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Conference quark::mennotes-v1

Title:Topics Pertaining to Men
Notice:Archived V1 - Current file is QUARK::MENNOTES
Moderator:QUARK::LIONEL
Created:Fri Nov 07 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 26 1993
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:867
Total number of notes:32923

236.0. "woman good men bad" by MPGS::POLLAN () Thu Jun 09 1988 02:20

    
    
     Has anyone given notice to the fact that 99.9 percent of
    daytime television is giving men a bad image.  Woman have
    it totally and I have yet to see any daytime show even give
    any credence to men's issues at all. Sure they are catering
    to a primarily female audience but that shouldn't give a
    permanent liscence to go after men on every front. Is there
    a debate to be had on this subject ?
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236.1QUARK::LIONELWe all live in a yellow subroutineThu Jun 09 1988 02:4312
    Male-bashing is "in" now on TV, haven't you noticed?  All those
    commercials that, in days gone by would show a helpless woman being
    "rescued" by a man, are now showing the reverse - the klutz man being
    upstaged by the clever woman. 
    
    As for the soaps, they are only showing what their audience wants to
    see.
    
    Unfortunately, on TV as in other places, folks don't seem to recognize
    that male-bashing is just as wrong as female-bashing.
    
    					Steve
236.2Well, I don't think they're so badFSLENG::HEFFERNwe make it harder than it has to beThu Jun 09 1988 04:2522
    Well, I guess I have to agree a bit on the commercials...but I do
    think that on daytime tv (ok, the soaps) it's split pretty evenly.
    There's always some poor Joe that has fallen hopelessly over the
    town's number one bitch.  He's forever trying to marry her and she'll
    always take him for what she can.   Or how about all the poor nice
    men that wind up duped into marrying someone who's carrying his
    best friend's, or brother's baby? etc....
    
    You know, it's kind of curious.  This and the "other" conference
    are there to discuss different issues and points of view pertaining
    to our sex.  Instead, they seem to be filled with topics regarding
    the other sex.  We take a subject and bash at what the other sex
    thinks and feels about it.  Or opinions will inevitably be what
    we perceive the other sex thinks and feels.    (Am I being clear
    enough, having tough time with wording, being no literary giant).
    
    The topics are almost always Male vs Female.   They don't start
    out that way if you scan the directory, but they all end up that
    way.  Always the battle lines drawn. (sigh).
    
                                                cj *->
    
236.5QUARK::LIONELWe all live in a yellow subroutineThu Jun 09 1988 13:0027
    Re: .2
    
    I agree that "battle-lines" seem to be drawn everywhere - sometimes
    deliberately, often accidentally.  I don't understand why this should
    be.
    
    But it seems natural to me that, for many of us anyway, the opposite
    sex is a very important factor in our lives, so we talk about them
    and their influence on us.  (The previous sentence is intended to
    apply to either men or women.)
    
    So it should not be surprising that most of the topics here relate
    to how women affect men.  I don't see anything wrong with this and
    encourage full discussion and participation from everyone, men and
    women.
    
    Back to the original topic - I can't really comment on the soaps
    because it's been so long since I've seen them.  But from what I do
    pick up, it seems that the "evil" characters in soaps tend to be
    female more often than male - the men who are "naughty" are often
    portrayed as sexually desireable.  This fits with the majority
    audience, women, who are more likely to not want to see a lot of
    competition on the screen.  Soaps are escapist fantasies.  (Men
    have their escapist fantasies too - they just are on later in the
    day!)
    
    					Steve
236.6If TV's a reflection of society, we're in trouble.TSECAD::HEALYLife is perfectly fair.Thu Jun 09 1988 21:4519
    
         Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you for bringing this up. I
        have been noticing this for quite a while. It seems to be a
        trend which is still on the increase. This prevails in shows
        and in commercials. Men are the dumb-*ss incompetent fools
        and the rational, self-assured, level-headed women out there
        are always having to set us straight. Women using violence
        against men is also much more common nowadays and is a lot
        more excepted.
         The only thing that useless box is good for is the 7 pm news.
         People are so used to TV and so conditioned by it they have
        consciously forgotten just how bad it really is! Look at the
        percentage of commercial time versus program time. Just one
        example.
         Fred Friendly, a long time TV executive, put it aptly:
        "TV makes so much money being bad, it can't afford to be good."
    
                                                                 MATT
    
236.7QUARK::LIONELWe all live in a yellow subroutineFri Jun 10 1988 15:205
    I'll just remind folks that the "dumb men, smart women" image is
    the reverse of what was portrayed on TV in the 50's and 60's.
    But what about "two wrongs don't make a right"?
    
    				Steve
236.8assertiveness on televisionXCELR8::POLLITZSat Jun 11 1988 23:1721
    re .0   "Has anyone given notice to the fact that 99.9 percent
             of daytime television is giving men a bad image?"
    
             It is highly improbable that male bashing on TV can
             possibly be as high as you state.  
    
             In my viewing experience I believe that there exists a
             balanced amount of M/F bashing.  I think that we just
             are more alert to the extent of bashing that is going 
             on, and are taking notice of a trend toward (well, against)
             men.  
    
             It is quite possible that what we are seeing is Women
             that are simply being assertive.  Assertiveness is a
             most healthy human quality and "speaking up" improves 
             communication between us all.  
    
             So is it bashing or assertiveness?  I contend that it's
             much more of the latter.
    
                                                    Russ P.
236.10TSECAD::HEALYLife is perfectly fair.Mon Jun 13 1988 19:2510
    
    
        Russ, if you can afford a sex change operation - go for it!
    
    
                                                              MATT
    
    
    
    
236.11Dr Russ at your serviceMCIS2::POLLITZMon Jun 13 1988 20:094
       Matt, if you can afford a lobotomy, I have a scalpel. And
    even if you can't afford one ...
    
                                                :-)   Russ
236.12Woman's issues are talkingMPGS::POLLANMon Jun 13 1988 23:0619
    
    Look this perfectly well considered subject has gone to each other
    being at eachother's throats. Now cut it out.  Let's face it one
    can deny that sexism cuts both ways but they could all so believe
    the moon is green cheese.  To not see the man in the moon when
    he is straight in your face is your problem.  It is as if to say
    that there is no rascism from non-whites to whites.  come on.
    Of course there is but it is not as obvious.  There is no doubt
    that some woman and woman in general have male negative image
    and that it is a trend in advertising  to cator to the woman.
    It used to cator to the men.  But just stay home and watch any
    daytime talk show and men are shoved around like a sack of potatoes.
    The name of this note .0 was based on a Sat. nite livve skit that
    hit the nail on the head.  If you write a mans self help book,or
    how to get your man a better orgasm,or how to get your woman to
    do more in the bed room or HOW TO PICK UP THE LADIES you are not
    going to sell it because you won't make it on People Are Talking.
    Is it taboo to learn how to get more dates?
    
236.13AXEL::FOLEYRebel without a ClueTue Jun 14 1988 15:059
       
       
       	Geez, and to think I got beat up, deleted, and flamed at for saying 
       less... Oh well, back to the topic at hand...
       
       My opinion is that we all bash each other..  Just not at the
       same time.. And some do it more than others.. :-)
       
       						mike
236.14HANDY::MALLETTSituation hopeless but not seriousWed Jun 15 1988 20:5473