When I hear women say things like “I could never date a guy who’s shorter than me”, it makes me cringe. But, you know, if someone thinks that way about love I don’t want to date them, so it doesn’t affect me anyways.

I agree with Hugo, that as a man it’s not my place to judge whether those desires are reconcilable with feminism. I do know that they can’t be reconciled with my beliefs about relationships.

Neither was The Chief - try again myth. He freely and clearly stated that he was offering anecdote, which is better than the usual anecdotes-offered-as-’proof’ served-up by the other side around here.

And Chief, you’re getting the hang of it: mythago’s the queen of skipping the strawman and going directly to putting words (particularly misogynist and otherwise insulting words) into other people’s mouth for rhetorical effect, especially when one hits a nerve with her. It’s good enough now that she does our insulting for us, allowing us to get our digs in and not be banned by Hugo, who seems to have a soft spot for myth.

I doubt it will get much attention here, Poindexter.

As unscientific (admittedly) my own personal observations are in this matter, I’d say the amount of men proclaiming that women desire to marry up or are actually marrying up as problematic for men in obtaining healthy relationships (in part, because they being passed up for not making enough income on their behalf) ranks in the hundreds—literally—from speaking to men up front to conversing on the ‘Net. That’s just my experience alone—I wonder what others are coming up with.

I highly doubt that anecdotes like mine are a rarity, statistic studies be damned. There’s a statement among the jaded (like myself) that rings true in more than one situation—women want equality when paychecks are issued, but chivalry when the bills start piling up. Yeah, it’s not true in every case, but why is it so many women I come across are so concerned with security and money? Why are men such “losers” for chosing a career that earns less but gives them satifisfaction? Why are women so focused on CEO positions be half male, half female, yet garbage collection and dishwashing isn’t even on the radar screen? Why are financial arguments often cited as one of the top reasons for relationships taking a nosedive and sowing the seeds for a pre-divorce environment?

Hypergamy, and all its inherent inequalities for men is already an issue being seriously examined.

Men like me are pressing forward to make awareness of the subject mainstream.

Renvoi. :)

Now we have to pin down the more important topic of why a lot of men, a whole lot of men, are sincerely talking about this aspect of women marrying up, or money, or whatever it is that they are talking about. It seems to be a very pervasive complaint, so if it’s absolutely false, I’m wondering how that bitter rumor got started among men.

See previous comment.

If you say so, ma’am.

I think females are probably just people across the broad spectrum.

If you narrow it to “feminists” - I would agree that they are always looking for something to get angry about, but I can’t agree with your broad statement as applied to ALL women.

Of course it does. Females can’t possibly disagree or debate without getting all emotional, y’know.

Sounds like anger to me. Or maybe you woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.