When you're chopping up ingredients in the kitchen, isn't it helpful to have someone standing behind you with their hand over yours? Well, no not really but according to the creators of Instant Pot and Recipes for Two cookbooks, that's exactly what women want.
Featuring different iterations of the same motif (a man with his hand over his partner's shoulder as she cooks, another showing how to even cook the meal,) the covers were quick to go viral after one Twitter user, New York composer Mike Rugnetta pointed out the problematic covers.
He wrote, "Those poor women," on Twitter before adding examples with the caption, "Why are there so many of these." The Tweet has since gained over 21,000 likes with hundreds of comments; some confused while others used GIF to point out the absurdity.
WHY ARE THERE SO MANY OF THESE pic.twitter.com/gegJICoCvT
— Mike, who makes popular podcasts and web shows (@mikerugnetta) January 22, 2018
"[Did you know] that if a strong man does not stabilise a woman while she cooks, the recoil of a knife will lift her off the ground?" wrote one woman.
Most comments created slang, including manslicing, knifesplaining, backseat cooking, and deMANstrating.
“Only women can cook but only men know how to do it right” is what all the covers with the men grabbing the knife from behind scream to me lol
— Meowtroid (@MeowtroidPrime) January 22, 2018
Oh that’s why some of my recipes don’t come out exactly right, I don’t cook with a man standing over me
— Felicia (@Felicious1908) January 22, 2018
This is how my wife and I share our our own twitter account. In fact, I am holding her hands right now as I direct her to type according to my will.
— Hank Hill (@HankHil62570359) January 23, 2018
In terms of gender politics, some argued it may be an attempt to eschew the stereotype that only women can cook, but others explained that it merely bolsters the patronising notion that men teach their female counterparts the correct methods for everyday activities.
And while Twitter is having a good laugh, it is also important to question such images that add to societal ingrained perpetuation of gender stereotypes in a world still rife with sexism.
Mancutting. It’s mansplaining but with knives and produce.
— Kirstin Leiby (@KirLeiby) January 22, 2018
The internet has voted, and these methods of cooking are definitely in the 'do not try at home' file.
someone is going to lose a finger
— Hank Green (@hankgreen) January 23, 2018