There's a cringe-worthy catalogue of questions women are used to receiving from strangers, partners, and co-workers alike. With the trending hashtag #NeverAskAWoman, Twitter is using the opportunity to highlight all the delightful queries lady folks field on the regs regarding childbearing plans, grooming habits, fashion choices, and so much more.
The most obnoxious questions women endure always lead back to those good 'ol patriarchal standards of femininity. These asks assume women exist to be thin, pretty and desired by men, to produce offspring, and to generally be pleasant and non-threatening at all times. When women do not follow said standards, the thinly veiled criticisms-as-questions start coming.
Of course, under the right circumstances, even the most delicate of queries can be asked in a respectful way, but those "right circumstances" are few and far between. I mean, is there ever a good time to inquire how someone's pubic hair is styled, why she isn't smiling, if she's really going to wear that out, where her boyfriend is, or, goddess forbid, did she actually do the work that's on her resume? Even if the person positing these questions means well, asker beware: we are not here for your sh*t.
Here are 19 serious and not-so-serious questions you should never ask a woman — unless you're ready to get an earful and/or be perceived as a total ass:
