Letters to the Editor
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Threatened men and missed points
I guess I'm one of those men who "feel threatened" by women seeking power. Surprising myself, I happen to agree with Brooks' major points. Unfortunately for Traister, I don't fit the mold of the man threatened by powerful women. My mother has been the major breadwinner in my family since I can remember. I consider myself to be a feminist. I would love to marry a woman with more earning potential than myself and would welcome the chance to work at home (I already do this anyway, raising organic vegetables). I dream of the day when we have a woman president, though I could never vote for Hillary "Flag Burning Amendment" Clinton.
As I see it Traister missed the point of Brooks' article. Brooks was commenting on Hirshman's piece, whose major thesis was that choice feminism had failed. The problem with radical feminists like Hirshman is that they think the women's movement is not successful until all careers are filled by women and men 50/50. They can't allow for gender differences, be they social, cultural or biological, to influence career decisions.
Unfortunately many careers out there are not just dominated by men -- they are defined by men. Whole areas of work are designed for males with their cultural and biological proclivities. Forcing women into those career paths amounts to "masculinizing" them. That's not to say some won't choose those paths and it's fine if they do. But the problem is not that there aren't "enough" women in positions of power. The problem is that, in addition to discriminating against women in some very real ways, society does not appreciate traditional more "feminine" careers and roles. Corporate CEO or lawyer is much better than garden tender, child-rearer or community builder, even by radical feminist standards.
Luckily, most women see through this utter bullshit. Climbing the corporate ladder; seeking only wealth and power and influence; constantly trying to outdo everyone ... Very unattractive to a lot of women (and some men like myself). The cubicle farm can leave you drained and unsatisfied with life, as I quickly found out.
Brooks ends with a very important point: "The big problem is not the women who stay there but the men who leave." Women's roles are still so undervalued that almost no men will choose them voluntarily. And, as Tierney suggests, even if men would want to choose such a life (speaking of myself here), for some reason women do not come busting down their door with marriage proposals.