SteveSilver.net

No Love For MoDo

Maureen Dowd has written her semi-annual column articulating her frustration that men don’t seem to want to date strong/smart/accomplished women (aka, women like Maureen Dowd). The only thing that changes from column to column is the pop culture references. And the “new study that shows…”

Dowd’s theory this time around accuses men of wanting to only date young, attractive women and/or underlings, as though this is any truer today than it was, say, 50 years ago (or 500). But leaping from there to the conclusion that men are actively afraid of women of substance is simply laughable, and just smacks of smug self-justification on Dowd’s part. I mean, I can’t tell you how many times a buddy of mine has said “you know, I’d really like to date that woman, but she’s just too smart.”

No, most men aren’t repelled by smart, strong woman. I, for one, love them. We ARE repelled by is shrill, unfriendly women who treat us badly. Using the "you hate strong women" defense as a virtual get-out-of-jail-free card against anyone ever not liking her was a trick borrowed from Dowd by Teresa Heinz Kerry during the presidential campaign- and I don't remember her having much luck with it either.

I’d recommend Maureen save this stuff for her Match.com profile, and leave the hallowed pages of the Times op-ed page to someone who's a bit more, uh, smarter and stronger.