Last night my husband and I watched the CBS Evening News and listened to anchorman Scott Pelley talk about how General David Petraeus had been “brought low” by a woman. I was so livid I put the program on pause so I could rant about how women are always blamed for men’s downfalls. My husband sat silently, allowing me to vent, before he said simply, “I don’t disagree with you.” He knows which side his bread is buttered on.
This morning I read that Virginia Beach-based religious broadcaster Pat Robertson addressed the issue of Petraeus’s affair by saying, “The man’s off in a foreign land, and he’s lonely, and here’s a good-looking lady throwing herself at him. I mean, he’s a man.” I wanted to tear my hair out.
I am so sick of hearing how at the root of every man’s downfall is a trampy woman, as if men had no choice in the matter. As if they are powerless to exercise self control. Women are still seen as the little vixens tempting all the Adams out there, luring them into their traps with an apple.
I have nothing more I want to say about this except if men are supposedly so weak, why do they always get to be the ones in charge? If we women are so powerful, why aren’t more of us elected to high office?
Coming East 
I totally agree…I have been hearing the same stupid stuff and as a woman raising a little girl I get so frustrated by this. Women need to stand together and stop accepting this kind of behavior.
It’s hard to understand why we women are still in this position when there are so many more of us. We’re here because we take it. Thanks for stopping by.
Truth. Many men are obsessed with sex (not at my age, however) … believe me, I travel in circles where men speak freely and I’m still frequently astonished. And many men are obsessed with “the other kind of woman.” Most don’t act on it but when they become powerful, they think, “why not?” even though the news provides them with many answers. It is an embarrassment.
Happy Thanksgiving, by the way.
I just don’t understand why such smart men do such foolish things. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Bud.
Absolutely! Well said!
Such great points! I suppose it’s because Lilith took herself out of the story. Ha! Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.
A woman’s place is always in the wrong. 😉
Great quote, Eye, and all too true (except in my house!).
Women have made great strides in the past two centuries. I recently read a book by Virginia Woolf, puzzled that there were no female contemporaries to Shakespeare and other writers in that era.
We definitely have come far in the last century, Patti. It wasn’t that long ago we couldn’t even vote. But we shouldn’t still be debating things like equal pay for women. This is a male-dominated world, even though they are in the minority. Still, I have great confidence that things will change and we will see a woman as President in my lifetime.
Make a great point, Susan! I wish you’d submit you post to NY Times.
Thank you, Amy. NYT only posts big-name columnists, but your comment made me smile.
AMEN! My mother and I were discussing this today. We’re the weak ones? Please…someone…define weak.
I think we’re weak politically, though, Life, because we can never seem to get elected to high office. Hillary is one strong lady, but she is not liked, even by a lot of women, because women aren’t supposed to act so strong. Not fair!
As I said at lunchtime: “It takes two.” But Pat’s comment certainly made me smile. And the story you shared today certainly reinforces the “men don’t have a clue” idea!
Yes, Pat says a lot that makes me smile. Actually, I think he makes me shake my head. I so enjoyed our lunch today!
I’d comment on this but I’m too scared.
Smart man, Al.
You said it all…. nothing I could say would add anything to this post. Will it ever change?
I don’t know why it doesn’t change, Life, because we outnumber them. But until women get involved and take a stand, it won’t change.
Exactly!
Ditto!
Nice blog post.
However, I’ve watched a few men in my time and they can be pretty thick where women are concerned. Yes, we expect them to have a brain, but unfortunately most of them keep it in their pants and it’s very easily squashed by something else they’ve got in there.
A lot of men are emotionally and socially naive. Put that alongside the face that some women are very clever and some are predatory. I’m not saying that was the case here, haven’t a clue, but as women we often see what men don’t see: our antenna wave and we know one when we see one. Men don’t seem to have those antenna.
Great comment, Pat. Of course it adds fuel to the fire of my burning question: If we’re so smart, why aren’t we in charge?
Pressure over centuries that we’re only at the beginning of breaking through the power ceiling. Equality still has a long way to go. Religion, politics and even our own bodies legislate against women. And many women are against it too, believing they should stay in their ‘place’, which is even more worrying.
Absolutely, Pat! You hit the nail on the head. Until women stop feeling as if their place is secondary to men’s, we won’t get treated fairly.
Well said. I am standing up cheering you on!!