Sunday, January 29, 2006

The Washington Post recently published a fascinating article on D.C.'s hottest children's entertainer, The Great Zucchini. While he makes over $100,000 per year, the popular clown is almost always broke due to a compulsive gambling problem. The chat with the author, featuring a brief appearance by The Great Zucchini, is also interesting, although one passage rubbed me the wrong way. In response to the author's wry recommendation that the chronically disorganized clown find a good woman to civilize him, one commenter asked:

I am also a little flattered at your view of women as having the potential to civilize life for men who might come up short in some areas. What, however, do men offer to us women, then?

The author's reply:

Unconditional love. Intense, genuine gratitude. Loyalty. Honesty. Protection. A good income. A friend to talk to. Someone willing to overlook her own problems, whatever they may be. Slavish devotion. Etc.

Most of these are to be expected from any relationship and would presumably be provided reciprocally by the woman as well. Which of these are supposed to be exclusively male? (And where's the extra oomph to offset the life-crippling addiction?)

The Washington Post recently published a fascinating article on D.C.'s hottest children's entertainer, The Great Zucchini. While he makes over $100,000 per year, the popular clown is almost always broke due to a compulsive gambling problem. The chat with the author, featuring a brief appearance by The Great Zucchini, is also interesting, although one passage rubbed me the wrong way. In response to the author's wry recommendation that the chronically disorganized clown find a good woman to civilize him, one commenter asked:

I am also a little flattered at your view of women as having the potential to civilize life for men who might come up short in some areas. What, however, do men offer to us women, then?

The author's reply:

Unconditional love. Intense, genuine gratitude. Loyalty. Honesty. Protection. A good income. A friend to talk to. Someone willing to overlook her own problems, whatever they may be. Slavish devotion. Etc.

Most of these are to be expected from any relationship and would presumably be provided reciprocally by the woman as well. Which of these are supposed to be exclusively male? (And where's the extra oomph to offset the life-crippling addiction?)