Okay, I know I am hyper-focused on the relentless pronatalism in our culture, but I just have to say this. You know things are out of control when MEN'S magazines are pushing baby-making!Browsing on the internet, I came across this article in Men's Health: "Eight Monumental Sexual Experiences You Must Have". Now remember, this is geared toward men. Let's see, we have:
Wedding Night Sex
Honey-I'm-Home Sex
Makeup Sex
Breakup Sex
Birthday Sex
First-Time-With-Her-Sex
Vacation Sex
and last but not least:
Let's-Have-a-Baby-Sex
Now, let me ask you. Do you really think men are sitting around worrying about whether the sex they are getting is of the let's-have-a-baby variety? Does Men's Health Magazine really think men worry about making sure they have this monumental form of sex? From what I know of men, I think they are happy to be getting sex of any variety, whatever day of the week, no matter what occasion or what circumstances surround the sex. I assure you, they are not sitting around all misty eyed over having baby-making sex.
Secondly, from what I understand about let's-have-a-baby-sex, it's not great sex. For most couples, it's scheduled and calculated like a science experiment. There's no romance or spontaneity. The man is basically a stud horse and certain protocols must be followed precisely for the best chance at success. Crack the whip!
And then, putting pronatalism aside, there's a whole 'nother problem with this article. Not only does it assume all men will make babies, it also assumes all men are heterosexual AND will be married.
So maybe Men's Health Magazine should change it's name to Married Straight Men Who Aim to be Fathers Magazine. That would be a more fitting title.
6 comments:
Well said, Daisy! It's pretty embarrassing owning a penis sometimes, knowing that this is the kind of hogswaller my fellow neander-alls get sucked into. All American mass market specialty magazines are just fluffy, conformist advertising vehicles, anyway..wanna take bets as to whether 20% of the ads in that rag are for Johnson & Johnson products ( also the main US purveyor of baby supplies )?
More evidence that, when it comes to conformity, there's not a VAS DEFERENS between the sexes!
Ah, yeah! I think the only time men are ever really interested in the let's-have-a-baby sex is when it's disguised as hot-one-night-stand sex! Then they realize after the fact that they've been duped! Then they come to seek extra-protected-not-another-a-baby sex.
And you're totally correct, not all men CAN father children - just like women! Though it is a bit compforting to know that the pressure to procreate is no longer focused solely on women. Maybe men will start to understand what it's like for those of us women who are the "abnormal" ones who *gasp* don't have children and probably never will or "double gasp* don't care because they don't WANT children!
But it still does kind of suck all around. I still don't understand why anyone CARES whether other people do or don't have kids. How about whether your neighbor or that person next to you in line at the store is a rapist or a serial killer? Now THAT I believe would be of interest to me...
Hah! Very well said, StayTheCurse. Yup, there is always something behind the fluff.
And I agree with you, Gumby, most men only like the disguised let's-have-a-baby-sex. Unless they've got the 'macho-I-can-make-a-baby' syndrome. Terribly annoying...
I was reading this out loud to Cynical Husband and when I got to:
"Do you really think men are sitting around worrying about whether the sex they are getting is of the let's-have-a-baby variety?"
he said, "If they're smart, they should be! Who wants to get suckered into parenthood?" Took me a second to get what he meant, but the boy's got a point.
Great point, StaytheCurse - I didn't think of the advertising angle!
Gumby, your comment about let's-have-a-baby sex being disguised as one-night-stand sex made me LOL. And I agree with you that there are bigger worries to be had about the people around us than whether they have or want children!
Schrodinger's Kittens, your hubby makes a great point!
Hey, this is the same magazine that sent a collection agency after me because I decided to let my subscription expire. It's mostly reconstituted tripe... Cosmo with testosterone.
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