What is the online cooking ‘washing up theory’… A misogyny that has become a ‘male self-help’ game

‘After talking about washing dishes, I feel hungry for dinner’, ‘I finally started to show up,’ ‘He’s tired of washing dishes from the point of view of the third year of marriage’…

Recently, a new slang term called ‘washing dishes’ appeared in the Namcho (many male users) community.I did. An innocent man with little experience in dating and living with a sexually promiscuous woman is like eating someone else’s food and washing the dirty dishes himself.is used as

Then, while men are obligated to support their family, it is extended to mean that women are deprived of economic and other decision-making rights, and that marriage without love.That’s it. ‘I was washed’, self-proclaiming ‘Pong Pong Dan’ after a dishwashing detergent, and calling a female spouse ‘Minister of the Interior’ are all words derived from this.is.

Articles dealing with new words such as washing dishes and pompongdan are registered as popular posts in the community. Soccer/sports community bulletin board capture

A community post that describes a married man as ‘B’. It is shared under the title ‘Pongpongdan’s hobby.jpg’. Soccer/Sports community post capture

finally Washing dishes is just another expression of misogyny prevalent online. It is true that women are compared to food, objectifying only as sexual beings, or portraying women as beings who enjoy only rights and not responsibilities. It just changed the way of expression from aggressive remarks towards women to men’s self-deprecation.

A so-called ‘washing out theory’ has also appeared, which states that washing dishes can explain all relationships between men and women. It is a reinterpretation of words that refer to women’s absurd experiences, such as ‘decoration labor’, ‘care prison’, and ‘holiday syndrome’, and downplays their meaning.

It was “labor” because it was not decorated because the other man liked it; it was a “prison” to take care of because she gave birth to a child of a person she did not love; Expression.

Dishes theory being shared online. Capture community posts

People who say that the dishwashing theory is correct are said to be popular because it reflects reality well.do. A soccer/sports community user said, “Something is similar to what you see and hear around you, so it’s bound to be fun” (next ****).

A student from a university in downtown Seoul, who had no dating experience, said, “The complicated mind that I will not be able to have a happy married life even if I study hard and get a job seems to be sorted out with the dishwashing theory.” .

A netizen defending, saying, “The dishwashing theory is a reality.” Soccer/Sports community post capture

But There are many who disagree. Other users of the previous soccer/sports community “If you really have serious concerns about marriage, you should ask your family or acquaintances who have experienced marriage” (D**) criticized for projecting a distorted view of the opposite sexdo. It is also pointed out that the reason the dishwashing theory comes to mind is that “Koreans are very passive in dating” (Peong***). There is.

One netizen criticized the dishwashing theory as a distorted view of the opposite sex. Soccer/Sports community post capture

A reaction that ignores the spread of dishwashing theory because it is a frame that promotes misogyny and gender conflict.also come out. It is a way of sharing the original method of washing dishes, saying ‘I will clean up the washing-up theory’. Life and beauty community users also agreed with this and argued, “What are you doing to empower these words?” (cha**).

Yoon Joo-young reporter roza@hankookilbo.com

Park Sang-jun Issue 365 Team Leader buttonpr@hankookilbo.com