You know the type. They’re those pretentious white boys who sit in the back of class and think they’re better than everyone else. The kind with those nasally, annoying voices who never shut up. And why do they always have those names? Gaston, Keean, Doug … Though the range of pretentious white boys is diverse and complex, I’ve identified the seven basic types. Get ready for the eye rolls!
Type #1: The “Mansplainer” Guy
This is the type of guy who listens to the insightful comments a girl just made in a class discussion and then raises his hand and directly repeats it. Why do they think that this is productive? Why do they think they’re smart for stealing a girl’s idea? Why do they think no one notices???
Type #2: The “Jeopardy Contestant” Guy
This is that guy who raises his hand and talks just to prove that he’s the smartest person in the class. He’ll bring up ultra specific knowledge that only he knows that isn’t relevant or helpful to anyone other than himself. We get it, you could win a game of jeopardy, but this is CLASS.
Type #3: The “Actually, Professor …” Guy
This is one of the most infuriating types. First of all, they’re almost always wrong. Second of all, why do they think they know better than someone with a Ph.D in the subject? Even if the professor is incorrect, there’s a respectful way to correct them!
Type #4: The “Faux Jeopardy Contestant” Guy
This guy thinks he’s the “Jeopardy Contestant” type, but isn’t even smart enough. He’ll try to state a well-know “fact” but get it entirely wrong. My favorite is when professors bluntly shoot them down.
Type #5: The “I Didn’t Read but …” Guy
This guy doesn’t do the reading, comments on it anyways and then admits it, to not only the entire class, but also to the professor? Just why??? Why would you feel compelled and qualified to comment on something you know nothing about and then make it obvious that you didn’t even do the assigned work?
Type #6: The “Mutters Constantly but never Contributes in Class”
This type of guy apparently has a lot to say, but can’t seem to say it full volume. Instead he makes rude comments under his breath and causes a distraction to everyone around him!
Type #7: The “Devil’s Advocate” Guy
This guy just needs to shut the fuck up.
In all seriousness, I have a lot of theories as to why white men think it’s okay to act like this in a professional learning environment. First off, white men are over empowered in our society due to their race and gender, which can make it difficult for some to recognize their own privilege. When coupled with a limited world view, white men can come to believe that their opinions are absolute fact and that their privileged experiences are universal. This leads some white men to feel overconfident in their knowledge and causes them to lecture others on subjects they know nothing about. In other cases, white men feel insecure in their masculinity and seek to prove it with phony intellectual prowess. And still others feel so (unjustly) secure in their position that they merely seek to condescend anyone whose view differs from their own.
As a young woman, I seek to challenge these types of white men in class whenever possible. I like to ask them for their sources, provide my own opinions and evidence, and most importantly: Call them out. I always hope that other young women can be inspired to do the same. And above all, I wish other men would recognize this kind of behavior in other men, and help call them out too.
Best of luck to you all in proving your local pretentious white boy wrong in class.
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