Dad Talk: Your Significant Other

In the fifties, gender roles were socially defined. It was common and expected of men to think of women as housewives, subservient, fuck, we didn't even let them vote. The role of the man was that of leader, the head of household, the captain of a misogynistic ship of abuse. Why is it that sixty-three years later, there is still a whole class of these cavemen who still think of women this way? It's not just roles of marriage, but I feel like I am constantly hearing men around me talk about what a woman is supposed to do, or how she should be acting. I even heard, "I wouldn't stand for a woman speaking that way to me, she should know better," by a man I respected up until that point. 

The problem that I have with this is that I really do believe, (I also feel this way about most Christians) that most of these dudes know that they are wrong. Any thinking man knows that a woman shouldn't be pressure-limited to what she may accomplish in her life, yet, men still behave this way. Is it some sort of sick power fulfillment? I am certainly not judging anyone who chooses to cater to a man like this, if that's what you want in a relationship, then awesome, but my issue is with this barbaric idea that somehow the man is genetically pre-disposed to being dominant. It reminds me of all that gay isn't natural bullshit that spews out of O'Reilly's mouth every saturday.

On top of the fact that behaving in such a way is a borderline human rights violation, I have a big question for all of those bros who think that by giving your lady an equal piece of the power pie that you are somehow less of a man. Why do you want that? When I watch Madmen, I see that old-timey marriage, and I wonder to myself, "Why would any man want that?" To live out a lifetime of companionship not knowing what your wife really thinks? To spend the rest of your days denying equal opinion- decision making rights to a woman by omitting her identity? Wouldn't you, as a man, rather be with a partner who challenges your thoughts, contraries your opinions frequently, and openly offers her point of view even when it clashes with yours? Isn't that more manly?

Just a thought, brought on by a very specific incident that I witnessed. Have a great day, and stop being assholes. All of you.