Rather than the 9-to-5 drudgery to which they have been "liberated" by modern ideology, countless women would prefer to be homemakers creating delectable baked goods and living lives of ease and contentment, while their husbands would happily be the family's sole breadwinners, gladly working so that their brides could have whatever they want, rejoicing in the knowledge that every day they would come home to find an angel in the house. In such traditional circumstances, children would receive all of the attention that they require, and as a result, sons would grow up to be responsible young men, while daughters would become ladylike and well-mannered. (How different from the broken homes of today, which lead to juvenile delinquency, drug use, crime, and promiscuity.)

::snort::

This isn't "the way it was", this is a blip in middle-class human history.

Before the modern conveniences that permitted this idyl, how do you think farms operated? How do you think merchants and factory workers and the like lived their daily lives? Those women weren't making "delectable goodies" they were providing all the food. From scratch. They weren't doting on their children, they were doing piece work inbetween churning and baking while the older nine kids watched the younger nine kids.

Idiots.

Apparently Segregation and McCarthyism escaped this person's notice.

Or they kinda like them.

There was some literal men dig Mars, chicks dig Venus in the other post I read, so they're not really that evolved as far as I ventured.

I was raised by a "homemaker" in one of those '50s families. She did, indeed, create delectable baked goods, as well cook every meal from scratch; make our clothes; make curtains and draperies; do all the cleaning; wash and iron clothes, sheets and my father's damn handkerchiefs; hung laundry out to dry (she didn't get a dryer until after my sister and I were out of diapers); and stand on a ladder pouring boiling water on a gutter ice dams when my father was out of town. She took him to the airport; she packed his suitcase; she packed and moved seven times for his job. When he became an abusive alcoholic, she refused to leave him because she had no job skills and knew he had paid child support for his daughter from his first marriage only because she sat him down with a checkbook every month.

A couple whom my dad knew from college also had that idyllic domestic situation. One daughter joined the Hare Krishnas and moved to India; one son committed suicide; and the other son finally pulled himself out of drug abuse to become an auto mechanic.

I hate the '50s.

I wandered through some other posts, and boy do they get vicious towards women who aren't plus size. "Soft femininity" also cropped up in more than one place. More power to the plus sizes, but there's an undercurrent of "only plus sized women are real women, because they're soft and feminine." I'd rather be plus-sized and kicking ass. Fat woman with a gun--or sword, I'm not picky, but I do get out of breath faster.

I'm back. We're done. I won't be going back to Hartsville TN ever again. Wow, that feels weird. Not sad, really, just strange. That place that's been an integral part of my life for 43 years is now just memories and a random assortment of furniture and stuff. Of course I *can* go back to visit, any time I want, but I know that I won't. I'm done.

ChiKat, my sincere condolences. Peace and strength to you and your friend's family.

Aims, as much as metaphorically pushing that professor down the stairs would please you (What? I said metaphorically!) you're probably better off shaking it off and moving on. You're a good person and a good student; that one grade won't make a big difference in your life.

Steph and Jilli, death to the vile microbial invaders that are making you sick!

Windsparrow, I offer blankets and hot cocoa in retrospect. I hope Daniel's safely home by now.

More power to the plus sizes, but there's an undercurrent of "only plus sized women are real women, because they're soft and feminine."

Her disdain for the waifs made me think of the weight talk on TT, where there was always someone saying "But I already ate a sandwich. Step off." It's a little blanket. Attack the society and media promotion of it, but leave the less heavy alone, will you?

More power to the plus sizes, but there's an undercurrent of "only plus sized women are real women, because they're soft and feminine."

It's still policing the bodies of women, it's just aimed a bit differently than the OMG fatties are gross version.

Zen, just sending a good feeling your way, for completion and closure.