I agree with this article. Discrimination against women did happen. It was wrong. But to correct it by further discrimination seems wrong to me. I have stopped listening to certain radio stations because so many of their ads ( group health being the worst offender) I find offensive. I watch less tv, partially because so many ads are offensive. Women should have the same opportunities as men, make the same dollars an hour, etc. It seems to me, that so much of our "inclusive" society is more about excluding men than including all.

It is certainly true that males in this society are increasingly losing their moorings, but I doubt it has much to do with the politics of sexual oppression and retribution. Women generally derive more of their sense of social structure from family and friendship bonds while men identify themselves more as actors in the world outside the family. So when the social structure of society at large begins to fray and collapse and its self-appointed elites offer no ideals to redeem and reconstruct this loss, men often have fewer supports to fall back on They become disoriented and demoralized. They become angry and begin to look for scapegoats to blame.

The countercultural movements of the sixties and seventies were often undisciplined, misguided in their experimentation and bizarre in their certainties. But, for better or worse, this unseemly period of ferment was also America's last serious attempt at cobbling together a new idealism. When this experiment failed, we were left with nothing more than unvarnished greed, sensuality, and lusting after power and celebrity. The only really satisfied people in contemporary America are those who remain content to wallow in the muck. So perhaps in the larger picture the present wave of male anomie is a positive sign. It suggests at least the possibility of widespread dismay with an intolerable situation.

Men are still the oppressors, and until they TAKE UP the causes of the oppressed, (ie feminism, racism, violence, etc) the pendulum will swing further away. If men want to be taken seriously by women, they need to be vocal and active fighting against the male institutions of oppression that exist (such as Christianity and other organized religion). I mean really, do you believe in an invisible "God" who is a male human with an agenda? Really?? If so, you look pretty silly. I rather believe in Santa Claus than your "deity".

Check your ego and cultivate compassion instead. Do something for someone else, and then I can hope for you.

American feminists have used disinformation to their advantage for decades. Feminism in the USA is about female supremacy, not equality. Equality is the banner under which the agenda of female supremacy has arisen and succeeded. The media plays a huge part as do colleges with their repeated campaigns of oppressed female. This article barely touches the surface. I challenge Crosscut to publish articles about the real wage gap and the doping of boys in our schools.

I've noticed these stereotypes in the media as well. In the 1990s, the Homer Simpson stereotype dominated: the man was still the head of the household, but was lazy, selfish, and not very smart. It seems that a new, even more sinister stereotype emerged in the 2000s, that of the man in his 30's and 40's who continues to live an adolescent lifestyle. Aside from occasional usage of the valley girl stereotype, negative portrayals of a woman, especially a woman over the age of 23, are uncommon. I don't think that this is any sort of feminist conspiracy, and I don't think it has much to do with correcting perceived injustices of the past. I think it has more to do with the fact that entertainers get a lot of mileage by building on existing stereotypes.

As to the broader point, I think it can hardly be emphasized enough. We are much to quick, as a society, to scapegoat different groups for various perceived evils. Christian values, in brought into practice, should weigh against demonizing individuals and groups, but unfortunately Christianity has as often been a part of the problem as part of the solution in this regard.

The "stupid man" stereotypes are out of control in my opinion. Take the latest Microsoft "cloud" commercial. As the commercial concludes, it pans to a helpless and incompetent looking husband sitting on the couch with the kids and the wife says, "Windows 7 gave me the family that nature never could."

Another example I find disturbing has popped up in several "funny" chain emails. It goes something like this: "Dear Lord, I pray for Wisdom to understand my man; Love to forgive him; And Patience for his moods. Because, Lord, if I pray for Strength, I'll beat him to death. AMEN." The women in my office find this hilarious, but isn't it a little disturbing? When is domestic violence ever a joking matter...apparently only when the girl beats up the guy.

Most disturbing is our educational system. Boys are failing and underachieving at alarming rates compared to girls. The Everett Herald did a good piece on the problem last May. Where is the call from policy makers and public officials to fix the problem?http://heraldnet.com/article/20100530/NEWS01/705309875

Good piece, Tony.

Figit — I don't know which men you hang out with, but perhaps you should broaden your horizons. As Tony says, "The results aren’t good for anyone." Turnabout may be fair play, but it's usually a bad idea, and the last thing anyone needs on their hands is a large number of disaffected young men. This has proved itself to be true time and time again.

To be honest, I think this has a lot to do with what Woofer calls "society's… self-appointed elites." This isn't, or at least it shouldn't be, about women vs. men. It really shouldn't be about anyone vs. anyone — that doesn't lead to cohesive society. But if it has to be looked at in those terms, how about those in power vs. those without? Anyone who buys into the oppression mentality should take a look around and see who's really doing the oppressing and who they use as their tools.

I am not saying it's time for a dictatorship of the proletariat — far from it. Power doesn't necessarily corrupt. But let's look at root causes rather than symptoms.

Sir,

Well, you can find many of these underachieving males in jail or prison.
Males are over represented in this demographic about 10 -1. Testosterone poisoning and an Archie Bunker "Do what I'm tellin' ya" mentality, has limited appeal to today's better educated, emancipated women.

The same values also contribute to success or failure in the work environment.

A loss of blue collar manufacturing jobs has exacerbated these trends.

But for your "eclipsed Christian intellectual tradition" it's time to bite the bullet: You need a Second Council of Nicaea. You need to dump the misogyny and homophobia of St. Paul. Declare the poetry of Genesis just that: Poetry, having nothing to do with the science of a planet that is 4.5 billion years old. Ditch Leviticus while your at it.

Women can vote. Women are no longer considered chattel property. They control their own lives, their own bodies. "Submission" has an increasingly limited market. The formulas of Corinthians, Timothy, Peter
have NEVER been a part of my 41 year old marriage

There are many boys who are succeeding brilliantly. But there are too many boys who are still trying to act out social roles in ways educated women consider brain dead.

It in not surprising at all that these young males are left behind, single, divorced, unemployed, or underemployed.

Ross Kane

I am father of two teenaged daughters. While some presume that presents challenges, it does not. I know - or can figure out - how to raise a daughter. My daughters are smart, funny, well-adjusted young women who make me happy and proud every day - and I tell them so. I'm glad that I wasn't given the duty to raise a man in the 21st century. I'm not sure I would know how.

How do I teach a young man how to be a man in the 21st century when I'm not sure that I know how to do it? How should he respond to a bully? Report it? Ignore it? Fight back? The right path for a man - which has been so clear for so long - is not clear at all any more.

One more important point: when African-American students are disciplined at four times the rate of White students everyone is quick to call attention to this disproportionate outcome and ascribe it to racism - either overt or institutional racism based in cultural incompetency. Boys are disciplined ten times the rate of girls. So why doesn't anyone conclude that it is the result of sexism or the inability of the female-dominated education system to understand boy culture? That's really the case, though, isn't it? There are schools in which the children are expected to sit at their desks for hours on end. That's just not how boys are wired. Boys and girls are members of separate cultures, and our schools need to acknowledge that and our school staffs need to be competent in both cultures.