Men Aren’t that Pathetic!
In “Lost in the Kitchen” Dave Barry describes how men are useless in the kitchen and would much rather entertain themselves with something else. Barry also tells how women think that men are useless in the kitchen because when they ask for a job in the kitchen the woman would think of something simple and say “’you can cut up the turnips,’” or just give the man a job that doesn’t involve kitchen work altogether, like watching the children.
The author was completely one-sided in his argument. That’s not how it is in all families; he only got his findings one “Thanksgiving when [his] family had dinner.” My family could prove his entire point in this essay wrong. My father cooks all the time for my family when he has a chance. My mother still is the official cook of my family, but my father is not ignorant around the kitchen as the way Barry describes men.
I honestly believe men are not that pathetic. Not only does Barry make it seem that men know almost nothing about cooking, he makes it seem like men get too preoccupied to watch their own children. These two jobs are not only designated for women, but Barry makes it seem that women are the only ones who are capable of doing them, and he is just wrong.
25 comments:
I agree, Ailisa, that men are just as capable as men at watching the children and cooking good meals. I myself do enjoy cooking a good bit. Some simple stuff but its pretty fun.
The fact that men can cook and take care of children is obvious. That is just not the majority. At my thanksgivings, all the men watch football,except for me and my brother who enjoy the real football (soccer) much more, while the kids play upstairs and the women cook a delicious thanksgiving dinner. There is truth to his story, and the fact that its true makes it all that more funny.
Sometimes finding humor in things can really make a person think about it more. I believe that was Barry's goal. The find humor in the truth and think about why people do the things they do.
Well I dont really know how to respond to you Ailisa, Yeah men are capable of doing all the things that you have listed. That is how it is is some homes. But, the essay was supposed to be comical. What he said is true in more ways than it is wrong. What he described I have seen in my family, my friends family's, my boyfriend's family, and even when I go to the many churches throughout this area, the women are the ones in the kitchen. But, I could see where people could get defensive to the subject matter.
Ailisa, I think you took the essay to seriously, especially for the author to be a humorist. This essay is very sterotypical towards gender, so I do agree with your point that not all families have this "problem," but I see it better from Sarah's point of veiw. Sarah, I believe you are correct in your analysis that "what he said is true in more ways than it is wrong." The element that makes this passage so humorous is that it is so true, but often times we don't see things from Barry's perspective.
Sarah,as far as your comment on women giving men "easy" tasks I do not agree. I do not think that most men would find cutting the turnips as easy because they are not used to doing it. Just like going into a new environment, things that are easy for people used to the environment may not be so easy for people unfarmilar with it just as men that do not normally cook. They probably would not know how to accomplish the "simple" cooking tasks without detailed instructions.
You make a good point Ailisa. Not all men are useless in the kitchen, but on the other side not all women, these days, are worthy enough to tie on the ole' apron and cook either. In my long standing relationship I have been doing the cooking and my other half can only cook Ramen Noodles.
I agree with you Ailisa. I, as Matthew also said, enjoy cooking on occasion. Also, during Thanksgiving, the men in my family cook most of the food we have for dinner. I think that men are just as capable as women in the kitchen.
I agree with Ailisa, men are capable of cooking etc. around the house just like women.
In my family, my mom and dad trade off days to cook. Sure my mom cooks the better meal but that doesn't mean the meal that what my dad prepares is horrible.
I know this article was meant to be taken lightly but I do see how men can take offense to what she wrote. Barry seemed to over exaggerate her point making is seem like men aren't capable of household chores.
I also agree with you as well. When I read his essay for the first time I was thinking to myself, "That is so not true!" I also agree with you when you talked about how your father cooks all of the time, because my father cooks just about as much as my mother does. I found it kind of funny while I was reading this essay, because not only is he saying how men never cook, he is saying how women always do the cooking. The only thing I have to say to that is, let him try my cooking and he might feel other wise.
I also agree with you Ailisa. Men are definitely as capable as women are to cook and watch their children or to do anything that a woman could do like cleaning the house etc. My uncle always cooks for his family and I must say he is a great cook. My Dad sometimes helps clean up the house when my Mom doesnt feel well. So I think that this essay is underminding what men can do.
I agree, Alisa, that men aren't that pathetic. But if you think about it, how many households could you go in and see the husband cooking or cleaning. Most of the time, you're going to see the woman cleaning or cooking supper. Men aren't that pathetic, but in most cases, they're pretty close
I also agree with you Ailisa. I think Barry is one-sided in this argument. From my own personal experience, my dad cooks sometimes more than my mom! My mom works just as well as my dad, and he likes to give her a break sometimes and cook.
I also with you when you say that men are not that pathetic. I think my dad knows more recipes than my mom! My dad likes to experiment in the kitchen and that is what makes the food more fulfilling. Watching kids and cooking are not hard things to do. Men are very capable of doing both and my dad is a living example.
I agree with you Ailisa, men are just as capable of cooking or watching the kids. what some men fail to realize is that women don't try to put men on the back burner they place that on
theirselves. I feel if men would take 50% of what the women do then women wont complain.
I agree with you Ailisa, some men do know how to cook. It's evident that most men would rather watch football instead of cooking. It seems as if the author is saying that men can cook but they would rather entertain themselves another way.
I come to tell you that this is not the case for all men. Like myself, I am a very good cook. When it comes to cooking, I am in the kitchen all the time. I learned it from my granddaddy. Men know their way around a kitchen. It is not rocket science. I agree with Ailisa E. My family can prove her wrong, just as well as I can.
I agree kinda,I think the family's that are old fashtion still have it were the kids are playing the mothers cooking and the men working out-side. Now of days kids and fathers are watch T.V. or playing video games and the woman get take out!
I really agree. I know of many families where both the women and men cook. Even i have had my fair share of kitchen related jobs including a little bit of cooking. Just because I dont regularly cook and clean in the kitchen, does that make me useless in the kitchen? Considering the small tasks and other things i do to help out in the kitchen I would think not.
I completely agree, Ailisa, that all men are not that useless. My father is the one who cooks all the meals at his house, his girlfriend is the one who sits on the couch with my brothers. He cooks more than my mother ever does, too, even when it's just him.
I would have to say that men aren't useless in the kitchen but I think that alot try to seem useless so they don't have to do it. I don't want to do it but i will if it needs to be done. But then again I don't think I could boil water without burning it. I can cook a mean hot pocket in the microwave tho. You just don't know.
i totally agree with Ailisa. not all families are like the author or his family. Nowadays men help out more in the kitchen then they use too. In a lot of families the father is the one who cooks dinner for the family. So i also agree with Ailisa when she said the author was one sided.
Alisa, your response would be logical if the author was serious, but he is not. There is a big difference between being humorous and being serious.
I, in alot of cases, agree with Barry. He's being humorous, but there is a little bit of truth in what he says. Besides, I don't think that Barry is making the statement that ALL men are dumb-founded in the kitchen.
When I first read Barry's "Lost in the Kitchen", I laughed because it was exactly what happens at my family get-together's.
Sure some men can cook better than women or take care of kids while watching a football game.But this just is not the case at my house. So from my point of view this article was a humorous rendition of a classic Thanksgiving.
I agree, men are not pathetic. Just because they do not cook or do jobs in the kitchen does not mean they do not do other jobs around the house like cutting grass, raking leaves, etc. When it comes to doing various jobs, there are some that are meant for women to do, and some that are meant for men to do.
I agree with you Ailisa, men aren't that pathetic. I grew up in a divorced family and I lived with my Dad. We were just as capable of cooking dinner and doing the things that a mother would usually do. I believe its more of a standard of living these days most men rely on the women to cook and do the stuff at home while they are out working hard for their family.
I think it is normally believed and generalized that men can't cook, of'course there are exeptions among men, and for example in Finland most women work full-day like men, so maybe that is why both men and women do their share in the kitchen equally today.
And if men really were pathetic I don't think 99 per cent of the World's best cooks were men.
I agree with you Ailisa, men are asw capable to do anything in the kitchen. Also like you said my dad helps cook and doesn't leave it all up to my mom.
I agree with you, Ailisa, when you say that men are not as pathetic as Barry makes them out to be. My boyfriend and I cook together all the time. The food ends up tasting good. Considering that Barry wrote this as humor, you can't take it completely seriously.
However, asw with all humor, there is a grain of truth in what he says. A lot of men, do have trouble in the kitchen. When my boyfriend and I cook together, I do sometimes have to tell him to cook the chicken longer or to make sure the hamburger isn't still mooing.
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