Masculinity and Femininity

[Rich Riddle]

At Home Depot today a woman about 70 needed help loading potting soil in here car trunk. It took a few seconds to toss in the trunk. She shook here head and said, "we are losing all our masculinity and femininity." She lamented about males who couldn't lift a few pounds or light a pilot light and women who didn't even know how to turn on a stove and walk like bull dogs. I simply smiled because time wasn't available for a long discussion. Do you folks think in the land of androgyny we are losing the best parts of manliness and womanliness?

[Art Mann]

In a word - yes.

[Warren Wilson]

I'm certain it is a very complex question -- but the visual image of women walking like bulldogs made me grin.

[Brent Cutshall]

Shoot, I am embarrassed to be of this generation. The majority of people today even work, more people feeding off of taxes than paying them. This offends me because I'm gonna hafta pay for their living later on. People screaming and crying about their rights that they don't even pay to protect. When the wise of yesterday pass away and this generation take place, it'll be a sad time. Stuff we talk about on here, nobody but us few even knows what is even though it took woodworking skill to build this country, we came over here on a wood ship, just saying. And who ain't tired of about the bathroom dilemma. Sorry if I offended anyone but come on.

[Mike Henderson]

No, people are the same today as they were 2,000 years ago. There were always men and women who could do things generally associated with the opposite sex.

In general, our ideas of masculinity and femininity are social constructs. While many people satisfy those constructs, many people do not - and that's been true forever.

Mike

[The first written complaint about the younger generation, that I'm aware of, goes back to the Greeks. Every older generation says the younger generation is terrible. Our elders said it about us but we didn't do too bad. And today's younger generation will do okay, also.]

["The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise". Socrates]

[Jim Koepke]

I'm certain it is a very complex question -- but the visual image of women walking like bulldogs made me grin.

If you want to see a womanly walk of yesteryear, watch the TV series Bones. When the Character Cam Saryon walks away, it may not be walking like a bull dog, but it is the walk that would have some men stepping on their own tongues.

jtk

[Mel Fulks]

I remember during the most contentious of "women's lib" times thinking... but how could a woman dump truck driver be sexy? Turns out they can manage it! For the most part I think people do okay in workplace and don't tolerate abuse and vulgarity. But both sexes were contentious for a while; I remember a friend opening a shop door for a woman and being told "I can open a door myself ! " He replied " Excuse me ,sir ; I thought you were a lady!". I do find that in business dealings women are more likely to spin yarns about problems with their company's service. Men will admit your order has been botched.

[Yonak Hawkins]

I do find that in business dealings women are more likely to spin yarns about problems with their company's service. Men will admit your order has been botched.

I tend to disagree. My experience is women are more straightforward and men seem to equivocate and make excuses.

[Rich Engelhardt]

A lot of the fun of riding a bike came from having a girl on back holding on tight to you as you drove.
Now the girls drive faster bikes than the boys.....

The whole universe is upside down ...

((sigh)) - I'm glad I'm old and going to die soon..

[roger wiegand]

I think the world would be a far better place if half the population weren't suffering from testosterone poisoning and the resulting compulsion to dominate other people, the planet, and anything else they can.

[Jim Becker]

I guess I have to be a contrarian...why does it matter? Let each individual be themselves and not try to enforce stereotypes. What's more important is respect and that includes the concept of "treat others the way you want them to treat you". That's how I try to live my life and what I try to instill in my kids. I'm not concerned in the least about things like "masculinity" and "femininity"...I worry more right now about the loss of respect, empathy and kindness that's way too over the top right now both publicly and privately.

[Erik Loza]

I guess I have to be a contrarian...why does it matter? Let each individual be themselves and not try to enforce stereotypes. What's more important is respect and that includes the concept of "treat others the way you want them to treat you". That's how I try to live my life and what I try to instill in my kids. I'm not concerned in the least about things like "masculinity" and "femininity"...I worry more right now about the loss of respect, empathy and kindness that's way too over the top right now both publicly and privately.

*slow clap*....

Erik

[Marty Schlosser]

It's pretty clear up here in Canada, that there's been an equilization of the playing field as far as the conventional relationship has been in the past. But I for one think that's a great thing in so many ways. There's absolutely no reason why women can't "lift a few pounds or light a pilot light and turn on a stove". But, come on, "walk like bull dogs"?! I guess I'm not quite up for that one!

[Mike Henderson]

I guess I have to be a contrarian...why does it matter? Let each individual be themselves and not try to enforce stereotypes. What's more important is respect and that includes the concept of "treat others the way you want them to treat you". That's how I try to live my life and what I try to instill in my kids. I'm not concerned in the least about things like "masculinity" and "femininity"...I worry more right now about the loss of respect, empathy and kindness that's way too over the top right now both publicly and privately.

Well said. About the worse thing I can think of is forcing people into certain "masculine" or "feminine" roles when those roles don't fit the person. At one time, in the United States, a woman who wore pants was considered scandalous. I think it was Katharine Hepburn who more-or-less broke that convention. In some countries today, women are forced to wear certain outer garments or face legal sanctions, including beatings.

No, I'm with Jim. Freedom means not having to conform to other people's ideas of "masculine" or "feminine". Let's show everyone respect, empathy and kindness.

Mike

[Prashun Patel]

Being able to lift a few pounds or light a pilot light speaks to being out of shape or do manual things.

I do fear for a Wall-E-esque future where my kids and grandkids are all fat and lazy thinking manual work is beneath them and technology is the only noble pursuit, but it has nothing to do with gender perceptions.

Funny aside:

When I advised my 3 year old nephew that I was going home to help my wife in the kitchen, responded, "Boys don't cook." He'll learn... I think it's great that a lot of "boys" cook well, and a lot of "girls" have professional jobs. I never felt any role is more or less noble than another, but being able to do a couple well gives you options and helps everyone appreciate each other a little more.