Comments:

Klugarsh - 2006-02-19 22:20:04
Have you got Carls Jr. out there? The fast food chain? Their ads seem to be entirely focused on making certain that we are all aware that they're here to save Us Men from starving to death, due to our ineptitude in the kitchen. It's an illness. Ever read Robert Bly's "The Sibling Society"? A lot of it is heteronormative nonsense, but there's some good stuff in there.
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monkey-king - 2006-02-20 07:56:48
I'll give you a more serious answer when it's not 2:48 in the morning, but in the meantime - I LIKE video games. When Luva visted, I had her play Monster Rancher 4, which she got totally into. Maybe a little too much. In any case, I think I'm going out tomorrow to buy me Evil Dead -Regeneration for my Playstation. 'Cause I feel like using a boomstick on some primative screwheads.
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Samantha - 2006-02-20 09:21:59
Monkey freak.
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The Noiseboy - 2006-02-20 10:26:02
I grew up in a household in which the dad "brought home the bacon", then worked odd jobs in the evening and on the weekends to make more money. He was a workaholic. The mom did all of the housework and cooking, and was no slouch herself. As a kid, I often had to help my dad do some task: from helping him build the house my parents now live in, to farm-related work, to mowing the large yard. There was often *something* to do. But I *never* had to make my bed, cook myself dinner, or do my own laundry. Once I had graduated from college, I had a shock to my system when I had to fend for myself. I've adjusted -- somewhat -- but I'm still lazier than I should be when it comes to housework. As for video games, I don't think it's fair to fault a grown-up for wanting to indulge in child's play, so to speak. The thing is, it's not really child's play at all any more. It would be one thing if a 35 year-old was playing Pac Man all day long. But adults generally play adult-themed, challenging games that, yes, indulge our inner-child, but also require some level of skill that a typical 12 year-old can't muster. Consider video games the new novel, as sad as that may sound (and probably is). As far as earning power is concerned, I don't look at it as a battle of the sexes. If the woman is earning more money and hence has ownership of the couple's wallet, then good for her. Personally, I've accepted the fact that I'll never be in a high-earning job because: a) I don't value having a ton of $$, I value having a job that I enjoy; and b) the sort of jobs that I enjoy are not in a field where I can make a lot of $$. If my partner makes significantly more than me, then good for her and good for us, I suppose. She deserves to spend the money she earns. That said, I would hope that significant purchases that benefit both of us (house, car, vacation, etc.) would be discussed at length, as that only seems to make sense in terms of keeping each other happy. Signed, One who carries his balls
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Cynical yet Horny, a fatal combination - 2006-02-20 12:18:50
Hey, Noiseboy, but the thing is, women on average earn considerably LESS than men - so if women have 80% of buying power, it's not about who's earning the $$ but who's in charge of spending it for the family. Women end up doing most of the shopping because if it were up to their husbands, the family would be eating chips and dip every night. Sam - I think you're on to something. But I think you should be even more cynical and get on my Cartel bandwagon. Anybody know someone I can go out with???
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The Noiseboy - 2006-02-20 12:25:48
Ah, yes, well good point. I guess I'm just surrounded by so many educated women that I'm accustomed to women making serious bank.
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Samantha - 2006-02-20 13:03:00
It's true I'm making generalizations, but Noiseboy is another anecdotal case that I'm on to somehting. And I agree with Noiseboy that regardless of who earns more $, both partners are involved in deciding how to spend it.

Good point JK on the inequality of earning power. Women earn less but still are the chief decision makers. If I were the one whose money was being spent, I'd damn sure want in on how, yet most men don't care.
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Smoove D - 2006-02-20 23:11:29
This post made me think. That really annoys my lazy ass. The basic issue is men are forced by tree hugging hippie liberals to put up with the commercials and sitcoms that degrade them, because if we dare challenge the enlightened liberal idea that men are scum, the fascist armies that worship at the alter of political correctness will be unleashed upon us and get all up in our grills. As for the whole purchasing decisions thing, women simply care more. As long as an item meets my needs, I could give a fuck. My goal when shopping is to bring the miserable experience to an end as fast as possible. Exceptions do exist, such as shopping for interesting things like stereo equipment, photography equipment, or cars and car accessories. On the subject of cleaning, I would never pick up a sponge to clean my bathroom, but my Acura is spotless.
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Samantha - 2006-02-21 00:24:25
Okay Smoove, I appreciate your stretching the lazy old gray matter here, but a couple of things need clarification. 1) This post was written by an "enlightened liberal" who doesn't buy the ads either; 2)Fascist armies belong to the right wing, not the left; 3) Of course women care more; my whole post was about WHY women care more, but I was more concerned with their caring about bigger issues, such as insurance and investments..the sponges and chips were to prove a social point. 4) I hate to shop too; consumerism is a republican thing.
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luva - 2006-02-21 01:15:28
there is an tv ad for a disposable toilet brush, featuring two assumedly single men watching football in one of the men's very nice apartments. the guest comes back from using the bathroom and asks his host something to the effect of "what the hell was that thing by the toilet?" the host explains, and extols upon the virtues of the toilet brush. the guest is suitably impressed, as if he has adopted the "ima get myself one a' THOSE" attitude about the brush in question. every time i see the commercial, i'm expecting one of them to say something like, "because the wife goes apeshit if the bowl's dirty" or "i can't score chicks with a scummy toilet, know'm'sayin'?" however, there is no such mention. i appreciate the fact that the commercial features two domestically self-sufficient men who both care about keeping their houses clean, but the fact that this commercial stands out to me, and that i watch it expecting the other shoe to drop, proves that you are, indeed, on to something. furthermore, one of the men is white, the other is black. the ad is trying to cover all possible bases.

anyway, i think you explained exactly why women have more purchasing power ... women used to make all the domestic/household decisions, and while we now have more earning responsibility and partners should, indeed, have equal household responsibility, "household equality" has yet to catch up to alleged "economic equality" (really the wrong term in this case, but i think you know what i mean) in terms of gender relations. and i hate to blame the patriarchy, but i think this is due to things having been the way they are for so long, and to men still being "in power." things have changed before, though, and they continue to change. it just takes a while.

i stop now.
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Samantha - 2006-02-21 08:19:13
Luva, if those men hadn't been watching football, I'd say they were gay... wait... do gay men watch football?
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monkey-king - 2006-02-21 20:20:01
All right, since I just played Grand Theft Auto for about two and a half-hours, I figure I’ll give you that answer I promised. The biggest thing, I believe, is that things work in long slow cycles. To answer your first obvious question, it wasn’t that long ago when sitcoms and radio shows had the woman as the ineffectual ditz while the men took care of them. Eventually, somebody comes along with a pitch who says, “Now stick with me – what if the MAN was the idiot, and the WIFE was the smart one! Crazy, huh? Crazy enough to work!” And then the guy who made the pitch gets paid more than all the other women in the room. I haven’t studied enough of the ads lately to be really watching the trends, but I certainly have noticed that a lot of the ads still portray women as shallow and materialistic. Almost all ads, regardless of gender they’re aimed at, make the pitch that (blank) will make your life complete. I never really pay close attention because the majority of the ads and shows make me roll my eyes back so far, that I’m afraid they’ll stick there. But I did watch the superbowl this year (don’t freak out, probably the first football game I’ve watched since the LAST time the Steelers we’re in the superbowl) and I paid attention to the commericals. What I saw is that most were mean-spirited and featured people who weren’t that smart. I think this is the Howard Stern-ization of the country. Ever listen to that show? The fans who call in are not smart. And the denigrate other guests, who are also not smart. The people who listen then get to gloat over how much smarter THEY are, though if they were, they probably wouldn’t be listening to Howard Stern in the first place. I’m probably off the point. I suppose what I’m trying to say is that it’s not really important on how the advertisers and marketers and purveyors of mass culture show us as a society, because it’s always geared toward the lowest denominator. And really, all they’re saying is the same thing that I’ve said for a decade now. There are two simple truths to life. Men are pigs, and women are evil. I hope I’m not sounding dismissive of your entry, which I liked. But if so, well... you’re cute when you’re angry. Oh, and I told Luva to send you this link after you wrote this, but I guess she chickened out. I’ll step up to the responsibility. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0217062contract1.html If you date this guy next, you’re going to be in SO much trouble from me. And you need to gimmie your address for those MST things.
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Samantha - 2006-02-28 11:02:23
Dean, I got a real kick out of that marriage contract. I just wonder why she married him after reading that?
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jon_trev_iii - 2006-03-30 21:54:12
I just finished reading your expose as well as the posted comments. My response is that contrary to your premise, there are in fact, many of us men who need to "carry our own balls." In my most recent past relationship, I supported my girlfriend and her son. She did not work and did not want to work. Here's the kicker, even though we lived in seperate houses and I provided generous support, she not only wanted to control the money that I provided(which she should), she also wanted to control my money. I had to draw the line. Interestingly, at the time, the thought that came to mind involved "my balls" needed to be controlled by me. I was not going to live a life of castration. So, there are some of us left in this world. We are looking for women that do not try to boss us around. A true partner. A ball lover!
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Chad - 2006-04-20 12:24:00
I can answer question # 3. Why do women have more purchasing power than men? The rude version? Because, for the most part (obviously, this is a flaming example of stereotyping) women are more materialistic than men. In other words, women give a shit what kind of refrigerator they have, and what kind of furniture they have, and what kind of clothes they (and their respective male person) wear. Men, are less concerned about these things and are generally more concerned with other forms of status. This is a huge generalization and it doesn't hold true in all cases by any means, but it is indicative of the general trend. There are also issues involving sexual politics. Short version? Men will let the woman decide what movie they will see on Friday evening because they want to get laid later on Friday evening.
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