What is bragplaining and how its used by today’s woman

Gentlemen, have you ever been on the receiving end of these words from a women…

“All these creepy guys were starring at me. It made me feel gross. I mean, can’t a beautiful women walk to the corner for a coffee anymore?”

The above phrase is a masterpiece of contradictory statements. On the one side you have the women voicing her disgust at men and complaining about being objectified, while on the other hand she manages to subtly brag about her appearance and beauty. This is classic bragplaining.

Yes bragplaining is a word (well at least according to Urban Dictionary and Twitter), and its a clever little mechanism many women use to kill two birds with one stone…i.e. complain about the beta blue pill creeps who really do disgust them, while simultaneously increase their sexual and social value by offering tidbits of validation and ego boosting.

Urban Dictionary defines bragplaining as:

When you complain about something for the sole purpose of bringing it up in conversation to brag about it.

This is not a new trick that the modern, ‘you go girl’ feminist concocted in order to repel the beta and dazzle the alpha. Women have been bragplaining forever. The entire ‘men are creeps’ stories that women so often love to share are simple, canned bragplains, where the women likes to gloat to her friends that men consistently hit on her (because of her hotness), but which invariably puts her in the tough position to reject those men in droves. Oh the horror of being constantly harassed for something you were simply born with.

So what is behind the bragplaining. Simply put, it enhances her status as a desirable woman while still maintaining the air of being the victim.

There is even a #bragplaining hashtag on Twitter showcasing all the bragging/complaining going on:

“Bragplaining” complaining about things others might envy. My Porsche is dirty. Or, Bruce Willis is not laughing at my jokes #bragplaining

— Greg Kaplan (@kapster06) June 24, 2011

Like “whyyy do I have so many invites to all these exclusive events? I’m sooo busyyy.” #bragplaining

— Amy Wood (@amy_wood) May 26, 2011

I’m officially in too good of shape. My usual petit allegro through Omnis Mundi Creatura makes me sweat but not tired. #bragplaining

— Laura (@lonelocust) December 26, 2012

Of course we only realize our wristbands are VIP on the last day of @osheaga #bragplaining

— Breanna Hughes (@unbrelievable) July 31, 2011

References:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bragplaining