speak more about emotional elements, opposite of men, and will expect others to do the same.  When it comes to seeking status, men  label emotion as a sign of weakness. Men prefer to be in objective positions, and tend to 'tell' others more easily than woman. Another example from Tannen is that men thus tend to use jokes and stories promoting themselves when they are conversing with others. Men are said to put themselves in the story, placing themselves as the hero or the person who solves the problem or saves the day (hense status).  In stories that women tell, they are likely to make themselves the victims. They are quick to tell others how they and others have been emotionally hurt. Woman tend to make empathetic connections rather than worry too much about status. Sound familiar? Like I said, a little outdated, but I can see a lot of truth to the theory. Tannen may be on to something.....