International Men's Health Week pt 2

OK so that first bit was just a bit of fucker. Lots of  reading. But these thoughts have been in my head for a few weeks now.

So to continue....I left off at rape. I sort of covered the biggest issues, I think, this part will be a bit lighter perhaps. Still a rant but hey.

Ok, depression. Women are more emotional than men so therefore are more prone to depression. Wrong! Especially in today's society where women rule the roost.  Even in school, boys are doing worse than girls and that is affecting how they behave outside of school. Incidentally, the suicide rates are actually higher among guys. Think about it, the boys are failing in school, they are being outrun in sport, they are finding it more and more difficult to pick up even a fast food job, they see women being promoted above them, they are becoming obsolete in the baby race, women are proposing to them and they even die sooner. And all the while, they are having to act big and brave and macho. They are getting belittled at every corner, hell look at the world of journalism. It used to be a boys club, journalism was a mans profession, it was a pretty big deal if a woman got into journalism. Now, I look around the office and it's all women. How times have changed. Is it any wonder then depression in men is probably far more common now than it is in women? Incidentally, thought just came into my head, did you know that the number of deaths from prostate cancer is actually on equal par to the number of deaths from breast cancer with more than 20,000 men being diagnosed in 2010 alone.

Hmm, thinking about marriage. A woman will now claim that if she wants to get married, she should have the right to propose to her man. Now I can understand this on a leap year, as traditional. But to do it any other time, is just another way that women are emasculating men. Emasculating:  to deprive of strength or vigor; weaken. This is exactly what we are doing by proposing to men. Once every four years is fine, it was a bit of fun, there is an extra day in the year, why not let the women propose marriage and did you know that if a man refused the proposal he had to buy the lady a gift. Anyway to the point. And take this from a girl who has proposed to a guy, they don't like it. It makes them feel stupid and for lack of a better term, rushed. We women set such impossible standards for men to live up to. We want the perfect proposal, down on one knee, in some romantic, just us two location but yet we run around bleeting that we want to propose to the men. A man, when he is ready to take that step, feels proud of himself if he can buy his lady's ring outright and if he can arrange this wonderfully romantic night that she will never forget. To a man it makes him feel like a man. He had to work hard to ear enough to be able to afford a shiny rock for you, all that overtime that you bitched to him about, he was working for that ring that we all so badly crave *rolls eyes*. To a man, the proposal, the ring, the setting that's his bragging rights. That's him saying to society, Hey fuck you, I made it. I have a woman who I adore, she adores me, and I managed to buy her a Tiffany ring and she said yes. She is my woman for the rest of my life and I couldn't be happier. However, when a women proposes to her guy, no matter how quirky the proposal, a guy won't get excited about it. It makes him wonder what he is doing wrong that his woman had to buy him a ring. It makes him think that he is "holding her back". And as I said, this one is from experience. Really ladies, we are taking pretty much everything else from our boys, can we not at least give them this one? Can we not give them the chance to face those proposal nerves? I personally think those nerves strengthen a man. Besides, if you have a wonderful life together living with each other, sharing dreams and hopes and love each, what's the big rush to get married. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Next up: Body issues! Yeah you heard me, put down that slice of double chocolate and caramel fudge cake, back away from the bottle of wine. You know it's what you want. Yes, that was perhaps a bit bitchy, but hey if you are still reading, I must be doing something right or I am beyond help crazy and you just want to see if I crack?! Either way, stop stuffing your face for a moment and listen! MEN SUFFER BODY IMAGE ISSUES TOO!!!!! See that muffin top that you worry about, men worry about their pudge gut or their huge feet, they worry about being too hairy/not hairy enough, they wonder if they are good enough in bed. They get self conscious about how they look and about  what people think about them. Have you taken a look around the local shopping malls and taken stock of how many male moisturisers, hair loss prevention kits, hand creams, hair gels and general male grooming products there are on the shelves these days. Next time you are shopping look at the vast array of male only products to help them beautify themselves. Have you noticed that your guy takes longer to do his hair than you do. Did you ever stop to think that it wasn't because he was vain  or that he loved himself? Did you take a moment and think that actually its the exact opposite of him loving himself. He wants you to notice when he has had a shave, or when his new jeans fit him perfectly instead of being too tight or too loose. See us savvy girls, who actually like our menfolk notice when our guy is preening himself more. When your guy suddenly starts eating just salads, it's because he is feeling conscious of his weight and instead of ignoring it by staying in your delusional little "me" bubble, you could perhaps say to him that you too would like to get healthy and join him. Here's a little known fact, men are naturally competitive creatures, appeal to his competitive side but also remind him that you think he is gorgeous and that you will not cheat on him because you love him. Men, like us, and I am going to say this slowly, like...to...be...reassured...and...want...you...to...notice...them. Men are not just accessories to go along with your wardrobe until a new style comes out. They are living, flesh and blood humans that crave affection as much as the more delicate sex. Now maybe once in a while, if you stop thinking about how hard done by you are or about what fad diet you are going to try next, you could perhaps look at your man and realise that he needs your support sometimes. You know those paranoid, crazy lady moments that us girls tend to have all too often where we are convinced that we are fat, ugly, useless and where we can't understand how anyone could be attracted to us, well guess what?...Shhhh, come closer....men have them too! They are just afraid of showing it. And now that I have told you this really big secret, I'll let you go back to your double stuff Oreos.



Now I am completely sure that someone, somewhere will throw a bitch fit about this blog, but as I said at the beginning of part one. My blog, my thoughts, don't like it, there's the door don't let it hit you on the ass on the way out.


I think for just now, I will leave it at that. I may write more or I may not.


Vicky Cook