Now a few weeks ago I was meeting some people at the new office. To get to know them. We were discussing stuff and this frenchie (female) started to go on about her time in a province of Afghanistan. Her stories got weirder and weirder and more vulgar.
She discussed how she ran out of toilet paper in one of the bathroom stalls and used her well undergarments to do her work. Certainly not dinner table discussion material, but she seem unaffected by the subject matter. The others just laughed at the matter and asked questions. Women and men.
Me? I smiled, chuckled and changed the subject.
The question is gentlemen how would you deal with such a situation. Also turn on or turn off?
Some people are desensitised to such things. People can talk about anything in front of me, and it doesn't bother me....i'm not the covers mouth with scarf, haww hai type of person.
So, how DO you deal with it? Exactly the way you did.
I tell them out flat , please stop it now if you do not want me to puke on the dinner table and act like I am about to barf , they get so bewildered that they will never dare to talk pee , poop and farting on the dinner table when I am present.
I wonder why these people do not get disgusted talking about these things on the dinner table.
Okkkkkk, NOT a good thread to come onto whilst eating lunch (throws the rest of her lunch in the bin - thanks McPendo)
..... don't get offended at all - regardless of the topic... but do draw the line at discussing ANYTHING remotely disgusting at the dinner table!!! That's just WRONG!!!
Now a few weeks ago I was meeting some people at the new office. To get to know them. We were discussing stuff and this frenchie (female) started to go on about her time in a province of Afghanistan. Her stories got weirder and weirder and more vulgar.
She discussed how she ran out of toilet paper in one of the bathroom stalls and used her well undergarments to do her work. Certainly not dinner table discussion material, but she seem unaffected by the subject matter. The others just laughed at the matter and asked questions. Women and men.
Me? I smiled, chuckled and changed the subject.
The question is gentlemen how would you deal with such a situation. Also turn on or turn off?
You know when you sitting among friends tell them or hearing about such things sounds funny.
But you know, we have this built in respect for women. Every time we accompany one a switch goes off. And we get into that respect mode.
I don't think any of us can enjoy those jokes in person coming from a woman.
Extremely uncomfortable. What you did was very appropriate.
Crude conversation can be uncomfortable. You can change the subject or choose not to participate/encourage the topic (by not laughing or asking questions) and this may help steer the conversation in another direction.
It's interesting though. People tend to let loose around family members and close friends. There's a greater level of comfort and less hesitation to express your thoughts freely.....which may result in very frank and almost crude discussion. Conversation that you would think twice about starting....let's say....among colleagues in a profesional environment.
As BBQ mentioned, it could be culture as well. It's fascinating how humor can vary from one culture to the next. Some cultures are more conservative than others. We're reading about art during the Renaissance period in Europe, which unabashedly concentrated on the human form. Art can be a reflection of a society's state and beliefs, so perhaps this overall comfort with the human body (it's various functions, nuances, etc) has led to a more carefree attitude about it.....which transfers over to conversations. Who knows? Just a generalized thought, there will always be exceptions.
But, yeah, I've encountered people who (for whatever reason ) have a tendency to bring up topics of a less than savoury nature in the workplace. It's even worse if the individual is oblivious to the disomfort of everyone else and their one-sided yakking. I usually either maintain a distance or I don't encourage/participate in the discussion.
Its okay jimmy. She is just jealous you made her point before her. No worries dude. Normally when a woman doesn't quote means she fears your intellect.
Vulgar people in general make situations very awkward, be it a man or woman. And the reason they get away with it is because everyone just laughs it off like it’s not a big deal; as there are usually only one or two people finding it not so funny.
As BBQ said, there are so many example, like if someone is eating, and someone else will say “oh…she likes it big.” and everyone thinks its the funniest thing ever…
and everyone thinks its the funniest thing ever…