GT’s rerun, especially in the second panel, harks back to the perennial male habit of objectifying women. Men will continue to do this and Mel’s “sisters” will continue to encourage them, but at least it’s no longer politically correct for men to indulge their overt sexism, and that’s why Trudeau’s arc (and Mel) seem out-of-date.
No woman wants to be noticed by men. This is why the fashion and cosmetic industries make no money.Even in the Corps, the WMs had regulations on how to apply makeup in a military manner. The same standards were to be applied in or out of uniform.
It’s absurd to think women never objectify men. GT’s always trying to seem pc but he overreaches — he hits his stride when he glorifies those who rule by apartheid and when he pokes fun at foreigners, specially muslims
Garry Trudeau will never do anything like that, I’m sorry to say. His contempt for our military is far too well documented, though he does appear to be showing more respect for the troops. However, it should be noted that even here, Trudeau tends to portray them as victims, a role that most of them do not want or feel is necessary.
From the number of comments about Mel’s fear of male sexism, I’d say GT miscalculated with this rerun. He probably wanted to stir up the outrage most of us feel towards Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who raped a chambermaid from Guinea and now has hired a legal team to “objectify” her as a consensual lover.
If I remember correctly, we were first introduced to Mel while in therapy for being raped by a fellow soldier. So it’s pretty reasonable that she would not want that sort of attention.
Key words “this kind of unwanted attention” - everybody likes attention, whether it comes from the opposite sex or not. Question is, what kind of attention? Unfortunately, we don’t all agree on what is appropriate and what is not, but we could do better by finding out what kind is welcome and staying away from the other kind. Mel would not mind having her fellow soldiers show respectful attention, attention that takes into account that is not “looking”. Let them treat here the way they would treat the commanding officer’s wife or married daughter, or the way they would treat a nun, say, and she’d probably have no problem. Imagine serving with openly gay soldiers who act as sexually aggressive around their fellow soldiers as some soldiers act around their female colleagues; better still, imagine such soldiers holding superior rank. Then “sexual harassment” would not seem like such a joke to some people. Imagine a general who habitually gropes and comes onto the enlisted personel the way some generals are said to have done to WACs and such in WWII.
Oh man, another rerun. No need to comment now since everything has pretty much been said. I’ll just checkout tomorrows strip instead.
Oh man, another rerun. This has been a really unlucky week. I wonder if Mel would be happier in the Ga Ga platoon? No wonder the Taliban hate us. DADT infidels singin’ it up in Afghanistan must be hard to take.
I don’t think anyone wants to hear what I have to say on this issue, since I served with a group which was about 35% female, and of those, nearly 90% had deployment boyfriends, or played the men in our unit as well as the supporting and surrounding units we were deployed with. Several had to redeploy back stateside because of pregnancies which were initiated after our deployment overseas.
cdhaley over 13 years ago
GT’s rerun, especially in the second panel, harks back to the perennial male habit of objectifying women. Men will continue to do this and Mel’s “sisters” will continue to encourage them, but at least it’s no longer politically correct for men to indulge their overt sexism, and that’s why Trudeau’s arc (and Mel) seem out-of-date.
Coyoty Premium Member over 13 years ago
Sorry, I don’t understand your logic.
lewisbower over 13 years ago
No woman wants to be noticed by men. This is why the fashion and cosmetic industries make no money.Even in the Corps, the WMs had regulations on how to apply makeup in a military manner. The same standards were to be applied in or out of uniform.
Commentator over 13 years ago
Mel is making a good case for a men-only military.
Knightman Premium Member over 13 years ago
DUDE?
TheSkulker over 13 years ago
@gmartin997You been eatin’ those mushroom from BC?
gladlythecrosseyedbear over 13 years ago
It’s absurd to think women never objectify men. GT’s always trying to seem pc but he overreaches — he hits his stride when he glorifies those who rule by apartheid and when he pokes fun at foreigners, specially muslims
tankdude7 over 13 years ago
I hope Sgt Merrifield is getting a cut for using his idea from Bob on the FOB.
APersonOfInterest over 13 years ago
Yes! I agree.
APersonOfInterest over 13 years ago
So … were you faking chivalry before?
thirdguy over 13 years ago
You first Clark.
Sandfan over 13 years ago
My sympathies are with Roz. Can’t be easy having a humorless emotional cripple as a best friend.
bigal666 over 13 years ago
The Governor of Texas once said “Fred Astaire was a great dancer. Ginger Rogers did the same thing backwards while wearing high heels.”.
corpcasselbury over 13 years ago
Garry Trudeau will never do anything like that, I’m sorry to say. His contempt for our military is far too well documented, though he does appear to be showing more respect for the troops. However, it should be noted that even here, Trudeau tends to portray them as victims, a role that most of them do not want or feel is necessary.
DavidGBA over 13 years ago
Maybe past abuse has her stuck in time.
DavidGBA over 13 years ago
Meanwhile, where is explosion-brain-trauma-Ray?
cdhaley over 13 years ago
From the number of comments about Mel’s fear of male sexism, I’d say GT miscalculated with this rerun. He probably wanted to stir up the outrage most of us feel towards Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who raped a chambermaid from Guinea and now has hired a legal team to “objectify” her as a consensual lover.
timewell over 13 years ago
If I remember correctly, we were first introduced to Mel while in therapy for being raped by a fellow soldier. So it’s pretty reasonable that she would not want that sort of attention.
Doughfoot over 13 years ago
Key words “this kind of unwanted attention” - everybody likes attention, whether it comes from the opposite sex or not. Question is, what kind of attention? Unfortunately, we don’t all agree on what is appropriate and what is not, but we could do better by finding out what kind is welcome and staying away from the other kind. Mel would not mind having her fellow soldiers show respectful attention, attention that takes into account that is not “looking”. Let them treat here the way they would treat the commanding officer’s wife or married daughter, or the way they would treat a nun, say, and she’d probably have no problem. Imagine serving with openly gay soldiers who act as sexually aggressive around their fellow soldiers as some soldiers act around their female colleagues; better still, imagine such soldiers holding superior rank. Then “sexual harassment” would not seem like such a joke to some people. Imagine a general who habitually gropes and comes onto the enlisted personel the way some generals are said to have done to WACs and such in WWII.
FriscoLou over 13 years ago
Oh man, another rerun. No need to comment now since everything has pretty much been said. I’ll just checkout tomorrows strip instead.
Oh man, another rerun. This has been a really unlucky week. I wonder if Mel would be happier in the Ga Ga platoon? No wonder the Taliban hate us. DADT infidels singin’ it up in Afghanistan must be hard to take.
MisngNOLA over 13 years ago
I don’t think anyone wants to hear what I have to say on this issue, since I served with a group which was about 35% female, and of those, nearly 90% had deployment boyfriends, or played the men in our unit as well as the supporting and surrounding units we were deployed with. Several had to redeploy back stateside because of pregnancies which were initiated after our deployment overseas.
yumitori over 13 years ago
Wow. gmartin seems to have some issues with women, eh?And Commentator isn’t far behind.