We’ve cooked your dinner. We’ve cleaned up your mess after a night of drunken Monday Night Football with your “bros.” We’ve brought you soup when you’re “sick” (but let’s be real, you’re usually being dramatic). We’ve done your laundry. And now — we’re paying your bills.
Time Magazine reported earlier this week that a whopping third of American women are now the “breadwinner” of the family. The article goes on to state the fact that more women are graduating with college degrees than men, and are steadily climbing up the ladder in nearly all industries.
Ad
One survey found that a full 90 percent of women identify themselves as the chief bill-payer and shopper for the household.
We’re organized, full of potential and drive, and coming at the men of this country faster and stronger than ever. Watch out, guys.
As a female and a soon to be CSU graduate, I see truth and validity in these statements around me, and rising daily. I see myself surrounded by women with more drive and passion than I see in most men. I see business owners at age 22. I see women making trips to internships 60 miles away. I see successful students and confidence that emulates. I see past stay at home moms going back to school to obtain degrees and change the role they have played for years. I see women taking new control of their lives and moving into the business world, taking a stand and coming out strong.
No, I’m not saying all men don’t have drive and aren’t going to be successful in any way. I’m simply making the argument that as women, we’ve come a long way from the housewives and secretaries of the ‘50s and ‘60s — and are emerging as the new powerhouses of America. More and more frequently, men are answering to us.
Yes, we still unfortunately get paid 77.5 cents for every dollar that men earn. Yes, we still have changes to make in the financial aspect of the business world. But with the amount of successful female statistics on the rise, I don’t see that taking much longer. With the concern and exposure of these issues, we will take a stand. We’ve been taking a stand for nearly a century now, from our voting rights to our right to choose, and I can confidently assure you – that will not come to a halt.
Forget the gender gap — that is so 1965. The roles are changing. And they’re changing fast. According to the US Census Bureau, the number of stay at home dads is dramatically increasing, up 26 percent in the last 10 years. Oh, and according to USA Today the number of women CEOs at Fortune 500 companies is at a record high. Still want to make that sexist kitchen joke to your boss, boys? She might not find it so funny.
We’ve come a long way from where we were, and still unfortunately have some ground left to cover, but it won’t be long — this I can tell you. It’s our turn now.
So to all the women out there reading this, regardless of age: do not stop and most definitely do not give up. I’m not saying this is going to be easy and I’m not saying it isn’t going to be messy along the way. There will be obstacles to overcome and there will be men that will challenge you and put you down. But right here and right now, our potential is higher than ever and only expanding. Remember that little phrase, “We can do it”? Well we can. It’s been proven.
So get ready and pull out your vacuums boys, we’ll be home around five, or maybe seven if we decide to grab some drinks with the girls. Oh, and honey — dinner better be ready.
Ad
Lauren Stieritz is a senior communication studies major. Her columns appear Fridays in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.
CAE56 • Mar 19, 2016 at 9:05 am
Having everything sounds good but if in the end you are alone that does not sound too attractive to me.
bladerunner • Nov 15, 2015 at 1:55 pm
No doubt you go after those more like 100 hour work weeks have a heart attack while your at it. Women are only equal because of technology that men created without it you are not. We are one solar flare away from taking us back 200 years and all the feminists and feminine men will drop like flies.
Susan Nercher • Jun 6, 2016 at 10:37 pm
True. Women brag about how they are taking over. Why did it take so long? Because the technology that men created wasn’t available? Men brought humanity from its primitive stages to the advanced societies we have today and now women act like they far superior to men.
David AuCoin • Oct 30, 2014 at 5:36 pm
when women were behind men in education back in the 70, and 80’s they hoodwinked men into thinking they wanted equality and parity with men. That is proving to be a lie because women are now gloating and braging about surpassing men and they are not depicting the curent gender gap in education as a national crisis the way they did when they were behind.Why the silence now girls?
Women aught to thank us men because due to the natural paternal instinct we men have for our daughters which we don’t have for our sons fathers participated in reforming the educational system or should I say riging the educational system so that it favored the way girls learn which is responseable for reverseing the gender gap.
Back then in the eighties when boys excelled over girls no one was saying boys excelled because boys are susperior however now that girls are on top its taken for granted its because women are susperior.
Heather • Sep 17, 2014 at 2:31 pm
It does actually, but as a man, you wouldn’t know would you?
factory • Nov 17, 2014 at 11:30 am
No it doesn’t happen stupid.
Richard S. Kaplan, MD • Sep 17, 2014 at 2:04 pm
Not one piece of this is scientifically accurate. It is an opinion made out of ignorance and nothing more.
mayfieldga • Nov 22, 2014 at 12:43 am
People have a choice; they can see boys learning as made up of genetics, effort, learning modes, etc. or they can see very real differences in treatment of boys and girls as a very valid reason for differences in achievement. Note, the increasing gap as we go down the socioeconomic ladder points directly to differences in treatment not some mode of learning, genetics, or other differences. I fear by not using environmental models and differential treatment, society will not have any real tools to help curb and reduce the growing Male Crisis. This is an international Male Crisis, one that surely speaks either to a perceived genetic difference or my view, an environmental one, pointing to differential treatment.
patricio • Dec 5, 2014 at 9:55 pm
I don’t know where you live, but here in the third world countries where I live, I see mostly poverty. Sure men will have an upper hand in the real world where technology and comfort aren’t the norm. But it will mostly be having higher earning jobs like working for the cartels, and not necessarily real opportunities to grow intellectually. My neighbor works as a maid in a middle class family that by the way have both their children (male and female) going to collage. She on the other hand, is getting her daughter through college while her son works in construction because he needs money to support his family.
patricio • Jul 20, 2015 at 10:08 am
And despite the fact that boys are being neglected even in the lower socioeconomic levels, they still manage to rise above the challenges and surpass many of their female counterparts, which leads us to see that there are genetic factors that come in to play. So basically all of mens genetic potential is being wasted.
Candice • Sep 17, 2014 at 1:59 pm
Based on your profile picture, I’d be extremely surprised if you even have a job Tim. Stay Classy.
Jessica • Sep 17, 2014 at 1:57 pm
and doing much better at those jobs. and seriously? As if there are no women going to war.
nicky • Nov 17, 2014 at 11:34 am
The guy is just saying what he sees. I also see many of my male friends and acquaintances going this path. It’s a very sad and true reality that cuts men short of their talents.
Craig • Sep 17, 2014 at 1:54 pm
And women aren’t going to war? “or whatever” Ofcourse Joseph, blame it on sex. As a man, I don’t see sex ever getting in the way of my ambition. It’s amazing, no doubt, but I don’t spend the majority of my day jacking off in my bedroom so I guess that’s where we are different. What an incredible world we would have if people like you got off your lazy ass and did something other than troll feminist articles because you have so many suppressed mommy issues.
Sandrass • Nov 17, 2014 at 11:20 am
So replying with something totally retarded and offensive, that makes no sense, and trying to make us believe that you are a heterosexual guy makes you right. JaJa.
Nice try. By the way I’m a woman.
ace • Nov 17, 2014 at 4:51 pm
By the way, your using the “R” word is totally offensive. Check your language please (and I’ll refrain from calling you honey)!
Samdrass • Dec 5, 2014 at 9:34 pm
Another stupidity packed reply! Wow!
Josh • Sep 17, 2014 at 1:49 pm
Sounds like someone’s a little intimidated.
Essential Logic • Sep 26, 2014 at 1:30 am
Well, Josh, there is therapy for that. Try it and perhaps you won’t feel so intimidated.
mayfieldga • Aug 31, 2014 at 10:10 pm
Yes, women are going ahead, but we need to desperately to understand the sociological supports that allow it in order to help, yes, the young Males and men know they have a chance to compete. We need men in the workplace for our sake in the long run. We need educated men. We cannot do this by using old myth of hard work or genetics to do this. We need to understand how sociological supports create many important things for us such as lower average stress; lower muscle tension; more stability; higher social vocabulary; and more continued support from those around us, even from guys.
We need desperately to begin providing the very young two, three, and four year old boys the same kind, stable, caring, verbal interaction and supports we have received. We cannot allow those very young Male children to pay the price for what women experienced in years past. For society’s sake, we need to help everyone succeed. Oh the 77.5 cents for every dollar is only when we include the total earning of the older Males who have been in the workplace for many years. If we only use the 20 to 30 year olds, women are making more than the guys in the large cities.
patricio • Jul 20, 2015 at 10:26 am
I agree with you on every point, except the one about boys paying the price for what women experienced in the past years. Thanks to men, women have the privilege to aspire to be more that just moms, look at the natives from the amazons, yet they live in perfect harmony and have no need for all the crap we have, men haven’t done anything to women you stupid idiot. The world is what it is, deal with it and be grateful, because all this technology is what allows us to have opportunities to evolve intellectually like no other mammal or isolated amazon tribe has ever, without forgetting all the suffering death and cruelty in our human past that has brought us to this point in time.
mayfieldga • Jul 20, 2015 at 12:58 pm
I was referring to the belief boys should be strong that still allows more aggressive treatment toward them to make them tough. This is left over from the nineteenth century belief boys should be strong, but in the information age, we are setting those boys up for failure in the information age. We must stop this more aggressive, less supportive treatment to help boys become as stable, caring, and educated as we are. The idea of saying not let little boys pay the price of what happened to women years ago is putting the sign up of where boys begin their lag through more harsh, differential treatment leftover from the belief boys should should be strong. The saying we here “from others” is that now the shoe is on the other foot for how women were treated i the past. My words are showing where boys as early as one, two, and three years old are paying that price in the information age through more harsh treatment. Men were just being men in the older world with many harsh environmental things to deal with, but the belief goes on from those who would wish to justify women’s success in those terms.
I am afraid even middle class boys are also falling behind “collectively” from their middle class female peers due to more harsh treatment. This is a fact in the U.S.
jamiroquai schwartz • Jun 17, 2014 at 8:19 am
***It’s about time for mandatory registration with Selective Services for these broads**** Next Vietnam War, we can send the ladies to duke it out, get blown to bits and get Agent Oranged****There are plenty of replacement señoritas with intact limbs down in Mexico*****
MrBiggs • May 21, 2014 at 10:10 am
Oh and you go to CSU? It’s like glorified community college.
MrBiggs • May 21, 2014 at 10:09 am
Oh and great job being a “communications studies” major. I already can’t take you seriously. At least these “go getter alpha females” that you are referring to are actually majoring in things that matter (i.e. accounting, finance, engineering, sciences). The only thing a “communication studies” major is good for is writing blogs and enabling the vitctim/entitlement mentality amongst most young women.
The women that are worth a damn will rise to the top under ANY AND ALL circumstances. Ms. Stieritz, just from reading this little tidbit, I can tell you are most definitely not one of those women that will rise.
Enjoy reality.
MrBiggs • May 21, 2014 at 10:04 am
Women are going to get everything they want. They problem is is that they are going to hate it once they get it.
Ms. Stieritz, godspeed to you because you’re going to need it. Talk to me in 20 years and see if the whole “you go girl” thing is still working.
dude • Mar 15, 2014 at 5:11 pm
I know guys who drop out of school and get into construction labour. Something most women dont have the stuff for. There is a gigantic workforce out there with huge appeal to men. As long as that exists there will be men who reject the notion of spending years and their money in hope to build an academic career when they can easily get a job in construction or mining or something and get married and start a life.
In contrast women don’t have that option (in most cases). Their only real option is education. And so they are beginning to dominate in education by numbers alone. Though if the appeal to the alternative career paths were to die out, say if the pay of construction jobs was to decline or academic requirements at high level were to be introduced then education might not be such a bad idea for these guys anymore.
Also consider a workforce with a certain amount of workers who get paid some wage. If suddenly there is a huge flush of women entering this workforce (more workers) marginal productivity of labour will fall. Anybody who knows what that means understands that income per worker will most likely also fall. In other words the income difference between academic and non-academic careers will slowly diminish.
If anything the world is headed to a point somewhere about equality in an economic respect with regard to genders. This post is nothing more than a motivational speech attempting to speed up the process to reach equality.
Its also written as a joke making fun of stereotypes about gender. Though its a bit outdated. Most women see themselves as equal already. They don’t need any more hand holding as far as I can tell.
seriousyellow • Dec 30, 2013 at 2:45 pm
for ages men have tried to make our lifes easier. walking too slow? we invented cars. doing laundry too tiresome? we invented washmachines.
work is too boring nowadays especially desk jobs. you are not being productive, you are there simply to keep the system running, a system that was invented by men to make our lifes easier to begin with.
And all of a sudden, hordes of women are dying to get a job to prove their worth and keep the world running, while we men, can finally relax and let all these stupid women do their job. and i say, WHY THE HELL NOT?
let them do it. let them pay for everything if they want it so badly. kick back and enjoy life
Christina • Sep 17, 2014 at 2:28 pm
Did men also invent grammar and punctuation? You should take some notes.
Have you ever used a circular saw? Windshield Wiper? Dishwasher? Ever had a fungus that you needed medication for? Have you ever seen a bullet proof vest? Did you ever wear disposable diapers? Do you know who discovered the DNA double helix? Nuclear Fission? How does your car stay warm during the winter? Based on your grammatical skills, I’m sure you can’t afford a nice phone. Guess who invented the disposable cell phone? You’re right, a woman. Engine mufflers, Fire escapes, Life rafts, Medical syringes, The refrigerator, Street Cleaning machines, OH and your washing machine? Margaret Colvin invented the Triumph Rotary Washer, which was exhibited in the Women’s Pavilion at the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia.
Women haven’t been relaxing since the beginning of time, and obviously you’ve never been in a successful relationship with a woman, other than your mother, or you would know this. How about moving out of mom’s house for starter’s, getting a college degree and learning how to spell, then maybe you won’t sound like an ignorant asshat when you open your mouth.
Sincerely, a single mother, a cook, a chauffeur, a volunteer, a linguist, an artist, a degree holder, a business owner, an engineer, A WOMAN.
minneapolis • Nov 17, 2014 at 11:29 am
What the hell are you talking about? are you on crack or something?
Sken • Dec 28, 2014 at 2:42 am
Women did not discover or invent a lot of those things. James King and William Blackstone invented versions of the washing machine. Sir Robert Robinson invented sanitary towels for women, which resulted in the production of disposable diapers. Daniel Maseres invented the fire escape. Horace Carley invented the life raft. Ammar al-Mawsili invented a syringe. Milton Reeves invented the engine muffler. Otto Hahn discovered nuclear fission. James Watson discovered the DNA helix. There have been accusations that based his discovery on the work of a woman but this has not been proven. The disposable cell phone was invented in 1999 but has not really caught on.
Single mothers are more likely to raise criminals. Women are more likely to be the recipients of welfare and social services. Women are more likely to file for bankruptcy and many of them hold degrees.
I doubt you are any of the things you say you are. Even if some of the things you say you are true, I doubt you are good at any of them. You sound quite ignorant and frustrated with a need to make up history to support your misandry, indicating that you are not happy with your life.
bladerunner • Nov 15, 2015 at 2:02 pm
Windshield wiper was made by a man they even have a movie about it. Ford try to take credit for it he sued them and won millions.
bladerunner • Nov 15, 2015 at 2:50 pm
Otto Hahn discovered nuclear fusion Lise Meitner was on the team that was comprised of all men. The invention of the circular saws by a man named Gervinus of germany the claim that Tabitha Babbit improved the existing invention for a large circular saw is has been discredited, regardless she did not invent the original. Kazimierz Zeglen polish male engineer invented the bullet proof vest. The refrigerator was invented by William Cullen in 1748 and then Oliver Evans invented vapour cooled refrigerators in 1805. James Watson and Francis Click discovered the double Helix shape of DNA but based their work on images of DNA proteins of Rosalind Franklin who had died before she could be recognized for her contribution. Anti freeze was accidentaly discovered by Nazi male scientists for fighter planes to fly at higher altitudes and is now used to warm your cars. And really who needs disposable cell phones that can only do outgoing messages besides drug dealers and terrorists. Engine Mufflers was invented by Milton O Reeves May 11th 1897. Anna coney did not invent the first fire escapes which goes to Daniel Misereres of England but improved on it by making exterior stair cases on the outside of buildings.
lol • Oct 20, 2013 at 7:44 pm
Everything you are writing is right, and that’s why men don’t–hold open doors for you anymore, don’t want to buy you dinner anymore, don’t want to marry you anymore and most of all men–don’t really need you anymore other than sex.