[Definitions for above terms are @ the bottom of this chapter.]
Getting tagged as “Chick”-something is bad for business. Its value for men evaporates, thus 49% of the population may view it as an “uncool”, “not-for-me” thing. Man’s manhood is challenged, once man admits going to chick flick, reading chick lit. Enjoying it is top secret, “I can tell you, but I’ll have to kill you” kind of thing
In Human Resources, the term “going pink” is used to describe professions that are moving from being predominantly performed by men to female territory. “Going pink” implies status and compensation are going down. Sadly, this happened to the Human Resources management profession itself. And we all suffer. Statistically [not to say genetically], Women are better caregivers. This is not antifeminism chauvinism, this is an observation. Last night @ the wedding, it was Melanie who called home to ask her man if everything is OK with charming daughter. I have yet to see A man, calling his wife while having a good time, not to say good night to the kids, but to ask “is everything alright with our precious off-spring/s?”
Do you find this observation irrelevant? Who then, in your office, organizes the gatherings? Remembers B-days? Or notices that you are not yourself today? Congrats to all men who are in touch with their caring side; hate to tell you that you are still a minority among men.
In the Manly Men’s Movie Reviews website, they describe themselves as “rampaging bundles of male hormones. We love movies with big, phallic guns and curvaceous chicks with clothing that falls away for no plot driven reason”. Keep on mind however, that they rated Borat A+. Who classifies a movie as a chick flick anyway? Couple of gals who want to see a bloodless movie? Avoid an evening with an action hero? Or is it the guys, unable to figure out emotional nuances beyond good, bad and ugly?
Why do I care? Last Tuesday, I saw The Secret Life of Bees. The night before, and all the way to the box office, Pam and I tried to decide between W. and the Bees. Discussion went like this:
“So which movie shall we see?”
“If we choose W., we could discuss it over dinner”
– Company to include 3 women, 2 men.
“On the other hand, The Secrets of Bees will provide us with a good healthy cry.”
“Yes, I know W.is serious, political, good subject for small talk.”
Upon arrival to the box office, we asked the attendant, who sort of repeated the lines above. I chose the bees. Pam provided the Kleenex in the appropriate time.
As we left the theater, I was developing that annoyed itch about the chick thing. The Secret Life of Bees is a great movie, well done, with great performance delivered by Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo. The kind of performances that get nominated. Still wonder why tagging it as chick flick is so bad? . . . I hope not.
Good movie, good book, good stuff!
Secret Life?
And now to the definitions:
“Chick lit”, Wikipedia is a term used to denote genre fiction written for and marketed to young women, especially single, working women in their twenties and thirties. … The style can also be seen to be somewhat influenced by female teen angst movies like Sixteen Candles and Clueless. Later with the appearance of Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary and similar works; the genre continued to sell well in the 2000s, with chick lit titles topping bestseller lists and the creation of imprints devoted entirely to chick lit.
“Chick Flick”, Wikipedia is slang for a film designed to appeal to a female target audience. The term was first used in the 1980s, a decade during which such chick flicks as Beaches were released. … “Chick flick” is typically used only in reference to films that are heavy with emotion or contain themes that are relationship-based (though not necessarily romantic and may not involve men). It is typically not used for high art, feminist subject matter, or romantic comedies intended for a wider audience (such as the 2005 film Wedding Crashers and Fever Pitch[1]).
Clipart:
http://www.lintrezza.com/uploaded_images/bee_birth5-748834.jpg
missing? A 4 O’Clock tea. The tea is wet, the scones are fresh and warm; i can’t remember if there were cucumber sandwiches or not. but if there were, they were fresh and perfect, like everything else. To remind me of reality, a laptop walk in a joins us. Stock and investments take wi-fi with their tea. Not sure is this was part of Laurance Rockefeller’s vision. Regardless, I love the place.
I sit, looking at the browser window as it tries to find its way to this very page – the one you are viewing right now, unless you are in China, which means you have to read the attachment. Thoughts of freedom and free flow of information run through my mind. Like shoes which come in different sizes, freedom comes in different doses. There are places however, where one size fits all is enforced. Walking in too small a shoe can be painful. Binding your feet, as was the tradition for hundreds of years, may break and twist your bones. What does it do to one’s spirit, I wonder. My stomach turns at the thought.
man is busy as ever. The Brazilian chuseria is still there, and on a Friday night the majority of the patrons is Western. But so many of the Chinese-styles stores are gone; replaced by Western-style ones. it’s cleaner, harder to see jaywalkers, the ticket automates in the subway are much better and there’s the button to shift to an English menu. It seems that many people developed such a button. We are not followed by 5-6 “can I practice my English” students, one here, one there. And instead of the massive “looka, looka, want-a-bag, want-a-watch” intense attacks I grew to hate, it’s one every 50 meters or so.
uld not resist. And with Fiona one never pays the list price. How Israeli I want to say and no better than that. there’s a lot to say about the Chinese art of negotiation so I say nothing, only smile happily with my new purchases.
en using your company for almost two years, and never before a driver lost me in the street. And… I really don’t want to miss my flight.”
most are destined to spend the next few days with me @ the same resort. I am not too excited with the prospects. Few retirees, few families with overbearing moms and over-spoiled branded kids, few young can’t-take-my-hands-of-you couples… no one that seems to be really interesting. A horrible latte later we board the ferry. 
nkle in the eyes… something. 
On a recent visit to the 
Came to one of my favorite caf’es around, 
“Fenging” Away the House
the point of not inviting people over, for the fear that my home insurance does not cover the hazards one may encounter upon entering the place. No More. The mess must go.
Wake up @ 4 AM in the morning, and for a change, avoid the computer.
