Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Carless Damsel in Distress

"Boyish, softy men all the rage"
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20091208/COLUMNISTS30/912080324


I'm gonna keep this blog short and sweet since my last blog was apparently a never ending nightmare of words. This article is just wrong on so many levels and I probably don't even notice them all. The research, although maybe somewhat true, is either ignorant of the changes that can occur in social attitudes or is misrepresented in the article*. But to make it interesting I'll assume the former. Also, I know the writer is a humor columnist, but I don't really think the humor is all that innocent.


Things wrong with this article.

1. Referring to "softie" men in a condescending light.
The issue? Gender roles and it's a reflection of the condescending way men view women.

2. Deeming the sole reason the contraceptive pill.
The issue? That women are lead by their troublesome mood swings and hormones. Cause you know women are bitches because of they're either having that time of the month, about to have that time of the month, or are not having that time of the month. Apparently, women can't actually think. They just feel and react. Wars, economic breakdown, political corruption, the progress of women's rights, and tragedies don't affect social attitudes.*

3. The "sissification" of men and the attraction women have to them as being bad.
The issue? Refer to #1. Also, it's perfectly fine for someone to feel confused, but it isn't until we read that he concludes that it's a bad decision that not all men are "tough guys" anymore. Why is that? Well this leads to #4.

4. The damsel in distress without a car or man.
The issue? Women can't possibly learn how to fix a car. Women just can't survive because they can't learn how to do "man" things or they shouldn't cause this guy says that men should be "men". This writer believes he has the idea of what a man should be.



This guy has our roles pretty figured out. I wish he were being sarcastic though because now I have to acknowledge the existence of another idiot.



You know, on the flip side, women aren't "women" anymore either. The majority of my girlfriends don't pay very much attention to sewing, cooking, ironing, cleaning, or entertaining like they used to in the "good ole days". Maybe women don't seek this "tough guy" anymore. Doesn't mean they don't like a "tough guy" at all, but they just don't feel as pressured to seek these men anymore. And maybe, in turn, men don't feel pressured to be this "tough guy" anymore. Maybe people are starting to be themselves more. If so, then I think it's great.




OH. And sorry I lied to you. This wasn't short and sweet at all.

5 comments:

Malsi said...

I have a picture to show you from a '73 progressive DF magazine (I actually argue that it's not, but whatever, comparatively, it is). Anyway, it is the forerunner (which is a pun and hilarious, but you have to see the image first to understand it) to your bloggie here.

I also have a '71 picture of Humbert (I think) Humphrey campaigning for president in Austin. He's throwing up the "hook 'em horns." I scanned out of the depths of the archives for you. You are welcome.

Malsi said...

long time no blog! and i still have a picture from that DF mag to show you, and humph.

Russell said...

the link for this article doesn't work anymore, but i can tell guess at what it says. i've read about men becoming "softy" in HUGE numbers in Japan. personally, i'm not macho and i don't particularly like macho-ness, so i'm all for men dropping the act. sounds like this author needs to think outside the box a little bit.

the japan thing weirds me out though, particularly because men there are just becoming lazy and apathetic about everything.

by the way, i really like my new music. have i already told you that? this is as good a place as any to tell you i guess. i played some Busdriver for one of my friends at work who didn't believe that i like rap. he said it was "dope." (i'm putting that in quotes because i'm white.)

Washed Up said...

Malsi, yes you need to show me that already lol

Russell, yeah I think people need to stop messing around with other people's genders. Also, men going "softie" is just turning a typical adjective for women into an insult.

And in men getting lazy is probably more of an economically affected issue than a popular culture issue. The trend is always affected by whats going on economically or politically. I think we agree on that?

lol I'm glad it passed a test out there. It'll be one of the few in my collection of passed tests. I've been listening to SOOOO much Tupac and Notorious recently. You need to give them some listening to if you haven't. I've a special connection to gangsta because I remember all those songs coming out on MTV when I was younger and loving them. "Changes" by Tupac still moves me to almost tears every time I listen to it. EAST COAST WEST COAST.

Washed Up said...

ALSO, you shouldn't be afraid to say dope just cause you're WHITE. If anything, you should be afraid to say dope because you aren't broke lol