I was really annoyed yesterday. I was at work, went into the school office and while i was there the new therapist came in. The new therapist noticed this sign on the office managers desk. Of course the office manager was very proud of her sign and showed it off. I wasn't so impressed. I had seen it before and of course it had bugged me. I wanted to say "That's funny because if men defined work like women do we'd still be stuck in the dark ages" or something of that effect, but i just mumbled something incomprehensible about women's definition of work and went on because ultimately if i had made a comment i would likely have gotten into trouble.
Isn't it funny... not so much... that if a woman says something insulting about men it's called a joke and tends to get comments like "That's so true". However, if a man insults women he's called rude, sexist, and/or inappropriate. If i had posted a sing like that only the other way around at my desk it could get me either severely reprimanded or fired. Why is that? Why is it that in our society it's all right for women to treat or speak like men are crap, but no man is allowed to do the same? Needless to say, i have more than a few ideas.
But what bothers me more than that these kinds of social acceptabilities exist is what kind of effect this has on our growing young men. What does it tell them? "It's all right for women to put down and insult men, but not for men to say anything negative about women." Why is that? Because masculine tendencies and behavior are wrong? Because men are somehow less and deserving of insult? Every single boy and young man that goes into that office is there because how they are expressing themself, as a guy, is considered by society to be inappropriate and unhealthy. How do things like that sign help them to improve themselves?
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2 comments:
You know I am a woman and I agree with you. My pet peeve are the situation comedies. If you look at them, they always are making fun of the husband in the home. He is made to look like a bumbling idiot and his wife is really the brains and wisdom of the couple. I think society as a whole doesn't value the role of a husband and father in the family. Look at the high profile celebrity adoptions....Rosie O'Donnell, Angelina Jolie....they don't "need" a man but they want children. Very sad.
Kim
Amen Brother.. preach it
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