Men in Kilts

Edie Weinstein On Modern Male-Female Relationships Dynamics

Opti-Mystical  

Are men intimidated by professional, successful women? Is there a double standard? Maybe men want to wear the skirt and women want to wear the pants.

A few weeks ago, I read two stories that featured the familiar faces of seasoned women who would still be considered Hollywood Hotties; Susan Sarandon and Sharon Stone. Both expressed dismay that the pool of men who are available to be willing relationship partners had become far too shallow. These bombshell beauties are unabashedly honest about their feelings on the matter.

This is what we usually hear. But…

In conversation with Good Men Project Executive Editor Thomas G. Fiffer, as we were discussing this article, he posed a question: “If women truly can wear the pants in a relationship, why can’t men wear a skirt?” He perceived a double standard around traditional, stereotypical views of masculinity. My laughing answer was that men can wear skirts; in fact I know a few who can really rock a kilt. But I knew what he meant. Society views take-charge women and submissive men differently. I have a hard time with the pants terminology anyway, since it implies that a man should run the show in a relationship and that a powerful, but not overpowering woman is somehow emasculating. In many cultures, men are looked at askance if they allow softness to show.

Edie explores in her article for Goodmenproject in Who Wears The Pants?