This has gone completely off the rails.
Ever since the “man versus bear” debate—sparked by a video in which women were asked if they would rather be stuck in the woods with a man or a bear, and the overwhelming majority chose the bear, with countless other women on the internet following suit—descended upon the internet, some folks seem to have built the sturdiest ramp in history so that the point can utilize it to fly as high above their heads as possible.
Now, it’s one thing to miss the point, but it’s quite another to pick up the nearest shovel and begin digging a hole for yourself (a hole oft-mistaken for a hill to die upon). And yet, it’s another thing entirely when that hole leads you to co-opting/bastardizing Slipperyskin; indeed, this saga has become entirely out of control.
For those of you not in the know, Slipperyskin is a cryptid that takes the form of an enormous, mischievous, zombie-esque bear, who was named as such because he always manages to “slip away” from any traps that were set for him, hence the name.
As documented by TikTok‘s @setaminata, through the power of AI has Slipperyskin’s lore been twisted to include the claim that he “is likely to attack people who would rather encounter a bear than a man in the woods.” In other words, a famous bear that probably doesn’t exist was reimagined solely for the purpose of carrying out fictional attacks on women who hypothetically rejected a fictional person that happens to look like the people who are co-opting Slipperyskin; people who perhaps don’t realize that these women, if given the choice, would almost certainly choose her own company over a man or a bear.
Now, the proponents of Slipperyskin and the twisted raison dêtre he’s now representing are, admittedly, probably actually few and far between. But to those people, and indeed to anyone who feels contempt over what women have said about the “man versus bear” debate, I would say this: stop reacting to what women have said, and instead think about why they’re saying it. Better yet, listen to the women in your life who have chosen the bear, as that’s the single most roundabout way to learn about that aforementioned “why.”
In the meantime, understand these three things: first of all, women are well aware that a bear could kill them and even eat them alive, and they’re even more aware of what a man could do. Secondly, it is no fault of your own if you don’t immediately understand, as your life experience likely hasn’t given you the context you need to understand why women would feel the way they do, but it is unacceptable to try and downplay the experience of women, and it’s your responsibility to exercise empathy so that you can get to a place of understanding, if not support.
And lastly, if you’re going to headcanon a centuries-old cryptid as a misogynist, at least keep building upon his lore in a way that’s actually interesting, or maybe make a fan animation of him battling Slender Man; indeed, if you’re going to put Slipperyskin through this, at least give him something in return.
