Every so often I read a male author who makes me wonder, “Has this guy ever met a woman?” No, #NotAllMaleAuthors, but there are certain tropes that leave grooves in my forehead from all the headdesking. The woman who shrugs off the man’s crappy treatment of her, because his Deep Feelings are more important. The woman who’s charmed by the creepy come-on. The woman who angrily screams at the guy who’s harassing her, then promptly falls into bed with him. And of course, the woman whose entire character consists of being purty.
But first, a word from our sponsor!
Here at Top Comments we welcome longtime as well as brand new Daily Kos readers to join us at 10pm Eastern. We strive to nourish community by rounding up some of the site's best, funniest, most mojo'd & most informative commentary, and we depend on your help!! If you see a comment by another Kossack that deserves wider recognition, please send it either to topcomments at gmail or to the Top Comments group mailbox by 9:30pm Eastern. Please please please include a few words about why you sent it in as well as your user name (even if you think we know it already :-)), so we can credit you with the find!
So I ran across this gem by Meg Elison in McSweeney’s: If Women Wrote Men the Way Men Write Women. A sample:
There is a particular look about a teenage boy that lets you know what kind of man he’ll be. A certain fullness of lips, a frank sensuality in his gaze. We all know what the word for that is, but it’s not polite to use it until he’s proven he’s that kind of boy.
And I love this one:
Brett pulled his tank top up over his head and stared at himself in the full-length mirror. He pushed down his jeans, then his boxers, and imagined the moment when Jennifer saw him nude for the first time. His feet were average-sized, and there was hair on his toes that he should probably take care of before tonight. He liked his legs just fine, but his thighs were wide and embarrassingly muscular. He tried standing at an angle, a twist at his waist. Some improvement. In that position, it was easier to see his ass and notice that it was not as pert as it had been at 22. He clenched both cheeks, hoping that tightened its look. He sucked in his tummy and pulled his pecs up high, trying to present them like pastries in a bakery window. Would she like him? Were the goods good enough? He pouted his lips and ran his hands over his thighs, masking their expanse. Maybe.
I thought I’d try writing my own.
Andre was a 25-year-old astrophysicist with a tight, toned body from his time as an Olympic gymnast. But what he loved most was listening attentively while Roberta explained the history of the Knights Templar. Perhaps, if he asked the right questions, he could help her solve the mystery.
This one is a tribute to Leon Uris’s QB-VII:
“I’ll be your whore,” Lord Oliver said, clutching at Sarah’s jacket. “You can smack me around and humiliate me, because I know your quest for justice has left you angsty and tormented.” Sarah held him close. Her husband had never understood her the way Ollie did.
On to Top Comments!
Two from Jon Sitzman:
Hat tip to RETIII for this on-point comment. Hope it can fit into the Top Comments for today!
The brutal truth: Front Toward Enemy nails it. Jim Wright spoke to this in his essay An Open Letter to the Idiot Nation, some years ago. Worthy of more eyes.
From peregrine kate:
This one by Christy1947 is both charming and forceful about the power of early voting in Kos's post of the same theme.
Highlighted by Assaf:
This pithy comment by Fatherflot in First Amendment’s diary Wikileaks tweets right-wing conspiracy theory.
Top mojo, courtesy of mik:
Picture quilt, courtesy of jotter: