Sunday 8 February 2009

Man Flu Exists

man flu : The condition shared by all males wherein a common illness (usually a mild cold) is presented by the patient as life-threatening. Also known as 'Fishing for Sympathy' or 'Chronic Exaggeration'.

Men are far more likely than women to take a day off work claiming they have flu, according to this survey that i stumbled across today.
Almost one in three men said they had taken time off work because of flu or colds, compared with one in five women questioned.
The research is being heralded as proof of the existence of "man flu" - or the tendency for men to interpret a bit of a cough and sniffle as a potentially life-threatening illness. They also moan more, fork out more on remedies and 82% stay in bed until they feel better.
Jakki Stubbington, of Benenden Healthcare, which carried out the study, said: "All women know that 'man flu' exists and now here is official proof. Women have all seen men making a meal of a sniffle and claiming a bit of a cold is the latest, deadly flu virus.
Wusses.

9 comments:

Cody Bones said...

Oh, and Lucy, these are the creatures (men)that you think are going to herald in the new age of socialism? That will work tirelessly for the benefit of others? If this doesn't prove the capitalistic philosophy of rational self-interest, I don't know what else does. Imagine what we fellas could do with unlimited sick days. The golf business would boom. Hmmm, would golf be subsidized as well? Just a thought...

Don said...

Oddly enough, I hardly ever call in sick, and cannot stay in bed unless it's so bad that getting out makes me dizzy. From years of arguing right-wing economics on the internet, I'm beginning to realize it's the leftists who are the selfish ones. What that has to do with man flu I don't know, but my brain leaps around and I don't feel like decoding it right now.

Oh, except that calling in sick a lot is only self-interested if you already work for some large organization with overdone benefits. Which I do, actually, but I don't take advantage much.

Yeah, back on point, many men truly are wusses. It's hilarious.

Jodie Kash said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cheezy said...

I'd leave a comment defending my gender, only I've got a bit of a headache right now and need to go lie down.

Anonymous said...

Lucy,

Let me think... I've been working for 34 years now... yep I took a day off becuase of flu back in 1979.

Q

Nog said...

I go to class here at college unless I can't walk far enough to get to the class.

hey're just bein' pussies.

In fact, why don't we call this the "wuss syndrome".

Falling on a bruise said...

I have heard a biological explanation for why men suffer worse than women when it comes to illness concerning the amount of nerve endings and the females higher pain threshold due to having to give birth. They may all be true but none have the satisfying explanation that men, or 33% of them anyway, are just big girls blouses.

Incorporeal Bob said...

Men are far more likely than women to take a day off work claiming they have flu... the tendency for men to interpret a bit of a cough and sniffle as a potentially life-threatening illness.

I know that when I have a life-threatening illness I take more than one day off. I think someone is reading between the lines to such an extent that the flyspecks are starting to look like paragraphs; one could equally well look at how women are much bigger consumers of medical services.

Falling on a bruise said...

True Bob, you can't move for women laying around giving birth at our local hospital. It is a real drain on our medical services i can tell you.