Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: OsoVerde
Hey guys, it is possible to shred this stupid article without being 10x more sexist than the author... Some of you would get more respect if you responded with legitimate criticism like the others, instead of saying the author wrote it because she was ugly and couldn't trap a man, hurr hurr. Just because the article mentions feminism doesn't mean it is feminist. Feminists don't expect men to be breadwinners any more than they expect women to be housekeepers. They expect people to quit doing things like making stupid comments attacking the appearance of female writers they disagree with, instead of attacking their words.
I'm female, mid 20's, dislike children, do like beer, certainly don't fault anyone else that feels the same. In today's world, you're crazy and going to be stuck below the poverty line if you get married by 18 and don't use birth control. Buying a house looks hopeless for most people my age, even if you have a partner/spouse/____ also contributing an income. When we grow up, we don't have a cushy middle-class life waiting. So forget having the white picket fence and kids, let's go to BevMo and get some interesting Belgian ale and start a round of UT, we can actually afford that.
...Even if I could afford it, I have no desire to reproduce and don't see why anyone should feel obligated to do it. Nobody should have kids unless they want 'em. I think this is only a good thing that people are realizing they don't have to cram themselves into little molds based on some mythical nuclear family when it's not for them. This benefits all genders.
It is people like you who remind me that the world has not entirely lost its mind. Very well put.
As others have said, the trend is indeed valid for men. But the author overlooks that the same trend exists for women as well. I also believe that even though pretty much every implication about young men in the article can also be applied to young women, the author would vehemently disagree with anyone who pointed that out.
Speaking as a mid-20's male, the article does sound some alarm bells for me. Not because it is convicting, but because it seems to set marriage and kids up as the end goal of life. This is a trap that I've seen far too many women my age fall into. I really cannot count the number of times I've been on a first or second date and had the girl bring up how "all she wanted" out of life was a nice little house, a husband, and a couple of children. Those are wonderful goals to be sure (I'm not ready for that yet, but I see value), but they shouldn't be "all". What about travel, and culture, and recreation? What about all the varied experiences that make life worth living? I'm not saying that marriage and kids are bad, only that, while they are certainly admirable goals, they should not be the sum total of what we want. Every person has it in him or her to be so much more in addition to being a husband/wife and father/mother.
Unfortunately, as my career progresses and I establish myself, I notice more and more that women are treating me not as a potential companion and intellectual match, but rather as a stable income. All too often it's obvious that they aren't looking for someone who compliments their own personality and interests, rather they're looking for someone who is tolerable and can provide them with a stable income and who will be dutiful as a father. Both of those are good qualities, but I'm more than a dependable income and responsible potential father and I'm not going to spend much time with a woman who doesn't see that.
ZV