I put it down to yogurt, myself
How not to do sociology.
10 Responses to “I put it down to yogurt, myself”
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gordo says:
Heh. Glenn Reynolds is a fucking idiot. Indeed.
June 24th, 2006 at 11:05 am EST -
Violet says:
It amazes me that he tries to think of the “most relevant” change since 1970, and he comes up with pornography.
Hello, women’s liberation? Hello, the greatest social upheaval of gender roles in history? Not to mention the transformation of attitudes towards and understanding of rape, in particular.
And all Glenn can think of is porn.
You know, I actually remember 1970. It was so rare for a woman to be a surgeon that there was a riddle going around that played upon the fact. Life magazine did a cover on The Woman Question — what are we gonna do with the little ladies? Should they be allowed out of the house? The entire world of power and business and the professions was overwhelmingly dominated by white men. Just a sea of white men, everywhere.
And as for rape, it was never spoken of publicly except to caution sotte voce that if it happened — and it might, being a natural result of men’s lustiness — then you should lie back and enjoy it.
All that has changed, the world has turned upside down — and all Glenn Reynolds can think of is porn.
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BAC says:
I definitely remember the 70′s and I think I would have to respond “all of the above” to what has been said … particularly about the yogurt.
BAC
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evil_fizz says:
All that has changed, the world has turned upside down — and all Glenn Reynolds can think of is porn.
Do we suppose that’s because his attitudes towards women haven’t changed at all?
Also, isn’t there a solid, peer-reviewed study which says rape is explicitly correlated with the status of women within society? (I’ll have to see if I can find it.)
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CR says:
I don’t know about porn, but it seems to me that some things may matter. One is that as they were saying , young men are fewer in number than those days. Also, we have a three strikes law. Lastly, the younger men of today- at least some of the ones I know, are very different in their attitudes toward females and sex than their fathers. I think this is a good thing, and is a direct positive result of the hard work feminists have been doing over these last 30 years. So I think it’s good news. Also, and I don’t know if this has anythibng to do with anything, but there is alot more of divorce. And males are being raised more by their Moms and Grand Moms more than before. I wonder if this primary female role modelling rather than the Male head of the household is changing the minds of younger males towards females, maybe for the better. I don’t know, I’m just wondering out loud.
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gordo says:
CR–
I wonder if this primary female role modelling rather than the Male head of the household is changing the minds of younger males towards females, maybe for the better.
This is why you’d never get a job as a newspaper columnist. You’re not allowed to challenge the orthodoxy that boys are ALWAYS better off if there’s a male role model in the household.
Nobody in the mainstream press dares to dredge up all the alarmist rhetoric that filled the newspapers back in the 1980s, about the fatherless, crack-addled “superpredators” who would soon be raping and murdering at random, all the while blasting “gangsta rap” through the speakers of stolen cars.
But the fatherless generation turned out to be a lot more law-abiding than the Baby Boomers who made the dire predictions. Go figure.
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CR says:
This is why you’d never get a job as a newspaper columnist. You’re not allowed to challenge the orthodoxy that boys are ALWAYS better off if there’s a male role model in the household.
Good role models of either gender in any household is a nice thing. Bad role models is destablizing for children and gives them extra phychological pests to have to overcome as adults. of course the more good role models a child has- the better off for the kid- the home, and society. I think children growing up in the total absense of one or the other parent creates a longing and curiousity about the missing parent. That seems only natural. I don’t know have any sort of opinion on this issue. Whether it’s better to have a father or sometimes the mother, at all costs- maybe the cost is too high sometimes.
Both my nephews have the Mom as their primary role model with Dad only every other weekend. The boys calmed down a great deal when he left the home. The stress of the fighting and carrying on was taking it’s toll on them.I don’t think it’s an ideal situation by any means. Ideal is when both parents are nice people who do their very best. Maybe Grandma and Grandpa. Nice teachers, nice friends. But that’s all pie in the sky. This is the real world.
But the fatherless generation turned out to be a lot more law-abiding than the Baby Boomers who made the dire predictions. Go figure.
I noticed this too. While we still have lots of societal pests still with us. In general, it’s looking like the younger people- for whatever reason, are less rebelious and more easy going. Maybe they are just pooped out. Maybe all the chaos of divorce, fighting of their parents, rebellion of their parents, cheating, heartbreaking and general smart ass attitude of their parents caused the kids to get tired. Maybe they have had enough of it. Maybe Mom and Dad aren’t around as much as the older generations were, and the kids of today are more accepting of their parents. And alot of other factors. Mom working, instead of being the household servant to be taken for granted by all in the home. Dad either not there, or helping more around the house. And other things like that.
I don’t have kids. and I’m not saying kids don’t have their silly things that kids have. Just seems the ones I know are more easy going than previous generations for whatever reason. And Mom or Gramma being a primary role model these days probably has alot to do with it.
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CR says:
And Mom or Gramma being a primary role model these days probably has alot to do with it.
I’m sorry, this is wrong. Instead of saying “probably” I should have said “might’ have something to do with it. I don’t have an opinion on this one, where many other people do. I was only wondering about it.
And I understand that this is very complex and has many nuances and factors that I didn’t mention.
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gordo says:
CR–
Maybe all the chaos of divorce, fighting of their parents, rebellion of their parents, cheating, heartbreaking and general smart ass attitude of their parents caused the kids to get tired.
I would argue that the partial destigmatization of divorce has saved a lot of kids from growing up in a chaotic environment of parental fighting, cheating, etc.
So I agree with your point that it’s not the absence of male role models per se that’s led to a less violent and less criminal generation. I’d say it’s the absence of the fighting, or the alcoholism, or whatever led so many parents to divorce.
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CR says:
I would argue that the partial destigmatization of divorce has saved a lot of kids from growing up in a chaotic environment of parental fighting, cheating, etc.
I won’t argue on that. I think you’re right. That stuff is too hard on little kids. Heck, it’s hard on older kids- maybe even harder on them. Grown ups. It’s rough. Too many tears. Too much confusion, chaos, everything up in the air. No good.
