Not that I’m a huge fan of the strip anyway…but reading the funnies kills time while I’m eating lunch.
I’m getting a wee bit hacked at the lastest story line though. Apparently we menfolk are helpless neanderthals who need the sage guidance of women to make sure that we get to the doctor.
Current strip here. You can use the pop up menu to browse previous strips. the current story began on January 6th.
First…it ain’t funny or insightful. Second…if the roles were reversed, I’m guessing more than a fair number of readers would be offended at the patronizing attitude of the male.
I know there have been recent threads about male bashing lately. I’m not going to argue whether there is an overall increase in male bashing or not…I’m just saying that this kind of crap (ironically written and illustrated by men…go figger) is getting really old.
Look at any cleaning commercial, and you almost always see this happening. The inept guy is always the one ruining the laundry/dishes/whatever. He’s always the one using the ‘inferior’ product and the woman is the one using the advertised product.
Sexism definitely goes both ways, I suppose some forms of it are just more acceptable than others
This is what made notice this trend? Sheesh, it’s been going on in sitcoms for years. Home Improvement is probably the best example, but pretty much in every other family sitcom as well, 50% (if not more) of the plot is “dad too macho to admit mom is right and messes things up.”
Popular culture has gone from “Father Knows Best” to “Father Knows Nothing - ever.” You must have been living in a cave - on Mars - if you didn’t realize it before this particular strip of Sally Forth.
Right. Apparently portraying women as natural housekeepers whose proper place is cleaning up after their families is a form of sexism that is acceptable to you, while portraying men as incapable of doing these things is not.
Pretty bad cartoon and I am glad to say I have never read it before or plan to in the future.
What would have made it funny was if the man let out a loud fart and the pain went away. That would have put Ms. Know It All Sally in her place for the time being.
As much as I hate to admit it, the “going to a doctor is a sign of weakness” line has a large chunk of truth in it. When I had my last checkup my doctor suggested that based on my age it might be a good idea to see a gastroenterologist and see if I should get a colonoscopy. He gave me a card, which has been sitting on my desk for over six months. My wife keeps reminding me to call, and I keep changing the subject.
That being said, I agree with the OP that the constant portayal of men as helpless idiots who need a woman to take care of them is getting REAL old. I managed quite nicely to do my own laundry, fix my own meals, do my own dishes and clean my apartment (well, sort of) for years before I got married.
Curious, the last panel she says “I’ve got one of these at home”. A friend of mine always said that Sally Forth was about a lesbian couple with an adopted child. The art didn’t seem to prove him wrong.
Well, the strip itself sucks, and has for quite some time. I mean Sally Forth just came off an entire week of strips about Scrabble. He used an “s” to ge a triple word score! Hilarious!
It’s still not as bad as Cathy (Guisewitte can’t draw. Ever notice how she never draws anyone in profile? I won’t even mention the “punchlines”), Family Circus (Ida No! Well, I do: You suck, Billie!), Garfield (lasagna!), or the ultimate in sacharinicity, the very-special-episode-after-school-special For Better or For Worse, which makes Touched by an Angel look like The Sopranos.
Also, um, Lamia? Sure you’re not reading a little too much into Incubus’s post?
I’m agreeing with Lamia. Just about every single fucking cleaning, cooking, laundry, or otherwise commercial stars a woman. She is always pretty and smiling, happily doing everything for her family. Almost any other ad type will strive for diversity. I just don’t understand it, its not the 50’s anymore people.
I don’t like the “man-bashing” trend I see either. I think it is stupid and unfair and also re-enforces stereotypes. I’d prefer my son not to grow up thinking that all males are bumbling idiots who have to be taken care of by their mommy-wives.
The alternative to showing idiot men housekeeping is not more stereo-typical housewives: it’s showing competent men as well as competent women. I believe this is what incubus was implying.
Is it a play on words that I’m missing? My co-workers now think I’m retarded (moreso than usual), slowly mouthing “Saaaalllyyyy Foooorrrthh”, looking for the secret meaning.
My point, LunaSea, was not so much about the oppressive and patriarchal Madison Avenue that I am sure you both would love to rail against (could it maybe be that women spend more on household cleaning products? Profit motive anyone? Anybody looked at the demographics on dish soap sales?). My point was that Lamia accused Incubus of sexism (“Apparently portraying women as natural housekeepers whose proper place is cleaning up after their families is a form of sexism that is acceptable to you”) He said nothing of the sort.
Sheesh.
Now, before we throw this thing off the rails, let’s try to remember this thread is about comic strips. If you want to discuss how women are portrayed in the media, let’s start another thread.
