Interview With An Old Libber
"Dictation, June 15, 2013 - These are excerpts from an interview with an, uh, wait, hold on... Marie! How old is the libber? Thanks, She is 63 years old, so would have been around in the bra burning days. Wait, wait, wait... let me start again... I will just play it and we can extrapolate later. The woman can talk and also has a lot to say...
"Ms. Jones I am going to begin recording, is that all right?"
"Of course, I will assume that everything I say, until you leave, is being recorded."
"I will start with some basics then. You are sixty-three?"
"Yes."
"When did you enter the womens' movement?"
"That is a little harder to explain than it may seem. I entered the human rights movement when I was a child and, to me, all rights are equal rights, so I was younger than ten years old. To be more precise, for your article, I was eighteen years old, so 1968."
"Did you burn your bra?"
"That is really an insulting and stupid question and I hold you to a higher standard which is why you are doing the interview and not that idiot at the Times. Therefore, I will not answer that question. The movement was so much more than bra burning. That was merely a symbolic gesture."
"Sorry, Ma'am. No insult intended." I watched as she appraised me, wondering if she should toss me out the door now or wait and give me another chance.
"Did you march, sit-in or protest?"
"Yes."
"Yes to which?"
"Yes to all."
"I see. Well, I guess we should get to the topic of the day and then I am sure some past memories will be elicited. Is that all right with you?"
"Yes." I had to get more out of her than one word answers.
"Why did you write me at the paper?"
"I have been upset about many things that we, "old libbers", as you call us, have caused to happen as the decades have passed. Recently, I have seen a great downturn in the respect of the American male and this is a dangerous precedent."
"Is there one incident in particular?"
"The most recent, and most offensive and painful, was on daytime TV... I don't recall the show, for TV is not much more than white noise for the most part, but a group of women had won some award or prizes or something and the awards were brought out by two very attractive and muscled young men." She paused to sip some beverage and then sat back in her recliner and I figured it was on!
"The women rushed up to the men and started stroking their chests and arms, etc. It was disgusting to me, but then it became worse. One young man was all into it and was flexing and that silly stuff." She sipped more and looked quite upset.
"The other young man lost his smile, frowned and then tried to recover, but it never made it to his eyes. He was upset about being touched. I wondered if he had been told, asked, given permission for these women to touch and I am thinking that answer is "No!"
She paused and sipped. She looked out the window and was lost in some past memory. I knew not to speak for something was forthcoming.
"How dare they! How dare we! We are no better than men of the past if we feel we can just walk up to a man and paw him! It is disgusting, invasive, predatory and we need to have an open dialogue on this matter, now!"
"Isn't it understood that men love to be pawed by women?" I asked her.
'Is it? Not by me! What if he is Gay? He doesn't want some woman pawing him or I bet, some man, without his permission! Men have body rights too! Will we never get it straight? The movement was, is should have been or will be for equal rights for all: Sex, race, ability, sexual orientation, age, and so much more!'
'Look at the way men are portrayed on TV: a bunch of bumbling buffoons only interested in sports, masturbation and obesity! How dare we, they, etc.? What do the children think when they see this? The young boys? Do they think they should strive to be like these caricatures of men? No! they have no guidance.'
There are mothers, with the rights we fought to get them, had the babies and then dumped them in day cares because they have to work to be a complete woman. I cry bull-shit! We never wanted or fought for that. We wanted them to have a choice, a chance, the same rights of males, not a drive to leave the house and the children with strangers while they make money for the second car, bigger TV and all that mindless crap.'
'Now women feel they have to defend themselves if they choose to stay home and parent the young children. Ridiculous!'
'This is a very real issue for you.' She nodded. She looked so sad too.
'Yes, for it encompasses what is wrong with America, but people don't see it that way. Why are the children obese? The mothers are working, as are most of the dads. The kids aren't allowed outside since it is too dangerous. They can't play and run around. They sit and text, play video games and use the computer. What do they eat for their afternoon snack? Something quick and full of crap that they can pop into the microwave and then they wait for mom or dad to come home with more fast food since they are exhausted driving to their jobs that they have to keep up with whomever and for what? They also die an early death from stress and unhealthy lifestyles. It is a calamity!
And another thing... first I will say that I am rather old school when it comes to men, but if I see another man burst into tears for no apparent reason, even our politicians, I am going to throw a brick through the TV. When did our men become so sensitive?'
"Because the liberated woman wanted her man to be more sensitive?" I asked.
"Exactly! Why can't Bill be more sensitive to my needs? blah blah blah Get a grip! Men and women are different... geez! It's just a mess... "
"What can be done?" I asked.
"TV writers need to come full stop on this demeaning of men BS and start giving us some more real men and I don't mean old macho men roles, but a Dr. Huxtable role once in awhile. Now that show was a two parent working family, but he worked from home and those were healthy kids."
"I'm tired now." She said and looked pointedly at me. I expected a quick shooing out of the door.
"Steve? Even if you start spreading any of this, that you agree with, it is a start and I hope to see this article in a positive light so we can help turn America around a bit or at least stop further damage."
"I do agree with what you have said. I am the child of the new breed of parents and, well, I feel like I would have liked to have had an actual family."
We shook hands at the door and I wasn't surprised at the strength of her handshake."
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