Letters to the Editor
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RIGHT
Mayhem is saying the emo boys had it right- they were the ones getting the pretty girls' attention.
The only adults in my crowd are either happily single, ugly and/or dull, twice divorced, disinterested/openly hostile towards men, or still pining for younger 20-something emo boys to like them.
Sounds like I need a new sandbox.
None of this negates that ALL men have nearly ZERO reproductive rights and that the vast majority of women want to keep it that way.
Or that fat men do not get anything, attention/love/sex, from women unless it is from fatter, less desirable and/or uglier women.
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Please incorporate facts and logic -- even though men sometimes use them
(First a disclaimer: This guy Harvey Mansfield seems to me to be a classic male chauvinist pig, and it almost seems counterproductive to give him any amount of further publicity.)
Lynn Harris writes:
An outraged Broadsheet reader alerts us to today's "Good Morning America" segment on "Manliness," the book that, now that we've mentioned it once, we're trying really hard to ignore. But this we just can't: "They uncritically reported on the book, even citing statistics that say women are happier when their men provide for them," says our tipster.
Even citing statistics that say women are happier when their men provide for them!!!! I am just shocked. And I'm telling!
Seriously, is the author's inclusion of the quote from the tipster from whatever was said on television supposed to make some kind of a point? Any kind of a point? Who the &$%# wouldn't prefer that their partner provide for them?
And what kind of journalism involves a third party's commenting on a second party's interpretation of a media interpretation of an author, anyway? I think we know the answer.
Later Harris writes:
(Oh, I know what letters are coming. "But women do love bad boys!" "I'm a nice guy and women don't date me because I'm not a jerk!" etc. Enough. Yes, some women have a thing for cads. And some men have a thing for beeyotches. You know what? Some people make sketchy choices. It's not a gender thing.)
You know what? This paragraph ignores reality.
Men's preferring women with nasty personalities is not at all common. On the other hand, women's preferring "bad boys" is a widely observed and well-documented phenomenon, as least in dating. It's an unfortunate phenomenon*, and it would helpful to understand it well enough to make it go away, if possible. This won't happen if people dismiss it as a non-phenomenon.
I regret to say, dismissing truths when they happen to be inconvenient or contradict a certain "party line" seems to be all too common in Broadsheet entries. Broadsheet could be an influential force supporting women's causes, but that won't happen as long as its writers continue to ignore reality, logic, and the basics of good journalism.
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* Another unfortunate phenomenon is men's preferring women with so-called good looks while ignoring other salient traits, but I digress.
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as they might say on "Scrubs."
Cyber high-five.
kudos for a sharp and open mind.
"Men's preferring women with nasty personalities is not at all common. On the other hand, women's preferring "bad boys" is a widely observed and well-documented phenomenon, as least in dating. It's an unfortunate phenomenon*, and it would helpful to understand it well enough to make it go away, if possible. This won't happen if people dismiss it as a non-phenomenon.
I regret to say, dismissing truths when they happen to be inconvenient or contradict a certain "party line" seems to be all too common in Broadsheet entries. Broadsheet could be an influential force supporting women's causes, but that won't happen as long as its writers continue to ignore reality, logic, and the basics of good journalism"
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Sounds like I need a new sandbox.
You do. You truly and sincerely do.
I've known people, of both genders, like the women you describe, but they are in the minority. Most of the people I've known have been occasionally clumsy and thoughtless, oafish, selfish, and unpleasant, but much more often decent folks doing their best and frequently startling me with their kindness and good-heartedness. And the older I've gotten and the more selective I've grown about what people and what groups I give my time and energy to, the bigger a majority the latter has grown to be.
The good ones, men and women both, are out there. Messy and flawed and occasionally downright stupid, but still good. I refuse to believe that I'm just a freak who has managed to establish and maintain contact with dozens and dozens of other freaks, and that we're the only ones in the world. Most people aren't as hideous as you describe them, and if most of the people you know are, you need to start looking for other most people and then be more selective about who you know.
And don't be bitter. Bitter is corrosive. Bitter is poison.
Also, so some fat, outwardly unattractive people end up with other fat, outwardly unattractive people (the ones "nobody else wants")? Geez. You complain about women being shallow, and then you make a crack like that. I know plenty of fat men and women who are loving and attentive and smart, whose spouses and partners feel damn lucky to be with them, whom "nobody else wanted" because, frankly, "nobody else" was damn stupid and missed out on a catch. Not a hot-eye-candy-one-night-stand catch, but a lifetime catch. Hell, I can think of two fat men in my past with sterling minds and hearts whom I would've married in a hot second if they'd thought to ask me, and I may not be an ex-Gap model but I'm plenty cute.
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It was fun, now, not so much
I used to find these back and forth "men suck, oh yeah, well women suck more" threads amusing, even occasionally getting riled up and posting myself. But since its all been played out a dozen or so times, i'm just tired of it. I dont see much good coming from more food fights.
That said, i would like to address the topic at hand. There is an argument somewhere in here about what modern masculinity is supposed to be. As i see it, the "modern guy" is supposed to be a mixture of more sensitivity than previous generations, but at the same time, not being a total wussy, having some physical presence and maturity when called upon to do difficult things, be they physical or emotional, and importantly, without complaining or asking for special recognition for doing so. Thats it. Providing financially is a good too, but a flexible attitude is probably just as important. :And ladies, please note, these are not easy things to do and they are more than most of our dads did so keep that in the back of your mind when judging our efforts.