A few weeks ago, I posted my first entry regarding The Man-ual. In this post, I pledged to de-bunk many of the myths that men either perpetuate or hide behind for personal benefit.
My first entry on this topic was about the crass locker room banter, which many believe is a constant but in actual fact is non-existent.
As today is Super Bowl Sunday, I thought this would be a good day to reach out to you and see what’s on your mind… I’m looking for you to tell me what myths or pet peeves you have regarding your male counterparts that I might be able to help explain.
As I mentioned the last time I wrote about The Man-ual, discussing these things can get me in a whole heap of trouble. But for the sake of gender relations, I think it is important to set the record straight.
So let’e have ’em. What are your pet peeves? What are the mysterious things your man does that I can help you better understand?
Simply leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I will write a follow-up in a little bit.
I am a faithful viewer of How I Met your Mother. I think it is one of the only funny sit-coms on TV. Neil Patrick Harris’ character, Barney Stinson, is the ultimate Ladies’ man. As such, he has a “man-ual” of his own, the Bro-Code; basic guidelines for being bro’s. It is a leather-bound tome that occasionally makes an appearance on the show to clear up grey areas of the male friendship. I thought you may have been inspired!
The one I overlooked which is the most important one is……
why is it that men do not ask for directions? They would prefer to be lost than to stop and ask for directions. Why is that?
Katie is right…..why is it that a man cannot find something that is staring at them in the face?
Another “I can’t believe it” is when they will step over an item on the floor or stairs to get to their destination rather than picking it up or bringing it up. Must be somewhat related to not finding anything that is right in front of them. One has to ignore it in order not to find it.
Yet another…..why is it that a man would rather leave something at the bottom of a milk bag, carton of juice…..anything more than a centimeter in order NOT to have to empty the bag or throw away the carton. After all there is enough left for the next person, right?
Answers to come very soon! I’m fairly certain you won’t like any of the answers though. They’re gritty, real and completely honest, without an ounce of tongue-in-cheek.
Stay tuned.
And no, Melissa, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of the Bro Code… have I inadvertantly touched upon a similar idea?
Ooooh, I think you opened up a can of worms here! You are a brave man!
(and hey – is your man-ual inspired by Barney Stinson’s Bro Code by any chance??)
My only pet peeve is that my husband can never seem to hear me when I am talking. He hears everything else well, it just seems that he is immune to the particular pitch and tone of my voice alone. Why is that??? I don’t nag him or really even talk that much!!
How is it – that a man can be uber-educated (i.e 3 degrees)but unable to figure out how to make a “school lunch”. I just dont get it.
I agree with everyone. Especially the man-sick question, the object blindness and the beards? My hubby thinks it is perfectly acceptable to only shave once every few days and it is always right after I clean the bathroom. Picture hairs all over my sparkling clean bathroom. Oh yeah, and why can’t a man have the same standard of cleanliness as a woman?
Thanks ladies, keep’em coming!
I like Katherine’s #1 question!
Why do men have “object blindness” and can’t find anything. In my all male household (except for me), this drives me crazy! The question “Where’s my…keys, socks, wallet, knapsack, coat, boots, etc, etc etc. drives me NUTS!!!! I am the only one in this house who can find anything! And as for the looking for what you can’t find process – you have to look. Not stand there with a blank expression – the items do not come to you unless your Jedi powers are real – you have to go get it!!!
Why can’t men seem to multi-task? I get 10 things done at once but my husband seems unable to talk on the phone while cooking. It is weird.
Also, how come you “tidy up” and then we can never find anything. Better to be out in the open than missing all together.
I have only 1 issue….what the heck is this “mansick” nonsense. Its a cold…it’s not the plague, you are still capable of completing basic tasks, yet the world comes to a complete stop so you can deal with the sniffles.
1. Why do men like stupid women? And also, why do they like women that cause a lot of drama in their lives and then complain about all the drama?
2. Why can’t men make conversation? To be specific, why don’t they know that you have to ask questions to keep a conversation going?
3. Why do men think it’s ok to have back hair, but expect women to wax, pluck, lift, separate and tone every inch of our bodies?
4. Why do men want to date you forever but not marry you?
5. What’s the deal with all the beards lately?
6. Why do men bury their head in the sand when it comes to anything medical, or even dental? I know a few men who should definitely consider flossing.
7. Why do men wear pants with pleats, white socks with dress shoes, shirts that are way too big, cargo shorts, cell phone holders on belts and beige khakis in winter?
8. Why do men think we appreciate when they act like bouncers? You know that bouncer attitude – look at me, I’m the man, I’m big and bad and tough and I’m always right.
9. Why don’t balding men just shave it off?
10. How are men able to fall asleep so quickly?