Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for June 16, 2011

It’s lonely at the top …

As Mae West said, “Too much of a good thing is wonderful.” I admire Mel for insisting that her fellow-professionals show her more respect, but it’s too bad that political correctness should keep us from enjoying the innocent sexism celebrated by earlier generations. That last panel reminds me of South Pacific—the song by men starved for female companionship (“There is nothing like the frame of a dame”)

They’re like the Magician at the end of “The Magician’s Nephew”. Your words are just barking to them.

Um, so, gmartin, you are saying that ‘being one of the guys’ means being ogled and hit on everywhere she goes?Looks like the Army has changed more than I was aware of.

So, being “one of the guys” means you have to put up with sexual harassment? And the only reason to not harass a woman is that its no longer PC???OK, which of those GUYS is being sexually harassed? Which of YOU guys has been there? If you don’t get it — what if you were one of the only straight guys someplace where dozens of gay guys were checking you out all day? Hey, c’mon, they’re not TOUCHING you, right? Personally, I enjoy being checked out — but then, I’ve never been raped.I can understand how being one of the only females in a room full of sex-starved guys is terrifying to a woman who was recently assaulted. She’s supposed to be cute — remember when BD couldn’t resist hitting on her? Even if she finds a few of these men attractive, the sheer number of eyes is overwhelming. The men are judged on how well they do their jobs. That’s all Mel wants. Why should the women soldiers be judged instead on their sexual availability?

Pocket your misogyny. It’s not wanted.

I often ask the very same question just walking around the city streets. “Who raised these guys?” Does it ever even flash across the mind of man how he would feel if another man behaved the same way toward his mother, his sister, his wife or his daughter?

@gmartin997 I wonder how well you could have functioned in the military? I served in Army aviation, and I can honestly say that the female aviation mechanics we had (Mel’s MOS) were among the most squared away soldiers we had in the unit. I am really pleased with the way Garry Trudeau supports our soldiers and brings light to issues that need to be addressed.

Where is the problem if you are admired, or even made the object of lusty thoughts, as long as they remain such? Mel is going paranoid, that’s it. Woman are NOT sexually assaulted every time they com out from the kitchen. They have careers, executive jobs, responsabilities, and if they are not as ugly as anteaters they ARE loked at (sometimes) with desire. Incidentally, that is the way mother Nature works. If a woman is afraid of being looked at (LOOKED, nothing else!!) she has a problem. A look does not hurt, an ADMIRING look is a compliment, a LUSTY look is a tribute to being (still) sexually desirable, which is totally independent from being a good soldier or a good mechanic.

This is overblown, but suitable for a comic strip. Comic strips are supposed to be funny. What is more funny to Americans than hyperbole? Actually this strip has both hyperbole and underplay. The mix is usually about right. As a microcosm of military life these episodes are in touch with the inner self of the soldier. I know, I was a soldier. I was also an NCO and then a commissioned officer. So I have been there, done that. How does a male officer confront his own libido when an attractive female soldier comes right out and says she wants to get laid? I had a policy to never fraternize with the troops, though I was once an enlisted man. I would put in an appearance at their parties bringing my wife on most occasions. They all knew I was coming and all knew that they had to hide their pot, not to kow tow to me openly, not to expect anything more than a token participation. The finest complement I received was that “Major G. is tough, but fair.”

Wonder how the cosmetic or clothing design industries survive when nobody wants to be noticed? I found women in uniform about as sexy as women in Chairman Mao coats. Perhaps the Muslims have it right and everyone dress in black from head to foot. Since we have 6 billion and growing, perhaps everyone should be neutered at birth.

@gmartin997: get a clue. If she was actually being treated like one of the guys, that’d be an improvement. You sound like you really have issues with women. It also sounds like a personal problem to me, and if it doesn’t stay that way when you’re on duty I hope you get the ass kicking you deserve. Get over yourself, you sexist moron.

Remember back in the early 1990s when we had that big push to get women into front-lines combat? Had enough yet?

Refreshing comments — I’m not the only one fighting the good fight. Mel isn’t freaked out BECAUSE she’s got rape trauma, but maybe she knows that they know what happened, and that maybe she only had “buyer’s remorse”. So, their gawking has an added layer — yes, if only women could assume being checked out was innocent as in “South Pacific.” But women’s lib has mostly freed up men to act like dogs, and respect for our work is missing! Half the credit for 5 times the quality of work.

I think some of the people here do not understand what “rape” really means.

I remember the last time this line ran it ended with the “Angry Chick” realization, and then the cackling died down.

I knew it had to be something like that Gaunt.

@alberto: it’s not whether men think of you in a sexual way. it’s whether they think of you as anything else except your sexual self. men are sexual beings too, and they don’t understand being seen as only that.

Mel would be surprised and pleased to encounter someone smart enough to know the meaning of “subtle”. Being respected for having her head on straight could be a turn-on. People look better when they show a few smarts. Trudeau is good: his characters are not flat, two-dimensional cartoon characters.

I take back my dog comment. Dogs understand no means no, they’re loyal and friendly, and how they treat you depends on your personality, not what you look like.