ManFAQ Friday: Oh, and can you take out the trash, too?
It’s Friday, and that means answer time! For those of you who have commented with questions from previous ManFAQs, thank you. I’m adding yours to the list of questions women have asked about men over the years, and I will answer them all in turn – to continue to demystify the more malodorous gender for those of the gentler. Actual questions, posed by real women, and answered by a REAL man. What could go wrong?
Question: Why do you get twice the credit and attention for doing the damn dishes than we do? In fact, why do you get ANY credit for doing them? Did you not eat off those?
Answer: The question is not “why do we get credit?” You know why. We get credit because our society has undervalued women for centuries and is only now starting to get its collective head out of its ass. Our “role” has been to bring home the food – we kill it, you cook it. Since we’re seen as the great mighty providers, we then get to watch sports while you first cook our meal, then clean up after we’ve made a nice, manly, testosterone-fueled mess of the feast. If we stir a finger to help you with the cooking and cleaning – traditionally women’s roles – society still Oohs and Ahhs over it.
So the question is, why do we accept credit for it? This is simpler – because it’s there. It’s hard to resist being called wonderful for something you were going to do anyway, for something you know you should be doing as a matter of course. Getting credit for doing our fair share as an equal partner? It’s like finding ten Hey Hey tokens while taking out the trash! Who’s not going to pick that up?
So, yeah, we know we don’t deserve it. Sadly, until our society stops handing out free tokens for it, most of us will take them.
Now you know. Please, feel free to comment! Also, forward any questions you’d like answered to BUMD – at – biguglymandoll.com!
Ahhh thank you for addressing my pet peeve. I remember when our 4 kids were really little and people would see Aaron out with all of them, I would be regaled with tales of it and how amazing and legendary he was.
That’s all well and good. But I don’t believe he ever heard the same about me. WTH?
I do believe Aaron was amazing to be able to handle 4 little kids alone, but I think I was too! After all, he is physically stronger than I was, so toting the double stroller in and out of the van was far less physically stressful for him than it was for me.
I love my husband and am so grateful he has had the self discipline, awareness and progressiveness to overcome the societal “free pass” to be lazy self involved morons that so many men have taken on so willingly.
Having met the delightful and amazing Aaron, I believe you completely, and completely agree. Since you are also delightful and amazing, it’s only fitting that he is, too!
Also, throwing around the double stroller is just as physically stressful for is as it is for you – we just refuse to show it or let you know. You know, on account of we’re big macho guys and dads and like that. I may ache for a day, but I’m not going to let you know that! ;-)