In a recent turn of events, 28-year-old Coralie Jackson recently noticed her male coworker’s confusion while describing the concept of emotional labor, and came to the conclusion that the explanation itself would be too emotionally laborious.
“It would be emotional labor to explain emotional labor,” says Jackson. “And I was already so totally exhausted because I had spent all morning trying to get everyone to sign an office birthday card. My cube-mate Jeremiah was still confused.”
Sources confirm that Jackson has been removing herself from situations in which she feels obliged to educate the men around her. However, her male coworkers don’t see the problem.
“Yesterday I told her all about how my mom is sick, then asked her when she’s planning on having kids… you know, normal stuff,” says Jackson’s cube-mate Jeremiah. “Then today, she ate lunch on a picnic bench outside and listened to headphones all day in the office. How am I supposed to deal with my life if the woman sitting next to me isn’t willing to also deal with it?”
Jackson has made efforts outside of the workplace to minimize contact with men who not only demand emotional labor, but also demand an explanation of what emotional labor is.
“My roommate Gavin and I used to make Sunday brunch together. He would insist on teaching me how to poach an egg, even though I know how to poach an egg?” says Jackson. “I recently told him that by making me stroke his ego, he was forcing me to perform emotional labor. He asked me to explain what that meant and I decided it wasn’t worth it. Now, I just stay in my room and avoid him, which also works!”
At the conclusion of this interview, Jackson received a text from her boyfriend Ian asking why it was bad that he commented on her body hair the night prior. Jackson moaned and exclaimed, “Why do I have to do this work for you?? It’s not my job to explain to you why it’s not my job to explain this to you.” She tossed her phone into a vase and made a vow to avoid all men for the rest of her life.
