Eat Your Stomach Out, Girls
I’m a little slow on trends that don’t involve ancient grains, bitter greens and multi-use flip flops. I’ve only just started watching Mad Men.
While the slick hair, dark suits and incessant cocktails allure me to watch four episodes in a row, the intoxicating, yet infuriating, masculinity reminds me of how far working women have come. (Although it still takes women SIXTEEN MONTHS to make what men earn in ONE YEAR. YES, THAT’S FOUR EXTRA MONTHS. And yes, this applies to women and men right out of college in the same field. BULLSHIT.)
Anyway, the 2009 office treats women much more professionally. And women’s status in general has greatly improved. And then I saw this bullshit:
Why are women afraid to eat in front of men? There’s a newly released study that finds women eat less when dining with men. And eat more when only with women.
I had no idea that a majority of women refused delicious consumption when in mixed company. Personally, I thought the idea of “mixed company” was akin to cheering for a football team with a racially insensitive name. Oh, wait. (And fine, I may attend girls-only functions once in a while, but it’s really only for a change of company, not because we talk about monthly hemorrhaging.)
Could you imagine this blog if the female writers refused to write about their glorious meals because men read ES? Could you imagine me only writing about dressing-less salads and meal replacement shakes? Good god–who are these skirts!
I’m not sure how to neatly close this post. I guess I’ll pull a Good Will Hunting. Women, it’s not your fault. Women feel the need to live up to ridiculous ideals of femininity and thinness, but you know what, we have the power to change.
Order a fucking steak. Eat all of your fries. Finish your meal with a black and white milkshake. Not every day, but just as much as you would when munching with the boys.
Here, here.
1 – Mad Men is AMAZING. I’ve hardly done anything else since ordering season one on itunes.
2 – There’s nothing sexy about women who only eat salad. nothing.
My boyfriend may get annoyed with my constant food dialogue, but he certainly never seems disappointed when I’m the one making dinner. It’s a trade-off, plus he’d be ashamed if I only ate rabbit food.
I first realized this characteristic of female eating habits in 7th grade. So-cal is very different from south jersey, but I doubt it’s that different…
Since I found out that I have high cholesterol, I’ve become more and more aware of an equally unhealthy (physically, if not psychologically) expectation for men to eat like “men” and eat things like the “Fat Darrell” or the “Luther Burger” (r.i.p., Mr. Vandross). (http://www.endlesssimmer.com/2008/03/20/americas-top-10-drunk-college-foods/). I can’t count the number of times (in multiple countries) I’ve been told that I’m insufficiently manly for eating fruit or yogurt instead of bacon and eggs or carnitas or simply for not ordering the most ridiculously gut-busting and heart exploding thing on a menu. Cuz everyone knows how macho heart failure is… I’m not complaining that “it’s hard to be a man.” Actually, the fact then men are mocked for eating like women speaks volumes.
[btw–I saw the pilot of Mad Men and it made me furious…not because those men are dicks–that’s obvious and I think it’s supposed to make you sort of mad. I was pissed because my feeling was that their dickishness was glorified and that the show was inherently reactionary–disguised as edgy, even liberal, social commentary. Did I abandon it too quickly? Did it become a scathing critique on corporate America and sexism today? Or is the subtext simply that, “hey ladies, don’t complain about your $0.75 to your male counterpart’s $1, it used to be a lot worse”?
Real men dig women with a good appetite who aren’t afraid to show it. Evidence of a hunger for everything else life has to offer.
miked – I’m a big Mad Men fan and as a former Women’s Studies student, consider myself super critical of the bs TV often puts out. I don’t think the show’s commentaries on sexism are trying to make us content with what we have now – god knows I’m not. As the show evolves, several strong women emerge and actually defy the 50s housewife stereotype in many ways. Personally, I find the juxtaposition fascinating. I’d give it another shot if I were you…
ive only seen a few episodes of mad men. and im just not sure what to make of it yet. its all very dramatic–the attitudes, atmosphere, drinking, fashion. every thing is exaggerated, which obviously makes for great television. but for now, i think i’ll have to go back to my first statement: “intoxicating, yet infuriating, masculinity.” i’m staying tuned.
Interesting post Gans. I wonder how this finding that women eat less around men inetracts with studies on competitive eating among women. Personally, I know I eat more now that I’m not a single gal, in part because I am in mixed company a lot and I tend to partake in foods I would previously have spurned (I’m looking at you Tortilla chips). I’m not convinced by this study from personal experience, but it could be that the majority of women are different from me.
i’ve met menalso who had this same problem eating in front of people… i’ve always found it very strange.
“I’m not sure how to neatly close this post. I guess I’ll pull a Good Will Hunting. Women, it’s not your fault. Women feel the need to live up to ridiculous ideals of femininity and thinness, but you know what, we have the power to change.
“Order a fucking steak. Eat all of your fries. Finish your meal with a black and white milkshake. Not every day, but just as much as you would when munching with the boys.”
Just wanted to say thank you…