S'pore TikToker criticised for calling women 'helpless babies' when men carry their bags: 'Your man looks like your slave'
A TikToker has drawn backlash for slamming women who make their boyfriends carry their bags, saying the men looked like "slaves" while the women were "helpless babies".
User @cavanhwx, who often posts his opinions about social issues in Singapore, shared his thoughts in a Jan 22 post, likening the sight to a "kid making his helper carry his school bag on the way home".
"Your man looks like your slave carrying your bag for you," he said, adding that if carrying a bag was inconvenient and troublesome, one should not do it at all.
"You are fully able-bodied. Don't make your man think that you are some helpless baby that needs him to carry your bag for you," he concluded.
Stomp has reached out to cavanhwx for comment.
Viral video draws backlash
The video quickly went viral, garnering over 93,900 views and nearly 5,000 likes.
Several netizens agreed with his stance, as one user quipped: "I didn't spend my hard-earned money on a bag to accessorise a man's outfit."
Others dismissed it as a "non-issue", saying that it was acceptable if the partner offered to carry the bag willingly.
"I carry her bag because I love her. It is a choice of love, a small act of service, a way for me to lighten the weight on her shoulders. It isn't about being a 'coat rack'," one netizen pointed out.
Content creators chime in
Other content creators weighed in on the issue. User @dezthedin0 noted that the initial video made girls seem "entitled" while guys were portrayed as being "obligated to serve their girlfriend as their slaves".
Comparing a romantic relationship with the "transactional" nature of a helper-child relationship ignores the fact that men often offer to carry bags voluntarily and are not obligated to, she said.
"I love seeing guys who carry their girlfriend's bag, it's so sweet," she commented.
The netizen also objected to the term "helpless baby" being used to describe women, arguing that they were capable of carrying their own bags.
"It doesn't mean that you can carry your own bag means you ought to carry your own bag at all times," she added. "Even if we are able-bodied, there's nothing wrong with letting our partner carry your bag."
She also clarified that girlfriends should remain appreciative of their partners who offer to do so, concluding that she found "nothing wrong with the act". "Princess treatment all the way," she said.
Another influencer, @sheearam, commented in a post: "If a guy carries his girlfriend's bag or someone enjoys hookup culture, who cares?
There are bigger things in the world than policing personal choices."
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