"I'm Not Taking Any Chances" – Here's Why People Say They'd Rather Be Stuck In The Woods With A Bear Instead Of A Man

A hypothetical question has been taking over the internet, and it all appears to stem from a viral street interview where several city-walkers are confronted with the conundrum: "Would you rather be stuck in a forest with a man or a bear?"

Of the eight people included, seven admitted they'd rather stand 10-toes-down with a bear. And why? Well, responses included, "Bears, they don't always attack you, right? Unless you like, fuck with them?"; "Depends what man, but probably a bear"; and "Definitely a bear. Some men are very scary."

Of the nearly 80,000 comments on the video, most agree with those who voted for the bear. "I'm not taking any chances," one person wrote. "I'm going with the bear."

"You can stand still until the bear wanders off or you can scare it off. a man won't stop until he's done with you," another agreed. "100% bear for me."

When considering the way society handles those who have been assaulted – with about 75% experiencing victim blaming according to Fairspace – a person added: "No one's gonna ask me if I led the bear on or give me a pamphlet on bear attack prevention tips."

And someone who encounters bears on the regular said, "I live in northern Ontario Canada. I regularly have bears in my yard. When I go for a walk or hike in the trails, I am not wearing headphones...and it's not because of the bears."

The original street video gained a staggering 19.7 million views and inspired hundreds of similar clips in which people asked their friends, family, and/or partners the same question. In one popular rendition, a woman asked her husband, "Would you rather our daughter be in the woods with a bear or a man?"

"Is the bear near her?...What kind of man?" he gauged, seemingly conflicted. "I don't like either. I don't know."

The wife presses again, flipping the question: "What about a woman or a bear?"

This time, he immediately responds, "A woman." And then when considering the first question, he adds, "I'm leaning toward the bear. Maybe it's a friendly bear."

TikTok: babiesofsteele / Via tiktok.com

In another highly-viewed clip, the husband questions, "Is it a friendly man?" Before he decides, "I feel more like bear... 'Cause I feel like I would know what the outcome would be with a bear if it was like an aggressive one. I don't know what the outcome would be with, like, a bad man."

"In both situations, I guess you hope for a good man and a good bear. But I think you're more likely to anticipate what a bear would do, and what a man would do," he concluded.

Honestly, fair points for the bear have been made all around.

Twitter: @its_mae_hi

On the flip side, others – mainly men – have argued that the question generalizes and subsequently demonizes an entire gender. However, when making their argument, quite a few have shared how delightful they think it would be for women who choose a bear to have to face one in real life – which is the dangerous energy leading people to pick a bear.

Twitter: @_nomadic_soul

Even seemingly well-meaning arguments for choosing a man are shrouded in an acknowledgment that women wouldn't be safe either way. Such as this proposal: "You can fight a man, you can run from a man, can't fight a bear, can't outrun a bear."

But I'd like to hear your opinion. Take this poll to let us know if you'd rather face a random man or bear in the woods, and let us know why in the comments.

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