To celebrate that women now make up half of the workforce (woot woot!) Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress have released "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything." The publication explains what most of us already know -- mainly that Americans love the money that working women make, but they're bummed that women aren't doing as much housework as in ye good old days. Amusingly, the report touts the fact that men do not feel they've lost the "battle of the sexes." That's no surprise to us.
Maybe back in the day, men genuinely feared that women might start being scary if we started getting jobs, but now that it's happened, men have clearly warmed to the multitude of benefits of women working. For example...
1) Men like money. When you get to split the bills 50/50 with your wife or ladyfriend, that means more money for beer, Xbox games, and porn.
2) More socializing opportunities. Not every straight man has a wife or ladyfriend, but most are aware of the benefits and would like to have one. Considering that Americans spend ever increasing amounts of time at the office, the opportunities to meet new friends or potential lovers outside of a work environment are minimal. Without women at work, men might find their options limited to Match.com and being set up on blind dates.
3) Boys stink. Who wants the office to smell like dude? Many men won't speak about this openly, but if you press them, they'll admit that a big drawback to male-only environments such as locker rooms or the living room on game day is that such spaces start to get that distinct dude smell. It's not just women who find this repugnant.
4) "Mad Men" style. The continued existence of the pencil skirt and high heels. Without the demands of the office, few women would ever bother to own, much less wear, a pair of high heels with a pencil skirt. But this classically sexy look is the perfect go-to outfit on the job. Men's visual space would be poorer indeed if women stayed at home wearing nothing but clothes conducive to scrubbing and chasing after children.
5) Dutch treats. For all the moaning and groaning you hear from a minority of men who claim to be confused about who pays, most men actually love that they can split the bill when first dating someone. It takes the pressure off both parties to have no other obligations but enjoying the date.
6) Bachelorette pads. Single women have their own places. When women can't work for a decent-sized paycheck, women can't live alone, but often have to live with a parent or in some kind of dormitory. This means the opportunities for sex are few and some are sadly car-based. Screwing like adults in a bed in someone's private apartment is one of the most under-rated results of widespread female employment.
What are the benefits and drawbacks you see to women making up half the workforce?












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Wednesday 21 October
By Dave
"When women can't work for a decent-sized paycheck, women can't live alone, but often have to live with a parent or in some kind of dormitory. This means the opportunities for sex are few and some are sadly car-based."
LOL at that one. What exactly are you saying here? That men want women to work because it's easier to get them into bed? Or that women like to work because it gives them a place for sex? Too funny...and here I am thinking people worked for careers, personal satisfaction, self-fulfillment, etc...
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Wednesday 21 October
By Sarah
My husband likes me to work because he was taught by his mother that someone only really loves you if they support you financially. His dad never had a job but he always had a girlfriend, but she would put up with the infidelity if he was bringing home a paycheck. After I had our third child (I had always worked and put him through graduate school), and was in an accident that required multiple surgeries and was unable to work for a few years, my husband treated me differently. I finally figured out that he no longer felt loved because I wasn't making any money! It took a long time for him to admit that this was true - even though we didn't need my income, he still felt I didn't love him anymore because I wasn't supporting him financially!
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Sunday 03 January
By Astrid
men not only like it when women work but they also have to work in a high paying male oriented profession too. i'm a preschool teacher and usually get passed up for women who make more money. so many dates or boyfriends have asked/told me, "so is that all you want to do with your life, work with children? what are your ambitions? you would make a great corporate lawyer, babe, how much money do you make annually? "
even some of my married co-workers constantly complain about their husbands nagging them to leave the preschool teaching profession.
it seems as if men these days only view women as potential meal tickets or investment partners. they view life as a game in which one can only win by amassing the most money possible, and it only pays to team up with a partner that can add the most points to their score card.
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Monday 02 August
By Black Iris
I think many men appreciate women who work at home once they have children.
It was very hard back in the 1970s when men didn't want their wives to work, but I don't think it's great for men to value women for the wage-earning potential. Also, I think some men send a mixed message now - the ideal women has a prestigious career that earns lots of money, but she never puts it before him and his career and she drops it for their kids.
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Friday 07 January
By Don S.
I don't believe "like" is the right word here. With the way our society is today, men "need" a wife to work just in order to get by. Its been estimated that 70-80% of married women hold a job. Some of those may be motivated by having a careering but I believe the vast majority would rather not work if they didn't have to in order to keep the family afloat. I have known a lot of working Moms who would have much preferred to be stay at home Moms but the family simply couldn't afford it.
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