Wow...that is so unfunny that it's ridiculous...lord what the hell is the matter with people why is it such a shock that young people are so interested in politics?...shockingly it affects us just as much as any other group...we pay taxes we work we go to school we are young but we are adults and with all the responsibilities that being an adult entails...

and now for the more special part the blatant sexism?...that's right random guy we "young ladies" shouldn't worry our "pretty little heads" about any of it, because every last one of us wants to get married so that a big strong man can take care of us and even if we do all the house work give us our very own allowance...

never mind that we may not want to get married or that some may not be heterosexual and there for not able to get married in most of the country...never mind that some of us may want to work for a living...some of us may marry and that is fantastic but just because some may marry does not mean that we just stop worrying our pretty little heads about all this...

if anything the married women I know are even more into the politics that affect their lives and their work (oh yeah most of the married women I know choose to work outside the home)...so wow...sorry you had to deal with that...and sorry it got me so worked up that I ranted like I did...

You can always just smile sweetly and say in your most patronizing tone: "I'm sorry sir, but nobody here asked for your opinion and it's really not welcome." Then immediately turn back to your conversation and act as if he isn't there. Or you can go with the male privilege line: "I realize that you've been socialized to believe that women hang on every word you say, but we're really not interested in your sexist, inaccurate view of the world, so please leave us alone." If you think about it, the fact that he would even approach you like that reflects male privilege. Women aren't socialized to think that men need them to interrupt their conversations and set them straight.

Well, my friends and I care very deeply about politics, so why don't you let the big girls talk. Don't worry your pretty, little head about it, sir. ;)

I totally understand how this would render you speechless. Sometimes for me, this kind of confrontation takes me back to being bullied in middle school (because that's exactly what this guy is!!) and frankly, I never quite learned how to deal with bullies. So while I might talk a good game after the fact, often in the face of this very real, abject sexism, I'm stunned into speechlessness.

However, sometimes I'm so offended that stuff spills out of my mouth before I have a chance to think it through or even fully understand what just happened. But I, personally, would have asked if that's the sort of thing he tells his wife. A lot of guys have these ideas about women as a whole and somehow, conveniently forget that their wife, girlfriend, friends, mother, sisters, are all part of the same "women" category. I wonder what his reaction would be. I bet he doesn't say that kind of crap to his wife, if he has one. And if he doesn't, then I guess he isn't doing his "job" as a man. HAH!

If I'd been your age and someone had said that to me, I would have said,

"I do plan on having children in the future, yes. And I'm *appalled* that you think a mother should be irresponsible enough not to worry about her future children's future? If we let our politicians destroy our economy now, our children will grow up as second-class citizens in the world, permanently indentured to China and Saudi Arabia. Do you seriously think women who want children should be *unconcerned* with this? Sir, what kind of grandfather are *you*?"

If he then says he has no grandchildren, "Well, then why are *you* worrying *your* head about this crisis? You'll be dead and we'll still be dealing with it. Why don't you go away and let the people who are going to have to pay the bills in 40 years worry about what the politicians are buying with our credit right now?"

If he says he does have grandchildren and he is worried about them, "Well, that's good of you, but why would you think *anyone* who has kids or plans to have kids shouldn't worry about it?"

If he says anything about leaving it up to men, snort and say, "Yeah, because you did such a great job so far. Listen, Wall Street's run by men, most of the government is men, more men vote than women, and look where we are now! Maybe *you* guys should stop worrying about it and leave it to *us*. You're the ones who ran it into the ground; are we supposed to trust that you can magically fix it?"

Of course, I could take that tack because I did plan to have kids. Other people's mileage can vary. But I like to take the assumptions embedded in people's arguments and use them to shred their arguments -- instead of arguing about "do I plan to have kids", argue that the fact that I do plan to have kids gives me a moral imperative to worry about their future, and *he's* a bad parent figure for assuming that the mother of a child should care about this stuff. Put him on the defensive. Make it about his deficiency, both the deficiency of his generation in making this situation come to pass and his deficiency in assuming people who will have to pay the piper when he's dead shouldn't care about politics right now.

What an idiot! Apparently a misogynist pig. If someone said that to me I would point my finger and laugh! Consider the source. As my friend says "don't argue with idiots."

That is horrible! I can totally see how you and your friends would be speechless. The fact that he even had the nerve to think those things, and then to say them to total strangers is revolting.
Next time, you should ask for his number- so that we can all give him some "youthful and ladylike" opinions that he is so interested in easedropping on!!

Yeah, I see why you'd be stunned silent. I always come up with my brilliant and scathing comments way after the fact! That's why it's important to have a good old-fashioned stand-by you can turn to without having to come up with something clever: my favorite for situations like that is to say, "I'm a dyke" in my lowest-without-sounding-fake voice and watch them angrily until they go away. People like him usually don't know how to respond to it.

Wow. Knowing me and my friends, we would have also been stunned speechless (I mean, how do you respond to a speech as outrageous as that). Then we all would have looked at each other and burst out laughing.

You made a comment that he absolutely believed what he was telling you. That to me is the sobering part of this -- that he's a believer. How do you argue your point to someone who is so convinced that 2 plus 2 equals 22? It's those people who I can never have a healthy debate with, or try to see their side of the issue, because I know they aren't doing the same for me.

Anyway...We'll all just have to prove him wrong, won't we? At least the part about not going to the polls.

HA!!!! I'm 13 and I care about politics...what would he say to that? And I AM a confrontational person and I'm not afraid to stand up to the odd adult but anyways...yes, 13...interested in politics; no-one else my age gets it but whatever!

"Well, I have to be interested in politics because my partner says she doesn't want to get married or get artificial insemination until after I've finished graduate school, and who knows if I'll be able to afford it now!"

I FEEL you 100%

My theory is in these situations you should be as aggressive as possible:) He would not have in a million YEARS walked up to your table if you were boys. Mainly because guys are territorial and do not appreciate people walking up to them and getting in their face. I can appreciate this to a certain extent.

So I think a good reaction would have been:

Stand up, point your finger in his face and say very slowly:

"YOU WERE NOT IN THIS CONVERSATION YOU FUCKING DICK. GO BACK TO YOUR SEAT."

Feel free to insert extra curse words.

Save it for the next time someone trivializes you or tries to dominate you by volunteering their opinion without being asked.

What's hilarious is his confidence in his opinion that young people aren't interested in politics, despite you being right there, young and interested in politics :-)
Makes you seriously question your own existence doesn't it? I mean if some dude says it isn't so....
I know how frustrating it is to not respond, I do that to, dumbstruck by the audacity and idiocy. File away retorts for next time, there are some good ones here already :-)
I like Rachel's "I realize that you've been socialized to believe that women hang on every word you say, but we're really not interested in your sexist, inaccurate view of the world, so please leave us alone." especially if said with a gnashing teeth smile and over-emphasised head tilt.

Well, while we can all say what we would do in a situation, we don't know until after the fact. We all have the greatest things to say in retrospect, but you can go nuts if you let yourself replay it in your head over and over. In the same turn, that can be therapeutic b/c you can tell that nasty old man everything you want! I wasn't even there, and I'm enraged!

However, I think you handled it well. His comments didn't deserve anything except stunned silence, b/c everything he said was completely absurd and offensive. He should know better, now matter what his age. Perhaps by just seeing the looks of shock on your faces he got the point. Besides, this is a man your words would have been useless on, and he probably just wanted to ruffle your feathers anyway. So, I say, excellent job on handling the situation.

Why aren't you interested in finding a man or having children. From what I've seen here, the site isn't really about giving females a platform to speak from about issues, it's about giving women a place to vent about men they're pissed off at. Why did you let that make you moody all day? If you don't believe what he's saying, and you think he's wrong, then just ignore what he's saying.

Ugh. What a moronic jackass.

I think the best approach is to say something dismissive without showing emotion (because you are way too good to get upset over an asshole like that). Engaging with it/trying to argue just validates his intrusion.

I think Rachel_in_WY and Yoshimi (you guys are awesome) had the best suggestions. Something along the lines of "Our conversation is none of your business. Don't worry your pretty, little head about it."

I'd tell him I was a lesbian. I'm really asexual but it would put a damper on his 'Married to a nice man who would support me and we'd make babies...etcetera.'Theory.