Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Where have the good men gone?

Kay S. Hymowitz (WSJ.com)
Kay S. Hymowitz argues that too many men in their 20s are living in a new kind of extended adolescence (Image: Erin Patrice O'Brien for The Wall Street Journal).

Not so long ago, the average American man in his 20s had achieved most of the milestones of adulthood: a high-school diploma, financial independence, marriage, and children.

Today, most men in their 20s hang out in a novel sort of limbo, a hybrid state of semi-hormonal adolescence and responsible self-reliance. This "pre-adulthood" has much to recommend it, especially for the college-educated. But it's time to state what has become obvious to legions of frustrated young women: It doesn't bring out the best in men.
Between his lack of responsibilities and an entertainment media devoted to his every pleasure, today's young man has no reason to grow up, says author Kay Hymowitz. She discusses her book, Manning Up: How the Rise of Women Has Turned Men Into Boys.

"We are sick of hooking up with guys," writes the comedian Julie Klausner, author of a touchingly funny 2010 book, I Don't Care About Your Band: What I Learned from Indie Rockers, Trust Funders, Pornographers, Felons, Faux-Sensitive Hipsters and Other Guys I've Dated. What Ms. Klausner means by "guys" is males who are not boys or men but something in between. More>>
  • Why are you single?
    (Match.com) If you’re single, I’m sure you’ve asked yourself more than once: “Why me?” As for the answer, chances are your friends and family may have been more than, ahem, generous in offering their opinions, and I’ll bet that little voice in your head has had a say, too. But before you find fault in what you’re doing on the dating scene, take a look at what you’re thinking. You may simply be suffering from a spell of dating pessimism. What to say?
  • “My best icebreaker is...”
    You know that moment: you spot someone across a crowded room, bus, or produce section. You’d love to meet -- but what the heck can you say to a complete stranger that won’t come off as dorky or desperate? Try one of these real-world icebreakers that singles swear by. Why? Simple, these lines have earned them plenty of dates!

No comments: