Monday, February 28, 2011

I've been looking through Feminist-colored glasses too much

I don't really want to be one of these people.  You know, the feminists who nitpick about language?  Like the whole Stud vs Slut thing (a man who has sex with a lot of women is a stud, a women who has sex with lots of women is a slut... and which one is viewed as derogatory?)

But I was reading something with the phrase "men's entitlement to female nurturance" which is something that is totally stereotypical in traditional gender-role marriages (think Cult of True Womanhood if you know the term).

When I read that, I thought "high-maintenance".  Then I realized nobody would ever use that to describe a man.  (Not that I think a man who insists on being nurtured without returning the favor is a good thing either.  Its gotta be mutual, if you want a strong relationship.)

More to the point, however... here's a bunny :)

2 comments:

  1. When I think of "female nurturance" a male is entitled too, it's the same after-birth breast-feeding that any infant would receive.

    Looking through some other Feminist glasses, wouldn't a man relying on the production of a woman be not the traditional gender-role? Maybe I don't know my roles well enough :P

    Actually, I almost described myself and another as "not high-maintenance" today, but decided I didn't want to use that wording.
    The media image of a 'good' boyfriend certainly doesn't require much of anybody else, but the same goes for 'good' girlfriends.

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  2. What it was referring to wasn't the man relying on the production of a woman, but the idea that "when the man gets home from work, the woman should have dinner cooking, the kids clean and quiet and be ready to cater to her man's every need because he's had a long, hard day at work and needs to relax" without considering that maybe the woman has also had a long hard day raising children and probably also working.

    It definitely doesn't apply as much today, and isn't as prevalent in dating relationships as in married couples, where people are actually doing work to provide for the success of the household.

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