Shrewish, Bitter Dominatrix Writes Articles For MSNBC

Michelle Obama? Is that you?

No, it’s a shrewish, bitter dominatrix type on MSNBC. You can almost see the spittle fly:

Chores for two: Why men don’t pitch in – TODAY: Relationships – MSNBC.com
Excuse me? Here’s a news flash for you: Jeremy is not soooo wonderful. I, actually, am the one who is soooo wonderful.

… Left to his own devices, he would doubtless park himself in front of the TV like some sitcom male-chauvinist couch potato while I did all the work. The reason Jeremy “helps” as much as he does (an offensive terminology that itself suggests who’s really being held responsible) is simple: He doesn’t have a choice.

I don’t remember where I saw it first because they’re all in my RSS reader, but the Anchoress, Dr. Helen and Rachel Lucas all weigh in on this article. As does Moron Pundit, with the men’s version. On men’s alleged obligation to do housework, Ace says:

Men and women simply have differing opinions as to what constitutes “clean enough.” Quite frankly, doing half of what you ask in this regard is already quite a compromise, because, honestly, It looks fine to us, honey.

No, we’re not just saying that. We mean that. It looks fine to us, honey.

… And if it bothers you so much: You do it. You’re the one gaining the benefit of it.

As for me, I’m not sure what I can say without swearing, and nonprofane adjectives just seem inadequate to the task of describing this article and this point of view.

When a husband and a wife both work, should the husband do half the housework? Ideally, yes. But the kind of marriage this woman describes is nothing I’d want to live in. Good Lord. It’s like Mommie Dearest, but for the husband instead of the kids. Because I treat my husband with love and respect, he treats me with love and respect.

Yes, dear readers, it’s true: Maintaining some semblance of parity in your marriage requires you to deploy the same kinds of nasty tactics you swore you would never stoop to as a parent but nonetheless found yourself using the minute you actually had a kid. Bribery and punishment work; so do yelling and complaining. Threats are also effective, as long as everyone knows you mean business. With husbands, tender blandishments and nooky are particularly useful, as is the withholding of the aforementioned. These strategies admittedly take a lot of energy, but not as much as performing all the functions necessary to maintain home and family by yourself.

How can she take satisfaction in these things being done when she had to lower yourself to that level to make him do them? I don’t measure the work that needs to be done and demand that we each do half; no more, no less. Sometimes I do more and sometimes he does more. It gets done. I take care of him, he takes care of me. Life is too fluid to bother with tracking minutiae and it is too good to spoil with a shrill “I’m the center of the universe” attitude. In the midst of all this ongoing bribery, punishment, manipulation, and using her body as a tool to get what she wants (is that what feminists do now? I didn’t realize…), does she ever just have a few moments to just be happy in her marriage?

Personally, I wouldn’t want a man who can be bullied and manipulated by anyone, including me. It may be the fashion – although for this woman I suspect it’s a lifestyle – to abuse, dominate, and belittle men, but I quite like them just as they are. She reminds me of Mr. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life. Bitter, discontented, and grasping after the wrong things. How sad for them both.

It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
(Proverbs 25:24)

A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike; to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in one’s right hand.
(Proverbs 27:15-16)

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.
(Proverbs 31:10-31)