Monday, April 24, 2006

A View Of The NAGMF

As I was driving home this evening, I learned why I, along with millions of other women, remain perpetually single.

According to Michael Baisden, the self proclaimed, "Bad Boy of Radio," it's because of my reluctance to cook. A portion of Mr. Baisden's show was devoted to his founding of what he called the NAGMF - "The National Organization to Get Men Fed."

I guess he was so hungry, he failed to realize that "organization" does not begin with an "a." Poor baby.

The portion of the show I caught was about why it's important, if not required for a woman to cook for her man. Men need food, and it's a good woman's responsibility to give her man a good meal. It seemed tongue in cheek until a man named George called in and talked proudly about how, when his wife refused to cook the meal he demanded she make for him after she came home from work ("If that's what you want, you better cook it yourself or find someone to do it," she told him), he called his ex-mother-in-law. She told him she'd have his meal ready in two hours. The conversation then turned to who was the better cook - "the southern girl or the northern girl."

Perhaps, once I turned away from the show, the topic of conversation turned to finding a cure to the crippling aversion those men had to a skillet and a stove.

It could happen.

Do you think that when Mario Batali, Emeril Lagasse, or Bobby Flay go home after a long day's work, they walk through the door of their home, plant a kiss on their woman, plop down on the couch and say, "So, what's for dinner?" And if they do, how long does that woman laugh and walk off muttering, "That joke always cracks me up, dear."? And why is it when men grace a kitchen they are highly trained gourmands, but when a woman goes into a kitchen, it's a natural mandate? Can a woman become anemic if she refuses to handle a cast iron skillet?

Check out this article that recently ran in the New York Times to see that no matter how far we advance, our society can't seem to shake the antiquated notion of housework being "woman's work." According to the article, "Housework showed up right after money as the top issue of discord...It was higher on the list than sex, higher than raising the children, ahead of every other issue you can name."

We've come a long way, baby. Haven't we?

I'll let you men out there in on a little secret we ladies keep to ourselves. When we are treated as equals and with respect, we don't mind doing our fair share to maintain a home and make our partners happy. When we are treated like we are required to serve your needs and be good little girls, we will rebel, reject, and shut down.

More to come later. After I pick up my carry-out.

5 Comments:

Blogger Lex Fori said...

Ahhh - don't tell them the secret.

Next thing, you'll be telling them how the same rule applies to B.J.s, when you ask for them, it just takes the fun out.

=)

Off to go buy a breakfast bagel

11:47 AM  
Blogger Lex Fori said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

11:47 AM  
Blogger TEM said...

I'll never reveal the really good secrets, just the common sense ones. Like the fact that the proper use a vacuum cleaner is not hard wired into our DNA, we all don't like stiletto heels and fishnets, and that sometimes, there are benefits to be gained when a man does the dishes independently.

10:50 AM  
Blogger Lex Fori said...

Hey - how did you delete an individual comment? I accidently double posted on mine today and can't figure out how to remove one...

7:33 PM  
Blogger TEM said...

When I logged on the other day, I saw where your comment posted twice. There was a garbage can icon by each one, so I clicked on one of them and the comment went bye-bye.

I'd love for this to sound more techie, but I just don't have it in me. I've just stopped looking for the "any" key on my keyboard.

4:21 PM  

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