the two first, this is a DIALOG, it's what i like, i WON'T take it to IM. two, ALL people are interested in salary, that's why they won't talk about it. 40 years ago on my first job, my desk partner, a woman, saw my pay stub. she realized she was earning 30% less. she went to see one of the bosses. i said, if you want to go on strike, i'll strike too. all she said was, "they explained it". THIS is why the revelation of salaries is so important. it's being kept secret is the greatest tool the bosses have in controlling us. the agreement? yes, the media culture has a definite gay sensibility. that will fade (perhaps not in my lifetime, but i'm 62) when more people come out it's happening. not only NotMalibuBarbie here, but my favorite, GaYtheist (i sometimes screw up the capitalization) who sometimes posts, but i haven't seen him of late. he's just a gay guy with no baggage - he is what he is. and that's a relief. it's better that way, and i think with the coming generation, it will be.

to earn that much money, you have to be in real estate. and the women in real estate! (my sympathies). i feel bad, i gave some advice that i really thought could help. maybe it still could. after all, the death penalty cases really are a national disgrace, you could volunteer. you have a good mind - and a car. you still might meet a valuable compassionate woman (and a lawyer! better yet!) sorry fairfax chickened out, i hope he saw my post.

(but i have to share this computer)

makes 80K a year.

A HARD-EARNED 80K a year.

And SHADOW is perfectly happy with what he makes & his life in general.

If YOU have problems with SHADOW'S income or life, YOU have a problem--not SHADOW!

Amen.

Carry on ;)

If you read the thread, you will see that i tried to make the point without any specifics, but David Sugarman decided he didn't believe me.

Now, if you want to go into what is behavior signifying insecurity, let's consider the person who repeatedly insists that others are doing something insecure, and then "leaves" in a "holier than thou" huff. Look, you even implied that you are so "civilized," and therefore we are not. What do you think, maybe you are a little insecure? :)

I'm not interested in your point[s].

If you're not interested in the points people are making here, why are you here in the first place? :)

Good god, all the usual names highjacking the thread.

Thanks for the article, Rebecca. I enjoyed learning a bit more about the upcoming TV season. I don't watch much these days, but I like to at least know what's on for those times when others talk about it.

Well, actually blame it on capitalism. Bear with me here. Going back over the last 15 years or so, I've seen and been dismayed at a trend in commercials (yes commercials) that always subtly belittles men. More specifically, white men (surely I'll get flamed for this one). The overwhelming trend is to have the white woman look strong, unyielding, cock-sure, always a winner, while the white man is the opposite. While not as pronounced, African American males are almost always cool under fire, hip, funny, and almost always come out on top when placed next to white men.

Before you gasp, I only ask that you start watching commercials with a new eye. If you have to, take stats so that your untrustworthy opinion won't sneak in.

So why do these commercials carry these messages? Well, anything that in any way smacks, or even whiffs of racism or sexism is immediately pounced on and crushed by well meaning groups, and so they should. But this has left us with a campaign that then picks on the only group who are without representation on the national scene.

What organization is going to come out in defense of white men when they are depicted in a commercial that has 3 white criminals sitting in a truck looking into a Brinks protected home, and decrying how tough it is to be a crook? Why are there no black criminals in that truck? How about the white guy at the car rental counter who can't understand the African American man when he opens his mouth and "I wanna ROCK" comes out? Who comes out and complains about his portrayal? Certainly not womens groups. The white female looks good as she asks the clueless white guy to stand aside and then opens her mouth wide and converses with the black male by speaking in his loud rock langage. They easily connect and converse, while the weasley looking white guy only shuffles off to the side in foreign-tongued limp-dicked confusion.

I could go on and on. The parade of similarly themed commercials is endless and they all share the same subtle message. Maybe this is all some sort of karmic payback for the god awful way black men used to be depicted in Hollywood????

But don't take my word. Again, start closely watching tv commercials and start seeing these trends emerge, and then imagine yourself the young white kid who is watching, and "learning" how he fits into society.

Sure, more products are sold, the economy rolls along, we feel good that sexism and racism are finally meeting their just end, but left in the dust is a generation of young white males who just don't feel like they fit in. Maybe not all, the strong rise to the top, but enough to have started an alarming trend.

Can't companies sell products without having to belittle anyone?

The AMC series Mad Men only recently premiered and should be considered in this fall lineup, as possibly the anti-trend outlayer.

It is a 1960s retrospective about flannel-suited ad men, and will give you all the old boys' club, martini-lunching, wink-wink, secretary chasing, "honey-make-yourself-useful-and-go-make-me-a-sandwich" throwback sexism you could possibly ever want in a television series.

Also, the pregnant women smoke and drink. Hilarious!