King Arthur or Jay Gatsby?
Don Quixote or Humbert Humbert?
Howard Roarke or Ellsworth Toohey?
In writing Magnanimous millennial males it occurred to me that some millennial males claim to value selflessness, openness, and empathy over physical strength, competitiveness, and independence because they think it improves their chances of getting laid. If so, they’re apparently going to be disappointed.
This is an interesting article, though it suffers from donning the straight-jacket of Feminist terminology: Feminists Think Sexist Men Are Sexier than “Woke” Men
Men frequently complain about being “friendzoned,” the idea being that men who are respectful toward their female interests get placed into the role of friend, rather than potential boyfriend…
These are complex, highly politicized dynamics that foster conflicts and finger pointing between the genders. Unfortunately, research suggests that women do in fact find sexist men attractive.
That quote benefits from a little parsing. First, are women more attracted to men they respect? I’d be interested in that answer. Second, what exactly is meant by “respectful” here? At one time opening a door for a woman was considered respectful by both parties.
And why “unfortunately?” Wouldn’t that depend on the meaning of sexist and sexier (and respect)? Oh, I know “sexism” carries heavy, despised bags. This implication is so obviously true to the author he doesn’t even examine it. But he does recognize something called “benevolent sexism.”
Maybe chivalry is a better term. But, chivalry, of course, is sexist. A man might get an earful if he opens a door for certain women. One assumes certain women don’t respect men who would open a door for them, but who knows? It’s a “highly politicized dynamic.”
One perhaps overly simple way to define sexism is, “treating women differently from men,” and it’s the definition Feminists use when they decry the non-existent “wage gap.” It doesn’t matter how dangerous the job, how many hours are worked, level of education, length of job experience, etc.: If women aren’t paid the same amount across the board, it’s because of sexism.
What definition is in use often depends on what point a Feminist is trying to make.
Since women are different from men, perhaps there’s a benefit to sexism. For both sexes. As Tom Lehrer was wont to say, “When correctly viewed, everything is lewd.”