Comments on: Hey, Everyone, It’s MENKSGIVING!

By: zuzu

zuzu — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:09:47 +0000

It’s the Spanner Fairies who go round the house last thing at night, checking the downstairs doors and windows are locked

Oh, you must be exhausted! Allow me to wipe the sweat from your noble brow, my protector. As for the whole sitcom thing: who does he thinks writes sitcoms? Friends in particular was known as a boys' club; if I'm not mistaken, one of the female writers brought a sexual harassment suit. Not to mention, the whole doofy/fat husband and competent/thin wife? Goes back to The Honeymooners. Blame Jackie Gleason and everyone who tries to recreate that successful formula.

By: Christina

Christina — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:24:06 +0000

Lauren, I understand that, which is why I have no objection to the way the connection with Thanksgiving was formulated in the main article – in fact, as I stated above, I agree with all of Sady’s points. But Sady acknowledged that James Delingpole is not from the US and that he will not be celebrating Thanksgiving. She simply seems to be saying “right now I am particularly sensitive to the stupid thing you just said, Delingpole, because of the situation I currently find myself in, although I realise that you do not share that situation.” Nothing wrong with that. What I do object to was the huffiness directed at Delingpole in the comments for “picking” Thanksgiving to write this piece or that this is an “odd time of year in this country” to complain, when in actual fact in the country that Delingpole does live in its just day like any other. And the reason I mention this is because these comments jar with me for pretty much the same reason Delingpole’s do (although admittedly to a much lesser degree – they are obviously just the product of haste and thoughtlessness, rather than entitlement). Delingpole’s complaints are based on a lack of perspective, a failure to view the world through the eyes of others – however if somebody wants to bring him to task for his slated point of view, it might be best if they first checked to make sure that they own perceptions are entirely objective. People say a lot of nonsense in homosocial environments (or in this case, environments they foolishly assume are homosocial). The same is true of homoethnic ones. And the thing is, I don’t really care for either, that’s all.

By: Sanjo in Canada

Sanjo in Canada — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:05:30 +0000

Yeah I thought it was a little funny when I saw that it was a UK paper, but not a big deal. It is also a holiday in Canada, where it is celebrated in October.

What a silly article, which you have already done a good job examining.

“Spanner Fairies”? There are also a lot of other, FEMALE “fairies” that do a hell of a lot of thankless work and get met with such a foolish “wahh bow down before us” rambling

By: evil_fizz

evil_fizz — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:37:35 +0000

Neither my husband nor I have much interest in housework. However, we both reach a critical point where we can’t stand it anymore and will attack some portion of it. We then call the other over and request validation for whatever annoying task has been accomplished. (We’ve even sent e-mails titled “request for validation”.) It actually works better than I would have expected.

By: Lizzie

Lizzie — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:30:17 +0000

@Wednesday – thank you! Please strike relativity from my comment. I have just done some Googlage of Lise Meitner and I am adding her to my arsenal of awesome women to teach my future daughters about – refugee, scientist, conscientious objecter, what an amazing person! More ammunition when sexists say the wimminz aren’t brave or principled and can’t do Nobel-prizewinning work (of course she got screwed like Franklin – who to be fair was dead and Nobels aren’t given posthumously but she was the giant on whose shoulders Wilkins, Crick and Watson stood – and why’s it called the damn Auger effect when Meitner discovered it 2 years before Auger… of course, he had a penis). I love that Max Planck gave her a job when women weren’t even allowed into lectures. Good for Planck.

Of course if the MRAs get wind of this they’ll probably start blaming women for the bomb.

By: Faith from F.N.

Faith from F.N. — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:34:20 +0000

“I guess I should have put “most men” before the last sentence.”

Given the rate of male violence against women, maybe you might wish to consider the phrase “some men”.

Be that as it may, I fail to understand how some people don’t realize that men believing that they must protect women is in fact a form of misogyny. That particular idea stems from the idea that men are dominant and women are fragile little critters that need a big manly man around in order to function and survive. It’s pure misogyny, whether or not the men who feel that way even recognize it as such.

By: GreyLadyBast

GreyLadyBast — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:31:27 +0000

Karen, that link in your threadjacking doesn’t work.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:28:36 +0000

Christina, I think the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday is just a segue, in that it’s funny that on a day where ol’ boy is lamenting his apparently thankless family just so happens to be the day we U.S.ians commence to ratchet up the narrative of gratefulness that goes along with what is for many of us Eat Shit and Like It Season, i.e. a trying holiday season spent straining already strained family relationships. Like this Thanksgiving, where I volunteered to help cook a dish or two and ended up paying for and cooking the whole damned dinner for thirteen people.

By: sophiefair

sophiefair — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:15:29 +0000

Oh and keeping track of all the school shit like excursion forms and payment envelopes and gold coin donations (although he will do lunches.)

this. and all the birthday parties. and playdates. and after-school/extracurricular activities. and who needs new socks. my husband and my ex both have no fucking idea how much time, energy and brain space i use on stupid kid/house logistics. when is the school photo money due and do both midgets have games tonight and are there any carrots in the fridge? they just don’t have to spend as much time thinking about the needs of other people. it is soooo frustrating.

By: SomePerson

SomePerson — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:25:56 +0000

@ Christina

I was talking about my own personal experiences.
I guess I should have put “most men” before the last sentence.