Our generation is a witness to a reversal in gender roles. Whereas
twenty years back, men were notorious for being chauvanistic,
dominating, yet committment - phobic and inaccessible, today we
see these very qualities being fervently imbibed by women. Androgyny
seems to be the new thing, for men and women alike. Women today are
breaking away from traditional roles of home-makers, and are at par
with men everywhere. Not only are they more career-minded than ever before, they are seen to be venturing in not-so-traditionally-feminine jobs. Today, women are no longer only teachers or beauty
consultants or PAs to big shots. Instead they are to be seen everywhere,
and many a times, far ahead of men.
Howsoever, not matter how ardently a woman might seek this new
equation between a man and herself, she still wants all the chauvinistic
charms in her man. Not only that, she also wants to be accepted and
respected in her androgynous role. She doesn't want to spend her days
catering to the needs of her man anymore, or rearing and caring for kids. She wants to hold a job, and wants an equal involvement from her
man. But that is where androgyny stops for a man. A man who is
expressive with his emotions is called a crybaby, one who takes care to groom himself well is called a fag;
a woman can disavow the painful saarees and chunnis, but a man who
likes bling is tacky!!
Where does that leave a man? If he gives her woman ample space, she
suspects him of cheating on her. If he dotes on her all the time, she calls
him clingy. If he takes care to look good, she calls her feminine, if he
doesn't he's messy. If he doesn't tell her how much he loves her, he's a ?$%^@&*, and if he does, he's lovesick.
Who is to blame here? Is it man, with a compromised brain and very
confusing demands? Perhaps not!
Perhaps Freud was right when he said, "The great question that has
never been answered, and which I have not yet been able to answer,
despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, is “What
does a woman want?”" Perhaps this question will never be answered!!
twenty years back, men were notorious for being chauvanistic,
dominating, yet committment - phobic and inaccessible, today we
see these very qualities being fervently imbibed by women. Androgyny
seems to be the new thing, for men and women alike. Women today are
breaking away from traditional roles of home-makers, and are at par
with men everywhere. Not only are they more career-minded than ever before, they are seen to be venturing in not-so-traditionally-feminine jobs. Today, women are no longer only teachers or beauty
consultants or PAs to big shots. Instead they are to be seen everywhere,
and many a times, far ahead of men.
Howsoever, not matter how ardently a woman might seek this new
equation between a man and herself, she still wants all the chauvinistic
charms in her man. Not only that, she also wants to be accepted and
respected in her androgynous role. She doesn't want to spend her days
catering to the needs of her man anymore, or rearing and caring for kids. She wants to hold a job, and wants an equal involvement from her
man. But that is where androgyny stops for a man. A man who is
expressive with his emotions is called a crybaby, one who takes care to groom himself well is called a fag;
a woman can disavow the painful saarees and chunnis, but a man who
likes bling is tacky!!
Where does that leave a man? If he gives her woman ample space, she
suspects him of cheating on her. If he dotes on her all the time, she calls
him clingy. If he takes care to look good, she calls her feminine, if he
doesn't he's messy. If he doesn't tell her how much he loves her, he's a ?$%^@&*, and if he does, he's lovesick.
Who is to blame here? Is it man, with a compromised brain and very
confusing demands? Perhaps not!
Perhaps Freud was right when he said, "The great question that has
never been answered, and which I have not yet been able to answer,
despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, is “What
does a woman want?”" Perhaps this question will never be answered!!
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