
Shirts bearing the motto "Boys are stupid — throw rocks at them" are marketed to tween girls; recent TV shows portray men as idiots (see Cavemen, Carpoolers) and wimps (see Cashmere Mafia, Lipstick Jungle); and more women are starting families with little to no male participation. So where does this leave men? Purposeless and hopeless, says syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker, whose new book, Save the Males, argues it's time to give back some of the power. Go ahead, roll your eyes. We're for anything that makes that hapless Mr. Mom slouching behind his CEO wife stand up straighter. Parker's suggestions:
PLAY NICE. "Feminism has always been important to me," says Parker, who as a '60s teen thought that anything helping women was progress. Then she had a son and decided we'd gone overboard. "Boys hear how awful they are day in and day out," she says. "We seem to understand that girls need high self-esteem to perform in school and society, but we pretend that boys don't." Teachers need to dial back their girl-coddling, she says, and society needs to better balance boys' needs with girls'.
RAISE THE BAR. If you expect nothing of men and assume the worst, they're likely to oblige. "Guys have no responsibility," says Parker. "They're getting as much sex as they can possibly ask for, and as far as they're concerned, nothing is wrong." We need to ask more of them and give them something to shoot for — other than horny Guitar Hero champion.
BE PRO-DAD. Thanks to artificial insemination, the rah-rah-ing of single motherhood, and the ever-worsening prejudice against fathers in custody hearings, dads have no power in the family, argues Parker. She says we need laws to prevent dad from being pushed out: "We should honor the role as much as that of mom." Please note: Gawking at photos of Brad carrying Pax on his shoulders doesn't count.
IT'S RAINING ON MEN:
30 to 40% of all American children sleep in a home separate from their fathers.
60% of bachelor's degrees awarded in this country in 2012 will go to women.
4 prime-time, family-focused shows (in a study of 102) portrayed the father as present and involved in his children's lives.
-
The 15 Best Comedy Movies on Hulu
For when you just need a good laugh.
By Megan DiTrolio
-
The Spring 2022 Handbag Trends to Get Excited About
The humble bucket bag is back.
By Sara Holzman
-
The Hottest New Beauty Trend Is Ice Cold
These ingenious cryotherapy-inspired finds are worth bearing the chill.
By Rachel Jacoby Zoldan
-
The 50 Best Vibrators, According to Sex Toy Experts
The most trusted source in feelin' yourself.
By Alanna Greco
-
The 16 Best Sex Games to Spice Up Date Night With
Game night, but make it hot.
By The Editors
-
COVID Forced My Polyamorous Marriage to Become Monogamous
For Melanie LaForce, pandemic-induced social distancing guidelines meant she could no longer see men outside of her marriage. But monogamy didn't just change her relationship with her husband—it changed her relationship with herself.
By Melanie LaForce
-
Four Flirting Fun Facts--With Research to Back Them Up!
My pal Judy Dutton just wrote an excellent new book: How We Do It: How the Science of Sex Can Make You a Better Lover. She's chatted with me about the psychological studies that show how best to flirt; what kind of pick-up lines work best; and what you're really saying with your body language.
By Maura Kelly
-
100 Sex Songs That Won't Make You Cringe
Dim the lights and hit play on this sex songs — the perfect playlist of songs to have sex to.
By The Editors
-
75 Movie Sex Scenes That Are 100 Percent Real
These actors aren't faking anything.
By Mehera Bonner
-
33 Unexpected Valentine's Day 2022 Date Ideas
A.k.a. not dinner and roses.
By The Editors
-
Cult Status Satisfyer Vibrators Are Under $40 for Prime Day
4 stars, 16k reviews...yeah, this vibe's got a massive fan club (for good reason).
By Carina Hsieh