Men and Jane Austen

While discussing events for our singles group we came up with this great idea that the women get to pick an event for the men to do and the men for the women. Whoever gets the most attendees would win the other gender cooking dinner for them.

First the women in the room started talking of ideas for the men. Watch Jane Austen movies? Good idea. Getting facials and pedicures? Also a good idea. Go to a tea room for a tea party? Perfect. A stereotypically 'girly' event that even involves food and nothing that would be particularly offensive to anyone.

Then we switched to the men trying to pick something for the women to do. Watch horror movies? Sure, many women do that anyway. Play football in the mud? Again, several in the group not only would do it but already had. Go to a heavy metal rock concert? Sure, that's K's favorite music genre.

We ended in a quandary since the women seemed willing to do anything the men suggested but not vice-versa. I am still processing what this means but I do find it intriguing. It does seem true that within our society women have culturally embraced many things that are stereotypically (whether right or wrong) 'men's things' to do. But men have not, and have at times even been pushed away, from embracing things that are 'women's things' to do.

I don't want to argue that women and men are the same. But, the situations listed above really come down to personality and interests. Who cares if a man watches Jane Austen? It doesn't make him a women or any less of a man. Just as how women playing mud football doesn't make them less of a women.