In the news recently:
Tuesday Afternoon Links
Monday Morning Links
Monday Morning Links
Why Monogamy Matters
I was surprised to come across this article in the New York Times a few days ago. An excerpt:
The point isn’t that we should aspire to some Arcadia of perfect chastity. Rather, it’s that a high sexual ideal can shape how quickly and casually people pair off, even when they aren’t living up to its exacting demands. The ultimate goal is a sexual culture that makes it easier for young people to achieve romantic happiness — by encouraging them to wait a little longer, choose more carefully and judge their sex lives against a strong moral standard.
This is what’s at stake, for instance, in debates over abstinence-based sex education. Successful abstinence-based programs (yes, they do exist) don’t necessarily make their teenage participants more likely to save themselves for marriage. But they make them more likely to save themselves for somebody, which in turn increases the odds that their adult sexual lives will be a source of joy rather than sorrow.
Monday Morning Links
“Where Have the Good Men Gone?”
The Wall Street Journal ran this superb article a few days ago, which has (unsurprisingly) become one of its most popular pieces online. While I fully recommend reading the entire article, I included below a few excerpts that particularly struck me.
“They [guys: males who are not boys or men but something in between, as Hymowitz describes them] are more like the kids we babysat than the dads who drove us home.”
Though I’d never thought about this before, it seems to me that many of my male acquaintances at Princeton fall far closer than I’d like to the former category.
“Today, however, with women moving ahead in our advanced economy, husbands and fathers are now optional, and the qualities of character men once needed to play their roles–fortitude, stoicism, courage, fidelity–are obsolete, even a little embarrassing.”
How true.
Monday Morning Links
Super Bowl Pepsi Commercial
Take a look at this commercial‘s take on the difference between male and female mindsets in a relationship (aired this Sunday). Fellow bloggers more at their leisure, feel free to write a more in-depth analysis of this if you like.
This incidentally reminded me of this priceless Super Bowl commercial from last year – somewhat different situation, but the man here seems to be thinking the same thing. Luckily her son’s onto him.
Frank Sinatra: “Love and Marriage”
Over the past weekend, I decided to listen to some Frank Sinatra while I was studying, and while it was naturally a thoroughly enjoyable experience, I couldn’t help but be somewhat surprised by the lyrics of “Love and Marriage” (which I hadn’t heard in a while) when it came on: “Love and marriage, love and marriage / it’s an institute you can’t disparage.” One forgets that hugely popular singers used to sing like this. I put the lyrics below, which are worth a look, and here’s the original song, which is certainly worth a listen.
Love and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage
This I tell you, brother
You can’t have one without the otherLove and marriage, love and marriage
It’s an institute you can’t disparage
Ask the local gentry
And they will say it’s elementaryTry, try, try to separate them
It’s an illusion
Try, try, try, and you will only come
To this conclusionLove and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like the horse and carriage
Dad was told by mother
You can’t have one, you can’t have none, you can’t have one without the other!No Sir!