Posts Tagged ‘male oppression’
Sympathy for the Devil
Picture this, my friends: It’s Bizarro World, and instead of a corporate and religious patriarchy that’s hostile to women, we’ve got a corporate and religious matriarchy that’s hostile to men. (Yeah, I know that has never happened in the history of the universe, but go with it.) What would a day in the life of the oppressed American Male be like?
Well, Joe America gets up in the morning to go to work. He wants to work out – he has to look good for his wife (Emily), or she might divorce him for a younger man – but he and Emily share the duties of taking the kids to school, and it’s his turn today. He anxiously examines his growing middle-aged paunch and his receding hairline as he drops little Jane and John off (kisses, children!) and drives to the train station to begin his daily commute.
It’s payday today, and it really burns his britches that his co-worker, Meredith, gets a bigger paycheck than he does for doing the same job. (He has a friend in HR who told him about the salary disparity. The guy could be fired for it, but men have to stick together, you know.) Joe knows there is a new law that will let him sue the company for their unfair pay practices, but realistically speaking, how would he pay for the lawsuit? The company is much richer than he is and can hire better lawyers; not to mention that he really needs the job, if not for the money (his wife makes a lot more than he does), then for the independence. He swallows his rage and gets to work.
Soon, Joe’s boss, Frannie, calls him into the office. Frannie tells him that he won’t be getting a Christmas bonus this year; the economy, you know. Joe is speechless. “But my review was excellent,” he says. Frannie tells him that only managers are getting bonuses or raises this year. “Just be happy you have a job,” she says smugly. “Yes, ma’am,” Joe says through clenched teeth, and exits the office in humiliation.
The Widdershins 
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