There's plenty more of this to come as feminists seek to trick men into staying home so women can be free to scale the heights of power.

Perhaps that's why Oscar viewers found themselves listening to Bette Midler praise as a "hero" the man who agrees to stay in the shadows and be the wind beneath an uberwoman's wings. That's the genderfeminist's wet dream.

Feminists have no intention of climbing on roofs to clean out the gutters. Midler might just as well have sung, "You're the stepping stone beneath my feet".

C'mon Amy, don't you realize the kind of stuff males do around a house is fun, not work.

In the Oscars post, I posted that I have 3 brothers. Here's what my parents did:

We all had chores, me mostly helping my mom inside the house, and the boys doing yard work with my dad. However, we had a garden, which we ALL worked in, weeding, hoeing, planting, picking, etc. And I learned how to use the lawn mower as well. My dad taught us ALL how to change a tire and do other car maintenance, and no I wasn't spared this because I was a girl, it was mandatory! My mom taught my brothers, as well as me, how to sew a button on a shirt (I also got the lessons on using a sewing machine and patterns, which they were spared), how to use the vacuum cleaner, and how to cook more than tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Why? Because, as mom said, "Dad and I won't always be here and you need to know how to do things for yourselves." And that was that. "Gender equality"? We had that covered.

Why, oh why, do some insist on telling others what to do or how to live their lives?

If a husband and wife are fine with their marriage being "her inside doing housework" and "him outside doing the heavy lifting" why can't others leave them alone?

If he needs/wants to get up for work the next morning while she gets to stay home on maternity leave why shouldn't she be the one doing the 2:00 AM feedings?

If he is the one who makes the sacrifice of not being at every game his kids plays in and, instead, spends more time at work why shouldn't he be paid more than the folks who cut our early every time junior has a game or event?

Marriage is what each party wants it to be; as long as they agree before they tie the knot I don't see how what they do or don't do is anyone else's business. (even then if they both go into marriage blindly as long as they don't make their messy divorce MY business such as expecting me, the taxpayer, to help them out with child support it is none of my business)

So many of these liberal busy-body, do-gooders need to mind their own business. Or better yet, here's some "housework" for them - stick a wet finger in this light bulb socket while I flip the switch on. Let them get all "outraged" over that!

"Why, oh why, do some insist on telling others what to do or how to live their lives?"

Because they're narcissists and that's how they roll. Bossing other people around is their absolute favorite thing in life.

C'mon Amy, don't you realize the kind of stuff males do around a house is fun, not work.

Obviously, you've never had to clean out the gutters...

;-)

I used to hate mowing the lawn. Apartment life was great, but then I bought a house and now I have a lawn. But I've converted my mowing experience into a sort of zen thing where I zone out the world around - ear plugs are great for that - and think about life, or "hey, that's a new fire ant mound make a note of it so it can be nuked".

It's still not fun, but I make the best of it. Or as TR is supposed to have said do what you can, where you're at, with what you have.

why shouldn't he be paid more than the folks who cut our early every time junior has a game or event?

That's why you hire single people, so they can cover. Also, since they don't have a family to support, they're likely paid less, too.

. . . and on the seventh day God rested. And then He made Woman, and nobody has rested since.

My first relationship (ex-husband), involved me doing most (and I don't think my memory is faulty here) of the chores. I was up at 2am feeding baby, washing dishes, etc. He changed oil on the vehicles and mowed the lawn (manly chores) - because those were the only chores he would do. We both worked full-time. I was on my feet from when I woke up at 6am till when I fell into bed at 10pm. He spent a large amount of time after work on the couch.

My current relationship is radically different. We both work full time. I helped him install panels on his roof. He helped me put up Christmas lights. And we spend a nice amount of time playing together.

I think the problem that they are trying to solve is of relationships like the first one I described. But the problem absolutely isn't a "gender equality" issue. Even though that description fits my description perfectly; that relationship could be a poster child for "gender equality". No amount of "teaching" duh ex about "gender equality" from boyhood would fix that chore imbalance.

My take on the main root of the problem? It's part the same set of issues that affect our culture as a whole: mostly, a feeling of entitlement coupled with a lack of empathy. It really has nothing to do with gender. It has to do with never graduating out of toddler-hood, where what's yours is mine, and if I don't wanna I don't hafta.

I've had this conversation too many times for me to participate this morning, however I think I remember the punchline:

"Are We Going To Get More Women On The Roof To Clean Out The Rain Gutters?"

is

"Mom is on the roof and we can't get her down"

flbeachmom's last paragraph summed it up perfectly.

LOL, jerry!

I'm an engineer, and I just texted my neighbor to ask if her husband (also an engineer) is free to install a baby gate in my house. My husband is in Japan and I just don't feel like doing it. I let a lot of home improvement projects (putting up curtains, hanging pictures) go rather than do them myself. That's just how the division of work is in our house.

flbeachmom: "...a feeling of entitlement coupled with a lack of empathy."

I think you nailed it. Thanks for that insight.

Babies getting 2am feedings are typically babies less than a year old, and those babies are supposed to be breastfed! Exclusively! To the point where Mom doesn't work a paying job and takes out loans if needs be! Otherwise you're dooming your chiiiiiild!!!!!

...and yes, I'm being sarcastic. My personal belief is that breastfeeding has some short-term benefits, especially for preemies, but little to no long-term effect on who you're going to be in terms of physical and mental health. I just find it funny when I see these "Men need to get up for 2am feedings!" assertions from people who don't seem to realize that men can't, y'know, lactate, especially given that the breastfeeding fanatics tend to be just as preachy and bossy.

(Hanna Rosin has written better than I could about how the breastfeeding push is in direct opposition to egalitarian parenting et al, so I won't go into that. And in case anyone's wondering, I spent a hell of a lot of time strapped to a breast pump during my kids' first year...but after I had to talk the third friend off the ledge because breastfeeding had gone horribly, I snapped.)

I married a lovely man who hates things being out of place and relaxes by straightening up. He's also able to fix anything. In the zombie apocalypse, I'll stick with him and be okay. What more can one ask?

Actually, there is an International Men's Day on November 19th. It's meant to highlight issues facing men and boys. However, the mainstream media either ignores it or ridicules it (with a few notable exceptions).

Oh, I agree. It would be best if the emphasis in modern society were on equal opportunity for all, rather than equal outcomes. It's just that many have become concerned that boys and men aren't even getting equal opportunity anymore.