The “Women in Male Fields” trend on TikTok: Humor as a tool against toxic behavior

More and more women are conquering areas traditionally dominated by men - even if we are still a long way from professions such as crafts, engineering or management positions actually being filled equally.“Women in Male Fields” is currently going viral on social media, but it has little to do with career advancement. The hashtag #womeninmalefields sheds light on the experiences many women have when dating men and their sometimes toxic behavior.The trend has also inspired men to create their own version of it. Sometimes humor helps to draw attention to toxic behavior.

On TikTok, women satirically imitate male behavior in relationships and dating. The viral trend “Women in Male Fields” is sparking discussions – even among men.

The “Women in Male Fields” trend on TikTok has caused quite a stir and reflects a satirical take on the behavior of men in relationships. Meanwhile, around ten million users worldwide have shared the hashtag “Women in Male Fields” on social networks. In this trend, women intentionally adopt the behaviors that they often find toxic in men in order to question them in a humorous way. They share negative comments they have received and turn them around to show how problematic this behavior is. For example, a woman might say, "He lost his patience, so I asked him, 'Is this your time of the month?'" as an ironic response to typical, often disparaging statements women hear from men in relationships. The trend is aimed specifically at men and addresses them about their behavior - especially that towards women. Some men react defensively or really angrily, which in turn leads to increased discussion, while others reflect on themselves and notice that women are increasingly concerned with men's behavior. There are now numerous videos on social media, ranging from humorous retorts towards men to dark humor in which women address problematic behavior in men.

The trend is funny in its own way and shows in a sad but connecting way how many women have had similar experiences with men. Among the many videos and memes, women repeatedly comment that they recognize themselves in the situations depicted. This realization is certainly not encouraging, but it does create a kind of community. Women feel less alone by sharing experiences and find comfort in the comments of others who have been through the same thing. This big revolution that is supposed to finally make some men question their behavior towards women is probably not the trend. But that doesn't mean the movement has failed. If even a few women feel understood and seen through exchanges with others, the trend has already made a difference. It creates space for serious conversations about gender dynamics.

Some men feel challenged by the ironic depictions and respond with their own trend, which they call “Men in Female Fields”. In this counter-trend, they make fun of women's behavior, which further fuels the discussion. However, it is usually the same three or four sayings that men say and are hardly surprising. The attempt to get men to own this trend has failed. And rightly so.