Today I had the good fortune to run into someone I hadn’t seen for a long time. In a rare twist of fate, which is contrary to the way these things usually go, she actually recognized me. Usually the people from the past, even two years ago as was the case here, will “pretend” to not recognize me. After a few minutes of awkward conversation, she launches into this enraptured discussion about this new book she bought for a course she is taking. The title, and I swear I am not making this up : Why ALL Men HATE Women. My feeble senses alerted my brain to immediate danger. I wondered aloud if the title was mean in a facetious manner. No, I was assured, with ample example, that this was in fact very serious business. Just watch the smile disappear when you ask a question like that. I then had the dim-witted audacity to point out that, in fact, I did not hate women, have not ever hated a woman, and will very likely never hate a woman. Sure, there may be those from my past who I would wish to avoid, those who I wish I would run into again, and those with whom I unequivocally always disagree, but none of whom I hate.
This is where it got interesting.
Now, this is a person who knew me pretty well, and I have not, to my estimation, changed much for the worse in these past few years. She agreed with my statement of the non hatred thing. I suggested that then, the title was in fact, somewhat confounding. For a principle that you so strongly believe in, you have just agreed that there are examples to the contrary. I expected a response such as : “There are exceptions to every rule.” Instead, the response I got was, though intended to be a complement, was sort of a backhanded one.
“Ohhhh, Mike”, she exclaimed. “You are not, like, a man!
After demanding an explanation, I was assured that this was definitely meant to be a compliment. An assurance that she believed that I did not fit into the category of women-hating men. However, in order to do this, she, I suspect, had been trained to then demote me from the category of “man”. Though others may also disagree with her, I would vehemently suggest that this should not be the case.
Though I do not wish to stir the pot further, I think it likely that there will be those out there who will disregard my argument of portraying myself as a non women-hating man. Notice, I have spelt the word woman with an “a”. I was also told today, and have read in the University paper, that it is correct to now spell it womyn. Clearly, this is totally unacceptable by any politically correct, rational person. Yeah, right.