Why women would choose a bear over a man, and what this TikTok trend really means

The viral #manvsbear TikTok trend reveals that most women would rather be stuck in a forest with a bear over a man. Explicable. Devastating. Unsurprising. Tragic. Bizarre. Astute.

Bear or man? Bear.

Over the course of the past few weeks, a question has been circulating on social media: “Would you rather be stuck in a forest with a man or a bear?” The viral TikTok trend has sparked widespread discourse among netizens and the question continues to be debated on other platforms including X and Instagram.

Most women pick the bear and it makes perfect sense, although it shouldn’t.

[Hero and featured image credit: Zdeněk Macháček/Unsplash]

The “man or bear” TikTok trend: Why women would choose a bear

“The WORST thing a bear can do is kill me. I cannot say the same about the man, a user posted on X. Gut-wrenching but true, extremely true.

“Men are scary,” says one woman. Yes, they are. Palpably more terrifying than bears.

“The idea of being stuck in the woods with an unpredictable strange man is more frightening than being alone with a predictable wild animal,” says a TikTok user.

@leviehnrd

“but I would never do that!!” oh my god #manvsbear #manorbear #fyp #foryou #relatable #ugh

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Women’s responses ultimately prove one thing: Men pose a greater threat to women than bears do. The grim reality is that death by an animal is preferred over unforeseeable actions by a man.

The fact that the majority of women would rather be stuck with a massive mammal they’ve probably had no interaction with within their lifetime over someone of the same species whom they interact with daily speaks volumes. It speaks volumes about men, not women.

The idea is that with a bear, there are no mind games, no ulterior motives, and no hidden agendas. We know what to expect from a bear, we don’t know what to expect from a man. If a bear attacked us, we wouldn’t be questioned about our outfit, our sobriety, our body language, or anything else; people would believe us. Bears tend to mind their own business. The reasons are endless.

Whilst there have certainly been questionable, moronic, outlandish trends that have circulated TikTok in the past, the thought-provoking “man or bear” trend shines a spotlight on a sobering truth: Women feel safer around a bear than a man. This preference is in no way a reflection on women, but on men and the societal structures that perpetuate gender-based violence and inequality.