(disclaimer in case this breaks containment: I am not a feminist. I hate feminism. Every day I fight the feminists.)
I need both men and women to understand that the "Man vs. Bear" meme was not an indictment of men against bears, it was an indictment of humans against beasts.
the question for women was not "which is more likely to harm me?"
the question was "of the harm I could suffer from either (knowing I cannot overpower either**), which is preferable?"
humans are capable of evil intent and sexual sadism. bears act only on instinct. whether a man's attack is logistically less violent or painful is irrelevant; it is far more frightening to fall into the hands of an evil person than to be at the mercy of a dumb animal.
**This is key. A man will never answer that he would prefer the bear because a man can overpower another man. That a woman can ever overpower a man is so rare as to be immaterial.