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The cartoon above is one of a series drawn by the great American humorist James Thurber called The War Between Men and Women. The idea of such a War has been around for quite some time, of course, whether in fantasy or as an actuality, but it seemed to take on a more virulent character in the 20th century as women acquired and exercised the right to vote and with the advent of feminism.
More recently, disputes regarding gender 1 its relation to sex and sexuality have further complicated matters. Complicated them to such an extent that they may be beyond the understanding of an aged fellow like me, alas. But, being shameless, I'll expound on them nonetheless.
Our endless fascination with sex has generated what seem to be significant and perhaps disturbing concerns regarding masculinity--what it is to be a man, how men should act, how they should behave, particularly where women are concerned. In some cases, these concerns have had results I think peculiar. The so-called "incels" strike me as particularly odd. As I understand it, they're young men who've made a kind of lifestyle out of resentment against women for not satisfying their emotional expectations and physical needs. It's a sadly unworthy to blame others for your perceived failures; sadder still to take a kind of perverse pride in doing so.
In addition, it seems that there's a new psychological or social condition called 'bigorexia" which is supposed to be taking over the lives of young men. It's an obsession regarding muscularity, which apparently compels them to attend gymnasiums and workout constantly in order to develop as many muscles as possible, and so become more "manly."
Perhaps as part of the unfortunate resurgence of the Abrahamic religions, there's an increasing demand that women conform to "traditional" female roles. One sect in particular champions "family voting." The wife and mother, it's proposed, shouldn't vote. Her role is that of homemaker and mother. The father and husband should vote on her behalf, and apparently on behalf of the children. It seems to resurrect, as it were, the ideal of the pater familias.
As may be expected, those who think their masculinity and the masculinity of others are threatened, or being diminished, find disputes regarding gender roles and the existence of transgenders especially alarming; almost as alarming as the existence of gay people. As a result, they actually fear that they may be exposed to them. They especially fear that children will be.
Misogyny thrives in such a climate. So does outrage. So does pandering, particularly by politicians and pundits.
In our Great Republic, we have a love/hate relationship with the sexual act--more accurately with sexual conduct of any kind. We love to have sex (or most of us do, in any case). But we hate having to acknowledge it, or address it, except in limited circumstances, and most of all seek to judge the sexuality of others. If we had any sense, though, when it comes to sex we wouldn't care what consenting adults do, or how they look or act, or what others may think about our sexuality and sexual conduct.
