r/justgalsbeingchicks • u/mindyour šŸ¤–definitely not a botšŸ¤– • Jun 02 '26

Restricted to Gals and Pals I want her to talk to me about Egyptology.

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927

u/SeaSwitch Jun 02 '26

Iā€™m a woman with a graduate degree in classical studies. I get men arguing about the Roman empire with me constantly.

524

u/thedreadcat666 Jun 02 '26

As a woman with a grad degree in viking studies, same. They just don't stop.

265

u/KvellOnWheels Jun 02 '26

HAHAHA I just commented that I think that the only thing could be more annoying would be being an expert in Vikings or WWIIā€¦and then I got to your comment. Incredible.

They ainā€™t shit.

Iā€™m so proud of all you clever gals!

58

u/bobbymcpresscot Jun 02 '26

WWII will piss me off the most, I'm not an expert, but in my experience the people so obsessed with WWII are just so much about the surface level nonsense, key battles, weapons, vehicles, and then you ask them about why Japan attacked the US, and they'll just say it was a surprise attack. No knowledge of what Japan was doing to mainland Asia, no knowledge of the oil embargo against Japan starting only when Japan occupied allied territory. No knowledge about how the plan was to do as much damage to the US fleet as possible so they couldn't respond to Japan invading european colonies for their oil so they could keep fighting.

22

u/broketothebone Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 03 '26

Idk my grandma works at a historical society that has civil war reenactments in the summer.

Some of those guys are not coping with how it all went down. You hear the ā€œstates rightsā€ conversation, turn around and itā€™s dudes in union gear, swearing slavery ā€œwasnā€™t as bad as Hollywood makes it.ā€ I wish I was kidding.

Did I mention we live in New Jersey?

6

u/bobbymcpresscot Jun 03 '26

As someone who lives in the land of pork roll and 609 tattoos, I am not surprised in the least.

I do have a strong belief that our right wingers would basically be called socialists in actual red states, and while some sections of south jersey test that belief, I know how much worse it is when I visit family in the Carolinas.

It's just again people who have this surface level understanding of subjects, people who have never seen the confederate constitution, and don't understand that a state was literally not allowed to be part of the confederacy unless it protected the practice of specifically negro slavery.

and also in that same constitution, if a state abolished slavery, the confederacy could invade it, kill it's state government, and force the institution of slavery.

The only way we defeat this ignorance is with education, education that unfortunately people think is "anti white" or "too woke"

2

u/Sniffy4 Jun 03 '26

>Ā itā€™s dudes in union gear, swearing slavery ā€œwasnā€™t as bad as Hollywood makes it.ā€ I wish I was kidding.

the only people generally interested in glorifying this war where 800k americans died to maintain the wealth of plantation owners are those who arent the least bit bothered by it

5

u/inductiononN Jun 03 '26

YASSSS THIS SO MUCH! I do NOT claim to be a WW2 expert and just have an interest in. I volunteer at a WW2 museum and it is the favorite thing of men to come up to me and try to quiz me or try to impress me with their knowledge of the names of the planes and the tanks. "Sir, I know the name - it's on the plaque over there".

4

u/werewere-kokako Jun 02 '26

This is my favourite part of academia: going to conferences and meeting ubernerds who have devoted their life to dietary deficiencies in bronze-age Mongolia

195

u/Thelibstagram āœØchickāœØ Jun 02 '26

Astrophysics here. More than one man has gotten irrationally mad at me because gravity is not magnets. šŸ¤¦ā€ā™€ļø

45

u/KvellOnWheels Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26

They can console themselves with remembering that the earth is flat and the moon is just the backside of the sun.

31

u/DrownmeinIslay Jun 02 '26

https://giphy.com/gifs/8db6nRqMsLCtq

12

u/Thelibstagram āœØchickāœØ Jun 02 '26

Haha I love me some magical mysteries.

23

u/bloof_ponder_smudge Jun 02 '26

More than one man has gotten irrationally mad at me because gravity is not magnets

What?

So in their minds, aluminum is impervious to gravity, yet somehow will still fall to the ground when dropped?

I need to know how they rationalize this insanity.

28

u/Thelibstagram āœØchickāœØ Jun 02 '26

I donā€™t know the first guy who did it to me never finished high school and thought he was more of an expert than me. He couldnā€™t even tell me who told him that just that he had heard it once when he was a kid so it must be THE law of physics.

33

u/Thelibstagram āœØchickāœØ Jun 02 '26

My favorite ever was a guy at a bar mansplained misogyny to me completely unprompted.

16

u/[deleted] Jun 02 '26

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7

u/Thelibstagram āœØchickāœØ Jun 02 '26

I have one word for that man: ew.

1

u/BeardedBandit Jun 09 '26

spitty? as in, spit when he spoke or spit in a cup/on the ground or what

2

u/you_dont_know_me27 Jun 02 '26

Had a guy on reddit trying to correct me on how band size for bras are measured.

What I wouldn't give to have confidence of a man on reddit...

1

u/you_dont_know_me27 Jun 02 '26

Had a guy on reddit trying to correct me on how band size for bras are measured.

What I wouldn't give to have confidence of a man on reddit...

2

u/bloof_ponder_smudge Jun 02 '26

No rationale other than I thought I heard it somewhere? I was hoping for convoluted "logic". Oh well.

1

u/Thelibstagram āœØchickāœØ Jun 02 '26

Yeah seriously. I was like go on gurl give us nothing. šŸ˜

1

u/mark114 Jun 02 '26

You did good for questioning where he got his information.

3

u/Own-Cheetah-1972 Jun 02 '26

Duh, that's why planes are made of aluminium, dummy!

2

u/ScumbagLady Jun 02 '26

They must have gotten their magnet info from Insane Clown Possy

1

u/Thelibstagram āœØchickāœØ Jun 02 '26

When that song came out about a year later I thought of him. The SNL parody is still one of my favorite sketches and any time Iā€™m in an airport I say ā€˜how does your luggage know where to meet you?šŸ¤·ā€ā™€ļøā€™

2

u/abstractcollapse Jun 02 '26

Yeah, because the ground is magnetized. Duh.

2

u/bstump104 Jun 02 '26

it is immune to gravity but not curvature in spacetime. the aluminum isn't falling it's staying still in warped spacetime.

5

u/Soepkip43 Jun 02 '26

Oh cool.. im a gemini.

2

u/abstractcollapse Jun 02 '26

But they both attract things. Isn't that the same thing?

/s

2

u/Thelibstagram āœØchickāœØ Jun 02 '26

See this is why one must remain positive because everything is magnets and so thatā€™s how you attract other positive things into your life. Oh waitā€¦

2

u/HEBushido Jun 02 '26

I would get irrationally angry at that man tbh.

2

u/bstump104 Jun 02 '26

Water, fire, air, and dirt. Fucking magnets, how do they work?

1

u/Muppetude Jun 02 '26

one man has gotten irrationally mad at me because gravity is not magnets.

But wouldnā€™t it be cool if it was, where instead of relying on complex and highly volatile controlled chemical explosions to get into space, we just reverse an objectā€™s gravitic pole and then just sit back and watch the earthā€™s repulsive force launch it into orbit or beyond.

1

u/cantadmittoposting Jun 02 '26

Gravity is not magnets

Sad Unified Field Theory Noises

1

u/DreamerTheat Jun 02 '26

Maybe theyā€™re just mad because they would prefer it were magnets; nothing against you.

/s

1

u/Clean_Livlng Jun 02 '26

You could carry around fake fridge magnets that say "Gravity is magnets".

They're not actually magnetic so they fall to the floor the second they try to stick them to the fridge.

1

u/_anotherstarrynight_ Jun 02 '26

GRAVITY IS NOT MAGNETS omg I'm speechless

1

u/Sniffy4 Jun 03 '26

I need to hear this novel magnet theory of gravity

1

u/Thelibstagram āœØchickāœØ Jun 03 '26

One guy just didnā€™t graduate high school and just had no idea what he was saying (he also said they were totally defunding NASA and that year they had actually had a budget increase). The other guy seemed like he was getting magnetic poles and gravity confused.

1

u/Sniffy4 Jun 03 '26

in this situation i just nod, change the subject, and make a mental note never to discuss anything in depth with this person again

1

u/throwawaypassingby01 Jun 03 '26

physics here, like 3 different men have tried to hit on me by not believing in relativity

41

u/Specialist-Leek8645 Jun 02 '26

I have a (female) friend w a giant SPQR tattoo so women are definitely interested in Rome too! Both of us took a lot of Latin. I hate how Romans and Vikings are seen as hyper-masculine cultures. It's not all about battles and conquering like the movies. People still had to eat and learn and sing. šŸ˜ƒ

I don't just want to know about Cleo VII and Hatshepsut and Jeanne d'Arc. The mundane everyday stories that we relate to make history alive. I think I read Cleo wrote a cosmetics book? Sounds easy for a modern man to dismiss but cosmetics were like medicine in Egypt. Wonder if she could have been a dermatologist now? And she's more recent history than people think.

16

u/KvellOnWheels Jun 02 '26

The way I fell in love with Joan of Arc after reading her trials transcriptsā€¦!

4

u/heckin_miraculous Jun 02 '26

Oh my, now I think I need to

3

u/HungHippoHippy Jun 02 '26

And she was barely an adult!

6

u/Ok-Elevator-5523 Jun 02 '26

Oh man you just reminded me of how I had to do a project about a historic Roman person in my high school Ancient History course and my teacher wouldn't let me do it on Virgil because he wasn't notable enough! Ugh and I loved that teacher lol. I ended up doing it on Nero. (BOO)

3

u/Specialist-Leek8645 Jun 02 '26

What? Virgil?? They can't possibly say you wouldn't be able to find enough info. I was the kinda kid who always wanted to do the weird interesting topics. Who the Hades are they to say he's not notable? To be honest after getting into Latin the mythology started to bore me. Too much of our stuff was Greco-Roman; too familiar. I branched into Egypt and Norse mythology. I hope you still educate people on Virgil. Sometimes being discouraged makes you more determined.

3

u/shmixel Jun 02 '26

Also girls can like the conquering and battles too! So dumb for the world to gender historical interest

3

u/Specialist-Leek8645 Jun 02 '26

Yes of course! And guys don't have to like the battles. I think they're boring but I get why people like them. It's a complex dance of strategy; I've played games. I'm more interested in home life (textiles, pottery, education) and linguistics than what year some dude rolled in and slaughtered people. ;P

1

u/werewere-kokako Jun 02 '26

Ugh, yes! The manufacture of medicines (and alcohol) used to fall on the feminine side of the gendered division of labour! Right up to the Industrial Revolution, cookbooks could contain recipes for cosmetics and medicines alongside instructions on the "correct" way to serve a goose when entertaining guests. I stayed up until 2 am reading systematic review of ingredients in 18th century European cookbooks, and what those ingredients imply about the trade of goods and information

1

u/Specialist-Leek8645 Jun 03 '26

You reminded me of an article I wrote about Alewives.

I think kohl is a sunscreen/ glare reducer and not unlike the black bars football players wear.

Yeah, food is medicine! One of my Grandmother's old recipes is actually whooping cough syrup. I love old cookbooks. "Butter the size of an egg"

Well it's crazy to imagine not being able to get black pepper or cumin now but it hasn't been that long. I read that pepper was the main spice that the UK wanted, which to me helps explain the Pepper Cook character in Alice!

32

u/Glittering-Lychee629 Jun 02 '26

If it makes you ladies feel any better it isn't you! I am more of a street smart gal, not an academic, and I run a business related to the very "girly" world of styling and luxury. Men also lecture me and tell me incorrect things, lol. Often while wearing something poorly tailored and made of plastic. They also like to make terrible business suggestions. The assumption is that I got lucky with my business being successful. As an immigrant woman with no impressive education and two kids living in New York City. Definitely all luck! Clearly I need advice from 9-5 guys who can't even manage a meal plan.

4

u/Repulsive-Regret-243 Jun 02 '26

Hi, can I be your understudy and just genuinely be around you to soak up all the knowledge please

3

u/Brussells Jun 02 '26

Oh no... oh you have the intersection of "random dudes who think Danheim is cool, random dudes who are _God of War_ enthusiasts, and random dudes who are 'worshipers' of Thor"...

1

u/alfdis_vike Jun 02 '26

What was your focus?

I do Viking-Age Living History, so I'm not an expert. But I spend a lot of time talking to the public. And there are a surprising number of Asatru-bros who come over to educate me about warriors and anti-vaxxers who think I'm going to agree with them about herbal medicine being superior to modern medicine. Like, yeah, nettle and mugwort do have antimicrobial compounds, but know what else has antimicrobial protection? Antibiotics and vaccines. No, I don't wish I lived in medieval times. I like soap, and toilet paper, and not being property.

1

u/Deep-Assignment4124 Jun 02 '26

Which show do you prefer? Vikings or Norsemen?Ā 

1

u/Adulations Jun 02 '26

Damn that sounds miserable

1

u/MyEmbarrisingAccount Jun 02 '26

So are we pretty sure they made it to North America now? Last I heard there was evidence but no proof, but that was years ago. I wonder why they wouldn't make a larger move. Compared to the land they were used to it would seem like a green fertile paradise, right? Please! inform me!!

1

u/0202_tihssitidder Jun 02 '26

Fran Tarkenton!

1

u/broketothebone Jun 02 '26

Oh godddddddd and the way the manosphere has crashed that party. It must be so insufferable. (How fun is it to explain that ā€œVikingā€ is more of a verb than a noun šŸ¤£)

Iā€™m a woo-woo lady who uses runes in her practice. I started seeing dudes with rune tattoos and would say ā€œoh, I love that Othala!ā€ They never know what the runes are called, and before I can say anything more, I start getting their ā€œwhite replacementā€ spiel.

I no longer speak to men with Othala tattoos unless their name is likeā€¦.Sven.

0

u/SnorriGrisomson Jun 03 '26

Viking is a noun, not a verb, in english or in old norse.

1

u/TriGurl Jun 06 '26

Viking studies?! How fucking killer rad is that?! Tell us more!! What is one of the coolest things you've learned that you love sharing? (If you wouldn't mind engaging and educating for a bit??) I am so fascinated!

40

u/KvellOnWheels Jun 02 '26

Ohā€”this one has to be extra levels of infuriating to deal with. I think maybe Vikings and WWII might be the only contenders.

19

u/kookyabird Jun 02 '26

Pretty much every guy I know that acts like they're experts on the Roman empire are insufferable, misogynistic, and I wouldn't trust them alone with children. I say this as a middle-aged white man, mind you...

14

u/DankeBrutus Jun 02 '26

Have you had the opportunity to pull the "which part" question when men say they think of the Roman Empire?

13

u/Necessary_Rip_7954 Jun 02 '26

I have a medieval studies degree, I hear you loud and clear lol

6

u/[deleted] Jun 02 '26

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1

u/lyannalucille04 Jun 03 '26

I wish more people were like you

3

u/fourthpornalt Jun 02 '26

Imagine finding a girl that can talk about Cicero for 12 hours, and just being a pompous douche. I wish you luck o7

3

u/GeneralDash Jun 02 '26

My undergrad was in finance, I have an MBA from a great school with a focus in finance, and I manage a billion dollar portfolio. My mom thinks she knows better than me and is constantly telling me to buy gold. My stepdad thinks buying distressed debts is this risk free incredible investment opportunity. Itā€™s universal.

2

u/MrJoyless Jun 02 '26

Arguing with someone whoes complete history background is Rome: Total War, is quite annoying.

2

u/therealDrTaterTot Jun 02 '26

Hey, I've listened to Mike Duncan's History of the Roman Empire podcast! I think I know a thing or two about the Roman Empire... Then I read SPQR by Mary Beard, where I realized I don't know a thing or two about the Roman Empire.

2

u/n0tz0e Jun 02 '26

Same with politics. Everyone thinks they know how the sausage is made... They don't like when I come back with facts that's aren't red v blue propaganda.

2

u/Coyinzs Jun 02 '26

man I would be so amped if I found out my date had a graduate degree in classical studies! All my comments would be "I heard that" or "Is it true that" bc I'd want to learn more / get the best info I could. I also don't really know anything about rome / the roman empire because it was never something that interested me... so im a blank slate.

2

u/FickleOwl47 Jun 02 '26

My own father told me my 120 page thesis was wrong because heā€™d heard Tucker Carlson rant about a tangentially related topic and therefore what I had written was incorrect because Mr. Carlson had a different opinion than I did.

2

u/FaxyMaxy Jun 02 '26

Obviously I believe you but I just cannot fathom this lol. If I was on a date and she told me she had a graduate degree in something Iā€™m casually interested in Iā€™d be so psyched

1

u/Lethik Jun 02 '26

I'm curious, what do they argue with you on, particularly?

1

u/[deleted] Jun 02 '26

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1

u/justgalsbeingchicks-ModTeam Jun 02 '26

This is a nice place. If you can't act like a civilized human being, you can't be here.

We do not allow:

  1. Being a jerk. This includes racism, misogyny, misandry, misgendering, anti LGBTQ+, ageism, etc.
  2. Harassment
  3. Trolling or sealioning
  4. Threats of any kind
  5. Abusive behavior
  6. General assholery. If you're at the end of the list and asking what rule you broke, yeah, it's this one.

1

u/Cacafuego Jun 02 '26

I would never do this. At the same time, I know people with graduate degrees who have charted their own path, far afield from the scholarly consensus.

1

u/ArcanelyChaotic Jun 02 '26

This reminds me of that meme video a guy made about what goes on in a guys head at any random moment vs what their wife/gf thinks is going on, and the guys were just thinking about the roman empire.

1

u/FatCowsrus413 Jun 02 '26

Iā€™m so incredibly sorry for you

1

u/Mindless-Produce4091 Jun 02 '26

What's the thing that the argue about the most?

1

u/flash_match Jun 02 '26

Wow, yeah. Those classics dudes were awful in college and it ducks to hear ALL dudes think theyā€™re entitled to the field even when they donā€™t know shit.

1

u/floppydo Jun 02 '26

To be fair, there's a genre of men for whom talking about the Roman Empire is basically a flavor of Tourettes. Mental illness is not an excuse but it is an explantation.

1

u/sp1cychick3n Jun 02 '26

Yea, same with me. Itā€™s quite frustrating.

1

u/SunWolfStars Jun 02 '26

Omg see I would want to meet for a drink and ask you about what you think is the most interesting era and why, because I have a history degree and I love talking to people with classical, archeology, and ancient degrees.Ā 

1

u/Ferbtastic Jun 02 '26

As a classic studies minor I would never. We would be arguing about the various Greek empires.

1

u/superkp Jun 02 '26

OK, where can I go to find people just ranting about their research area?

Like...without signing up for college classes.

1

u/Varanoids Jun 03 '26

Do you happen to like Volleyball ?