Messages

1546

Main / Misandric Expedia.com commercial

Aug 08, 2004, 11:21 AM

Expedia.com has a commercial in which a man and his wife are discussing vacation plans in their kitchen.  The man is looking up places to see in New York on his laptop computer by using Expedia.com.  The wife asks if they would be able to see a play called Magique.  The man imagines himself at the play, where the actors strip off his shirt and paint a goofy face on his chest.  The man then suggests an alternative event, which the wife agrees to.

To contact Expedia.com, please go to:

https://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll?qscr=fbak&&zz=1091333006460&&&zz=1091333008616

Here is my email to Expedia.com:

I am writing in regard to an Expedia.com commercial called "Magique."  This commercial shows a man and his wife discussing vacation plans in their kitchen.  The man is looking up places to see in New York on his laptop computer by using Expedia.com.  The wife asks if they would be able to see a play called Magique.  The man imagines himself at the play, where the actors strip off his shirt and paint a goofy face on his chest.  The man then suggests an alternative event, which the wife agrees to.  

I realize that it's important to have a sense of humor, but it gets tiresome when men are always the butt of the joke.  Frankly, I'm tired of commercials in which men are humiliated like this.  I don't think you would have shown a similar commercial with the gender roles reversed.  Please discontinue this commercial (and others like it) and start portraying men in as respectful a manner as you portray women.  Otherwise, I will not use your online service anymore.

Steve

1547

Main / AZ anti-erection law

Jul 27, 2004, 10:46 AM

Perhaps a pro-bono lawyer would be willing to challenge the anti-erection law in Arizona?  dr evil

Seriously, though, it doesn't seem fair to have a law against something that can be quite involuntary.

Steve

1548

Main / This isn't helpful

Jun 08, 2004, 06:23 PM

What sense does it make to marry down? If we marry up (hard to do in some cases, I'd say, but then I don't know what your criteria are) then we benefit more than people marrying down do.

You are saying women marry up and men marry down? And then you would like to have it that men are the SMARTER sex??

Incautious.  

I don't think that there is a "smarter" or "better" sex.  It's just that men and women have different and complementary areas of strengths and weaknesses.  It isn't helpful to say that one is better than the other.

Also, how do you define marrying "up?"  Traditionally, women would want to marry men with more financial resources than they have, while men would want to marry women who are younger and attractive.  So, in terms of beauty, men also wanted to marry "up."  

Of course, the fact that men on average earned more says nothing of how the money was spent.  If the money was given to the wife to spend for the family, everyone benefited.  It worked both ways, as while the wife may have made many of the purchasing decisions, the family as a whole benefited.  Therefore, the feminist whining about a misleading "pay gap" serves no purpose.   :blahblah:  :boohoo:

Steve

1549

Main / I'm going to the conference

Jun 08, 2004, 06:12 PM

I'll be at the conference.

Steve

1550

Main / ABCNews.com: Double bash headline special

Jun 07, 2004, 04:34 PM

Two of the three main "headlines" in ABCNews.com today promulgate the wage-gap myth and insult fathers.

One is titled "Pay Snub: Why do most women earn less than men?"

http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/Business/US/wages_gap_040607-1.html

The other is titled:  "Daddy Knows Best? One father says he was accused  
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/Living/US/mental_illness_treatment_kids_040607-1.html

As a bonus, I got to see a pop-up ad from Honda with the caption "My husband was raised by wolves."  Sounds familiar.  :banghead:

Steve

1551

Main / What are Men's Issues? - a brochure

Jun 06, 2004, 03:48 PM

Have you seen the brochure "What are Men's Issues?"  It's something that I adapted (with permission) from a document by Trudy Schuett.  It was intended to cover the main issues in the men's movement.

A link to the brochure can be found at:

http://www.mensactivism.org/activism_files/what_are_mens_issues.pdf

It does parallel many of the points made above.

1552

Main / My response to Doonsebury.com

May 23, 2004, 04:44 PM

My response to the May 23 Doonesbury comic strip at:

http://www.doonesbury.com/media/contact/index.html

Garry Trudeau apologized for running the May 23 "head on a platter" strip so soon after Nicholas Berg's beheading in Iraq. As a men's issues advocate, I have to ask why it would be OK to have published the cartoon if the beheading had not recently taken place.

There is a double standard in the media in which violence against women is (rightly) presented as abhorrent, while violence against men is (wrongly) portrayed as humorous and well-deserved. This particular strip is yet another example of this.

In my view, sexism in the media is a two-way street. While the media is vigilant against misogyny, it's male-bashing (misandry) goes largely unchecked. This must cease if Western society is to achieve a balanced approach to gender equality for men as well as women.

Steven G. Van Valkenburg
Founder of Men's Issues Online
-a voice for men's advocacy
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MensIssuesOnline

1553

Main / Doonesbury strip shows man's head on platter (5/23/04)

May 23, 2004, 09:36 AM

The Doonesbury comic strip (by Gary Trudeau) for May 23 shows the character "Joanie" carrying a platter with a university president's head on it.  The headless man says "What's this?" to which she replies "A good start."

Here is a link to the strip:

http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/

Universal Press apologized for running the strip so soon after Nicholas Berg's beheading in Iraq.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0516doonesbury16.html

Why it would be OK to have published the cartoon if the beheading had not recently taken place?

Steve

1554

Main / Correction to earlier post

May 22, 2004, 06:07 PM

I should have written "If you sprinkle when you tinkle" - not the other way around.  :oops:

1555

Main / Honda Pilot ad: "My husband was raised by wolves"

May 22, 2004, 06:02 PM

Honda has an annoying ad for its Pilot SUV where a wife states
that "My husband was raised by wolves." The first time I saw this
was on Super Bowl Sunday (the day of the infamous Janet Jackson
incident at half-time). It showed the husband looking all
dishevelled while licking a plate like a dog, drinking straight from
the water cooler at work, and chasing a Frisbee (thrown by his son)
into a stream.

I hate this nonsense! They can expect a letter from me about where
I'll buy my next car (unless there is an apology and a retraction of
the ad in which case I might reconsider).

To contact Honda, try this:

By Phone:
At our toll-free number: (800) 999-1009

By Fax:
(310) 783-3023 (24 Hours)

By Mail:
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Honda Automobile Customer Service
1919 Torrance Boulevard
Mail Stop: 500 - 2N - 7D
Torrance, CA 90501-2746

"Our business hours are Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m., Pacific Time."


Note: No email address was provided

Their site is:

http://www.hondacars.com

Steve

1556

Main / If you tinkle when you sprinkle ...

May 19, 2004, 05:41 PM

Urinating while standing up need not be messy if you're careful.  And sitting down for women doesn't necessarily mean the act is more hygienic.  I've heard of a sign in the women's bathroom that says "If you tinkle when you sprinkle, be a sweetie - wipe the seatie." (No, I didn't go in there, I read it somewhere!).

Steve

1557

Introductions / New to group

May 17, 2004, 07:51 PM

My name is Steve Van Valkenburg, and I'm the founder of Men's Issues Online (Yahoo).  

How did it start?

Well, I came to the Men's Movement at about the same time as a lot of others (perhaps there was a tipping point around 2001 or so).  I had become increasingly annoyed at what appeared to be an accumulation of insults against the male gender in the media and general society.  I found the "Men's Movement" groups in Yahoo about that time, and decided to start my own.  First, there was Equitarians (goofy name, now defunct).  Then the viscerally named "Stop Anti-Male Bias" which was superseded by Men's Issues Online (a name that I chose carefully, though rather generic sounding).  

Well, I must have hit a nerve with a lot of other men (and even some women), because the group has grown rapidly in the past few years to over 700 today.  It has been an editors pick twice (most recently last week).  

Anyway, it is just one of many good men's movement groups that have appeared online in the last few years.  Most recently I have come across Stand Your Ground, which I find to be quite interesting and informative.

Each of us in our own way can define and advance men's issues.

Sincerely,

Steve Van Valkenburg
Founder of Men's Issues Online - a voice for men's advocacy
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MensIssuesOnline

Also try:

http://www.mensactivism.org

1558

Main / I'm one of the "Colorado delegates"

May 17, 2004, 07:24 PM

I'm going to the Men's Rights Congress as well (by the way, I just joined SYG).

Steve Van Valkenburg
Founder of Men's Issues Online - a voice for men's advocacy
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MensIssuesOnline