Are Men Necessary?

"Romantic Googling can be as dangerous as drunk text messaging, of course. Checking out a prospective date on Google, you can see a story, blog, or picture that might give an unflattering or inaccurate impression-- or an unflattering, accurate one. Or you can simply get the wrong person."

I know. This recently happened to me.

NY Times columnist Maureen Dowd makes many observations like this one in her book Are Men Necessary? which I have just begun to read. My mother bought the book for me for Christmas and it is full of witty insight and sly humor. On the subject of the male psyche she states, "I was loath to accept the premise of Jerry Seinfeld, who claims that 'men are really nothing more than extremely advanced dogs' who want the same things from their women that they want from their underwear: 'A little bit of support and a bit of freedom.'" She would rather accept the idea that men are the least understood of any species on this planet. She herself admits, "I don't understand men. I don't even understand what I don't understand about men. They're the most inscrutable bunch, really."

Many thousands of years of male/female interaction and we may know less about each other now than ever. Like Dowd, I believe that the Women's Movement is partially responsible. To understand what I mean, please pick up Dowd's book. If it fails to enlighten you, it'll still give you a chuckle.