THE response from last week’s column was very vocal and encouraging: it started a conversation amongst people and their opinions on the said topic. I was also surprised by men’s response and their disagreement with the statement. We oftentimes think that men are the ones who bottle up their feelings, thoughts and behaviours; but we never stop to think that maybe we aren’t openly inviting them to the table to have these conversations with us; we aren’t as approachable as we’d like to believe. By writing articles such as these, creating discussions, creating online comment section discussions and so forth, we allow both sides to share their ideas in a respectable setting, while learning at the same time.

Nonetheless, today I am here to help women to share their side of the same coin. I do not want to be biased in this discussion, but I think it’s safe to add my opinion on the topic, not for points, but for better clarity to the men on how and why women might use the said term. Experience—it has a whole lot to do with how women feel. When we as human beings are emotionally and even physically hurt, we can do questionable things. While calling men dogs is no excuse, there must be valid reasons as to why women say it. Perhaps that woman has been hurt tremendously by the men in her life, not just her partner, but her own father who probably walked out of her life and so forth. Some women also refuse to think that men are actually ‘playing victims.’ What about the endless name-calling of women for centuries? Can we forget how loosely men would call women that word that starts with ‘S’ and ends with ‘T,’ or how about the other name for a female dog? Surely, to some women being called those names with them having a disgusted meaning behind them cannot be compared to a dog. On the other hand, some females agree to disagree. They believe that two wrongs do not make a right. As such, they agree that calling all men or even some men the word ‘dog’ should not be justified and used.

I invited two females to state their perspectives on the said topic. Ashminie Persaud, a high school teacher shared her thoughts by saying, “Based on the trending phrase ‘man is dog,’ I believe that some women who have had bad experiences with a particular male tend to label the majority of men as ‘dag’ or ‘dogs.’ Although many of us women AND men find humour in this phrase, it is quite derogatory to label or transfer troubling emotions and experiences onto other men. Based on my opinion, the word ‘dog’ is used in comparatively, because it is believed that dogs, as well as men, would chase after many females. While some persons may define it differently, I do think that the use of this phrase gets ‘over the top’ at times, no matter how much humour it may possess based on many other views.” Seeta Dalloo, a certified social worker also shared her opinions by saying, “The use of the slang ‘Man is dog’, though not always justified, can be explained by the sad reality we live in. As a young woman who has often had to deal with street harassment of men, I see this phrase fitting for them. I think that, like every other stereotype that exists in society, this also is a result of behaviours portrayed by some men. Unfortunately, this places those men who possess better values at a disadvantage because understandably, women like us who have been victimised one too many times have to be extra cautious with whom we can trust.”

Both women shared their thoughts based on experiences and I must say it’s the same for me. In the end, personally, I still believe two wrongs do not make it right. That saying goes for both sides of the coin, for every situation, not just name-calling. All in all, personally, I do not think that there will ever be a definite right side to pick or to be on when it comes to this argument; however, I’ll leave that up to you to decide with all the information I have given you in these discussions. I also hope that you now see this as a form of reference for the said topic. Finally, to all men out there, dogs are fluffy, loyal and protective animals—they are a man’s best friend. So next time someone calls you a dog, just remember that; it’s all about perspective!