Generalization of Women and Men

I just read two articles on msn.match.com about 5 Dates that Women and 5 Dates that Men hate and would never want to go on. Basically they should be Five Dates that the Person Writing this Article Never Want to Go On.

For example, for men the five dates are: hiking, opera, travel, clothes shopping, and relationship workshops. Have you never heard of an outdoorsmen? They love the outdoors and they love hiking. If I asked my boyfriend "wanna go hiking?" his jaw would drop and he would not be able to contain himself. And that would be hiking near the dump near my house! (The hills back there are amazing). In addition, our dreams are to travel the world together. He loves traveling. In fact, just today he invited me to go to Mackinaw Island this Saturday. Sure, travelling = money but it's money well spent. I really wish I could get my boyfriend to blog about how WRONG that guy writing the article was. Granted, no guy ever likes watching girls try on clothes. Heck I hate it when my friends go clothes shopping and I'm dragged along. However, when it comes to shopping for him he loves it when I tell him how great he looks in that pair of jeans or how awesome that shirt looks on him.

The dates that women don't want to be taken on are: sports bars, theme parks, chain restaurants, gross-out comedies, paintball, and meeting your mother.

This one I can speak out against even more because I AM a woman. I fucking love theme parks and would be thrilled if my boyfriend set up a paintballing date.

Why is is that men are characterized as noncommittal and too manly? Apparently they can't enjoy hiking because "nature is overrated" and there is "no access to the internet or email. No TV sports." Where did this new strain of men come from that are too prissy for nature! Where is "the man's man"? The article even goes so far as to compare it to receiving a prostate exam or watching a Celine Dion concert. Are you fucking kidding me?

Then it goes on to give an alternative to hiking, going to the beach, "take a blanket and a six-pack, make out for half an hour, then head home." That would kinda bother me if I was taken on that date. Just the fact that we have to bring a SIX PACK of beer? I'm guessing it wouldn't be split between the two either because men and women generally have different tastes in beer. Fuck why not just bring a twelve pack so the man can get rid of any feeling of nature or sentiment!

And why is it that women are portrayed as nonadventurous, weak, and prissy? Apprently the reasoning behind not wanting to go to a theme park or paintballing is that "some of us are not aching to toss our cookies in the bushes" and " we're gatherers". Not all women are weak and get quesy when riding rollercoasters. What happened to the advernturous, strong women of the 60s and 70s who were fearless and unrelenting? Now we're afraid of paintball because "those little pellets sting and leave bruises". That's what the god damn armor is for!

Not to mention we "hate" chain restaurants because it's so normal. Oh heaven forbid we aren't treated like the true queens that we are and are taken to small business restaurants. Newsflash, a lot of small business are going out of business. There are countless national chain restaurants so you don't even have to worry about also lack "riginality and thoughtfulness." I can't even name all of the restaurants that are national that I've never been to. My boyfriend is somewhat of a conisseur (sp?) and constantly mentions new places. Sure, if you go to the same restaurant over and over again it'll get old but that's the same thing of some fancy places with hor d'ouevres and candles. It's nice to get a break every once in a while and stop and a Coney Island, hell even a Big Boy.