Another Double Standard

ItalicFor some reason, it's socially acceptable for a woman to comment on another woman's appearance:
Wife: That woman is so beautiful. Her skin is so nice, and she has great legs.

Husband: (Knows that if he agrees he's in trouble for looking at another woman, but if he disagrees he's accused of starting a fight, so he feigns a sprained ankle.)



But if a man does the same thing (talking about another man, I mean—talking about another woman is beyond the pale) serious doubts are raised concerning his masculinity:

Husband: That guy is handsome. He's got a nice square jaw and broad shoulders.

Wife:Um, honey? Would you like to go watch a football game or boxing match or something, you know, manly?

Comments

The Kyles said…
Utah has never been egalitarian, stop trying to make generalizations that aren't true. If the opposite sex talks about someone hot, of course their significant other will be jealous. You never cease to annoy me Joel.
March 23, 2010 at 1:00 PM
Joel said…
And you never cease to take offense where none was intended...
March 23, 2010 at 1:01 PM
Joel said…
Besides, this isn't a post about women talking about men, or men talking about women. It's about the comments we are allowed to make about our own sex.
March 23, 2010 at 1:03 PM
Anonymous said…
After much consideration on this point I can only say that it is generalized that men do not appreciate beauty (stupidest thing I've ever heard). So when a woman comments on another woman it is a comment on beauty the same as if she is commenting on flowers. Yet, as a man people would look at you weird if you openly appreciated the beauty of a flower let alone the beauty found in another man.
Seriously people have problems, but there is the fact that in this day and age any great artist is looked on as having been secretly homosexual or bisexual, thus "proving" their point that "real" men cannot appreciate beauty except on a sexual level.
March 24, 2010 at 7:21 PM
The Kyles said…
It's my job to take offense at what you say. I take it very seriously.
March 26, 2010 at 10:30 AM
Joel said…
In that case, you deserve a raise ;)
March 26, 2010 at 10:32 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I had an onion tied to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, you couldn't get white onions because of the war; all you could get...

Do you ever get stuck in a conversation that you can’t get out of? I’m not talking about those times when you have to be somewhere else or there’s a rational need to leave, but rather those times when, with every word the other person utters (it’s typically just a two-person conversation), your brain threatens to escape your body and make a break for it. All you can do is try to play some old TV theme songs in your head, or maybe design circuits if you’re the engineering type, all the while searching for an opportunity to escape. Now I’m boring myself just thinking about those situations.
Read more

Thirty Thoughts

1. Is that more hair in the shower drain every morning? 2. What's the big deal? It's just a number with a zero at the end. Why should we consider that significant? 3. Am I still allowed to wear shorts? 4. I need to buy a house within the next five years or we won't have it paid off by retirement age. Then again, my generation won't be able to retire until age 80, so I shouldn't worry. 5. I really should be eating more green, leafy vegetables. If I leave potatoes in the fridge long enough, will that count? 6. Going back to school is getting less and less likely. Then again, sending kids to school will be enough trauma. 7. At least I no longer look like I'm 12, which I did until I was about 23. 8. I will never wear my cell phone on my belt. 9. For some reason, there's a big difference between having a kid and having kid s . 10. You kids get off the lawn! 11. I wonder when my memory will start to go. 12. Inside of me beats the heart of an 18-year-old. At leas...
Read more

Moral Compass

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being “afraid to step on a blade of grass” and 10 being “I’m gonna kill everyone!”), how bad is it if I were to warm up my car in the morning for 10 minutes before coming to work?
Read more