Topline
In the latest viral debate taking over TikTok, users are asking women whether they’d rather be trapped in the woods with a man or a bear, and many are choosing the bear, stating that a man may pose more potential danger than the wild animal—and the trend is sparking conversations about violence against women.
Key Facts
Many women participating in a new viral debate on TikTok say they would rather be alone with a bear than a man in the woods, answering a hypothetical question that is leading many women to open up about negative experiences they have had with men, including domestic violence and sexual assault.
Some women say they’d choose the bear because they don’t know the man in question—like one user, who said “it’s not my boyfriend, it’s not my father, it’s not my cousin,” adding being alone with an “unpredictable strange man is more frightening than being alone with a predictable wild animal.”
In one video liked more than 2 million times, a user compiled some of the most gut-wrenching reasons women chose the bear—such as “the worst thing the bear can do is kill me,” “the bear doesn’t get enjoyment out of it” and “the bear sees me as a human being.”
Some users are flipping the question, asking men whether they’d rather their wife or daughter be alone with a bear or a man in the woods, and many of the men chose bear—including one, who said “I think you’re more likely to anticipate what a bear would do than what a man would do.”
One man, asked by his wife to choose between their daughter being alone with a woman or a bear in the woods, chose a woman without hesitation, but struggled to answer whether he’d prefer her to be with a man or a bear (though he ultimately chose bear).
How Dangerous Are Bears?
The National Park Service says bear attacks are “rare,” and “most bear encounters end without injury.” There are an average of 40 attacks on humans by brown bears each year, according to a study published in Nature, about 11 of which occur in North America. “More people are killed each year by bee stings than by bears,” John Beecham, co-chair of the Bear Specialist Group’s human-bear conflicts expert team, told National Geographic. The NPS recommends that people play dead if attacked by a brown bear. If attacked by a black bear—which are much more common in the contiguous U.S.—the NPS recommends to escape or to fight back by kicking and punching the bear’s face if escape is not possible. The NPS suggests staying calm if noticed by a bear, because “most bears do not want to attack you; they usually just want to be left alone.” Some TikTok users pointed out the low threat that bears pose to humans, comparing these statistics with the millions of instances of violence against women perpetrated every year.
Big Number
7,883. That’s how many TikTok posts have been made using the hashtag #manvsbear. The hashtag #manorbear has been used in 7,700 posts, while #bearorman has been used in 3,800 posts.
Key Background
The “man or bear” TikTok debate went viral after the pop culture account Screenshot HQ posted a video in April asking eight women whether they’d rather be stuck in a forest with a man or a bear. Seven of the women answered “bear,” some without hesitation, while one woman voted for a man. Several of the respondents said it would depend on what man was in the woods, while others noted: “Men are scary.” The video was liked more than 2 million times, and more than 60,000 users commented. “You know what to expect from a bear,” one of the most-liked comments reads.
Tangent
The “man or bear” debate is the latest viral question to take over TikTok. In September, one question sparked hundreds of thousands of videos: “How often do you think about the Roman Empire?” Women typically asked men the question, and were surprised by how often men seemed to say that they thought about the fallen ancient empire—with reasons ranging from its vastness to gladiators to architecture.
Further Reading
Man or bear? Hypothetical question sparks conversation about women’s safety (USA Today)
Staying Safe Around Bears (National Park Service)
