>It may come as a shock to you, but lots and lots of young women are still being brought up to believe that their only function is life is to marry and have children.<

See, this is incomprehensible to me. Given the sheer economic factors alone, how can any woman grow up thinking all she needs to do in life (or can do in life) is kinder/kuche? As well, it's hard to believe these women weren't exposed to some kind of feminist/independent thought when they were growing up. Geez, just watching TV would have shown them at least some ROSEANNE or MAUDE or _someone_, right? :)

>Yes, it's grim, and on some level immoral, too, but if you don't have any intimate friendships with women who are like that, you truly don't know what they are up against.<

Ah, but the reason I have no sympathy for them is because I know a few women like this. To a couple of them, it's feminism's fault they couldn't find any "good men" or "strayed" from their "mother's mother-wit about catching a man." It's feminism's fault that they keep putting finding a husband over finding the right career/fulfilling life for themselves. It's feminism's fault that one of them had to use THE RULES to find a husband (in this case, a guy who calls his wife every ten minutes for no good reason.) For one woman, it's because she was raised by a dominating father and can _not_ live her life without a husband just like him (a need which led her to marry a guy who abuses employees and customers in the store they own--and one she reflexively defends no matter how rude or out-of-line he gets.) If you brought up feminism/independence to her, I _gurantee_ you she would tell you that stuff is for "dykes" and women who can't "get a man"--not for the normal likes of her. In short, these women know better, but seem to want to be oblivious--and blame everyone and everything else for their problems.

>One more point in her defense: She did ask for advice. This was a good step to take, and it shows some glimmer of recognition that things are very bad, and that she doesn't know what to do but realizes that she has to do something.<

Yeah, but will she take it? She still loves this guy in spite of all he's done, and the reason a lot of the posters here are angry with her is because they get the feeling that she's never going to wake up and will defend this sorry marriage to the end. And it seems like a lot of posters have dealt with women like this who refuse get wise, and I can tell you from experience that is a heartbreaking, frustrating situation to be in.

>She is a mother of young children, for heaven's sake. If you have no respect for her, at least think about them before you haul off and slap her yet again. How many blows is one person supposed to take?<

It's because she has children that the situation is even worse. If she can't stand up for her rights, how is she supposed to stand up for them? Look, I dunno how to prove my point, but I will bet you five dollars LW is not going to do anything about her problems except rationalize them away.

...is the point. The copy makes it clear that the ads are saying "Forget all that wussy 'kids play they way they do depending on their personality' crap. We all know boys will be boys and that's the end of it. And we are going to holler that canard until we intimidate everyone into believing it." Call it the GOP/MAXIM bully strategy--even in the face of facts, whomever yells loud enough wins.

>I always thought playing house was the most boring thing in the world.<

I _loathed_ dolls when I was a girl. It bored me beyond stupid to pick which plastic shoes went with which glittery outfit that went with which hat/tiara that went with which dream house. The only time I ever enjoyed playing with dolls was when I borrowed a friend's quartet of Barbie knockoffs and had them fighting villians and having adventures. I will love my parents and relatives forever for giving me cool gifts like books and play typewriters and microscopes and Easy-Bake oven mixes. (And I always tease my parents that they should thank me for saving them a ton of money by not being a Barbie fan. :))

...to see how the "lead in toys" problem affects Christmas shopping this season. Will more parents opt for hand-crafted toys--or will they just go for books and crafts and the like?