Does Dr. Laura disdain men?
Posted 23rd-August-2008 at 03:45 PM by Denise Noe
By Denise Noe
Popular radio and commentator Dr. Laura Schlessinger, or just “Dr. Laura” as she prefers to be called, is well known for her blasting of feminism and championing of traditional morals and values. This has given her something of a reputation as pro-male. However, it seems that a disdain for men simmers just below the surface.
One of her most famous books is called The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands. What is wrong with this title can easily be seen by imagining how appropriate the title of a book would be if it were The Proper Care and Feeding of Schnauzers or The Proper Care and Feeding of Parakeets. It can also be seen by imagining public reaction to a book entitled The Proper Care and Feeding of Wives. Such a book would be considered condescending and patronizing to women because it makes them sound like pets.
Dr. Laura repeatedly tells her presumably female audience that, “men are extremely simple creatures.” She seems oblivious to just how belittling this is to men. After all, we generally consider organisms to be more fully evolved depending on their complexity. A dog is a considerably more complicated creature than a shellfish. A monkey is more complex than a dog. A great age is more complicated than a monkey and we usually consider human beings the most complex creatures known to exist on this planet.
To proclaim men “simpler” than women is to proclaim them inferior. It also seems bizarre to pronounce as simple the sex that has given us the majority of our most esoteric philosophies and psychologies and produced so much that is extraordinary and subtle in the fields of art and literature.
It may be true that men’s and women’s minds often dwell on different facets of existence but that hardly makes one sex simpler than another.
Dr. Laura is a female supremacist.
Popular radio and commentator Dr. Laura Schlessinger, or just “Dr. Laura” as she prefers to be called, is well known for her blasting of feminism and championing of traditional morals and values. This has given her something of a reputation as pro-male. However, it seems that a disdain for men simmers just below the surface.
One of her most famous books is called The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands. What is wrong with this title can easily be seen by imagining how appropriate the title of a book would be if it were The Proper Care and Feeding of Schnauzers or The Proper Care and Feeding of Parakeets. It can also be seen by imagining public reaction to a book entitled The Proper Care and Feeding of Wives. Such a book would be considered condescending and patronizing to women because it makes them sound like pets.
Dr. Laura repeatedly tells her presumably female audience that, “men are extremely simple creatures.” She seems oblivious to just how belittling this is to men. After all, we generally consider organisms to be more fully evolved depending on their complexity. A dog is a considerably more complicated creature than a shellfish. A monkey is more complex than a dog. A great age is more complicated than a monkey and we usually consider human beings the most complex creatures known to exist on this planet.
To proclaim men “simpler” than women is to proclaim them inferior. It also seems bizarre to pronounce as simple the sex that has given us the majority of our most esoteric philosophies and psychologies and produced so much that is extraordinary and subtle in the fields of art and literature.
It may be true that men’s and women’s minds often dwell on different facets of existence but that hardly makes one sex simpler than another.
Dr. Laura is a female supremacist.
Total Comments 5
Comments
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Well I think you have a point about the title. But it's us men who claim we are simple minded. We are much simplier in our desires for a mate which I don't think suggest inferiority. A man usually wants a nice looking gal that is loyal who will keep herself in shape and provide him with decent conversation, some lovin and a clean home and some good meals would be nice. Some men have even less expectations. A womens list is endless.
I personally don't care for Dr. Laura.Posted 23rd-August-2008 at 09:48 PM by Billy
- Anyone who actually listens to her show knows that she is not a female supremacist. We men are simple, and it's a virtue. Needless complexity is nothing to be proud of.
If you can be bothered to actually read the book (or even flip through it in the bookstore) you'll see that the choice of title is throughly explained. And since you appear to have no familiarity with her other than through a book title, I'll tell you that the book's thesis is that women have the power to make a relationship work. Schlessinger's opinion is that, so long as the male is not abusive* or addicted to something, unfaithful, or too lazy to get a job, that's all he can do to make a relationship work. Beyond that, women are most often responsible when a relationship fails, because society has told them that they have *no* responsibilities at all - that showing up is sufficient. Thus, her book is about doing more than showing up. It's an interesting, dare I say refreshing, message that I haven't seen anywhere else. I encourage everyone to at least flip through the book.
*abusive: I've heard many women call her show and claim that their husbands are "abusive" but after a little prodding, their definition of abuse turns out to be something other than actual physical abuse - something like refusing to pay for expensive shoes. When I hear Schlessinger tell a woman that she's not being abused, that she just needs to act like an adult, it's like I'm hearing a post right here on antimisandry. I don't agree with everything she says (her views on pornography or religion for example) but she the polar opposite of a female supremacist.Posted 23rd-August-2008 at 11:05 PM by oni -
I have a copy of "The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands". It's not at all about disdaining men, but rather about where the power actually lies in making a happy home. If you treat your man with love, admiration and respect, unless he has some sort of personality disorder*, you will find him so in love with you that he will move mountains to make you happy. It's about give-and-take. Women need to learn about the "give" part. DL is about traditional family values, it's true, but she isn't talking about the man busting his ass to support the family while princess sits at home eating bonbons and berating him.
The one major problem I have with DL is when she equates women working outside of the home with women pursuing their dream careers, or having to work in order to support a lavish lifestyle. Some of us have to work in order to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table, and transportation reliable. It takes two incomes to do that, more often than not.
*By "personality disorder", I mean something like narcissism or sociopathy.Posted 26th-August-2008 at 08:51 PM by KellyMac -
I think so, from her conversations with male callers in the show...She often cut off the calls from the male callers from my observation...Actually i didn't like her style...Is she Jewish?...Posted 31st-August-2008 at 04:54 AM by latenight -
I dont find this to be true at all Denise. This is funny. You are assuming that men would be offended expressly because there is a double standard and women would be offended. Not so. In fact, that men ARE simple is just further indictment of how absurdly difficult women are to please...and therefore how goofy the complaints about men are.
We are simple! GREAT! Why be complicated?Posted 1st-October-2008 at 03:17 PM by Divorce In Church
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