Ask a stupid question…
My gf, bless her, really should learn the art of how to solicit an honest response out of me. Take last night for instance. Something had happened at her place of work. A male colleague got promoted into a new position over a female colleague. This was enough to send all the other women into PMS mode. The consensus from the women is that the female is far more capable and should have gotten the job. A sore point indeed! Incidents like this bring the old clichéd stereotypes to the forefront and it fundamentally becomes an issue with how men see women and how they are treated. Now I have empathy for my girl, but when you have a discussion about equality in the workplace and want to strengthen your argument with appropriate questions, it is of paramount importance that you phrase them c-o-r-r-e-c-t-l-y. Even more so when you are having this conversation with a man. Henceforth, to illustrate my point: SHE: "Ms Corporate Piranha is as capable as Mr. Corporate Piranha, if not better, at managing and leading a team of people. Management are (read men) loathe to admit this and do not give due credit to women in the workplace. Women are still viewed as sex objects and have to work twice as hard to earn the respect they deserve despite of their obvious capabilities. How would you like it if women saw you as a sex object?" Huh… I do not know whether I should answer, fumble with the remote or look away so that she cannot see “that look” in my eye. Are you kidding me woman? That is male fantasy numero uno. I am a man… I would BEG any woman to treat me as a sex object. Please God make it happen right now! Recognition and capabilities vs a rampant penis… uhm… no contest! Seeing as she got no response from me and perhaps thinking that I did not understand; she takes it a step further… (oh boy... my entire life could be ruined by this… nations will be brought to their knees!) SHE: "How would you like it if women overlooked all your other good qualities and only wanted to sleep with you all the time?" Images of me naked on a bed surrounded by thousands of adoring giggling woman floods my brain. The “all the time” part totally clinched it for me. Oh yes, I could soo spend the rest of my life lying down... spread-eagled... or in any other position that would please a woman sexually!! Qualities… who the hell needs qualities? I don’t care… take me… use me… abuse me… make me your slave! Anyway, I finally manage to swallow the substantial drool in my mouth. I clear my throat and with great effort say to her, “Honey, I don’t think you should be asking me these questions. I see your point and I understand where you are coming from and without taking anything away from you, all you are doing right now is making me hot and all the blood in my brain… well, it is heading south. She looks at me for a brief moment and a light goes on behind her eyes. She realises just what she had asked of me. She punches me in the stomach and with a, “Grrrr, you men are all the same” gets up and leaves the room. She returns a few minutes later, laughing loudly with a big bowl of potato chips. SHE: "So tell me, what were you really thinking when I asked you those questions?" ME: "I was only thinking how lucky I am to have you. I don’t need other women when one woman does it all for you." (Secretly thinking: She prolly doesn’t believe a word I had said, but I am I am definitely scoring “good bf” points). Hehehe... I lie so well!
