February 6, 2002

  • Why Men Have It 'Easier'


    (or why I'll never have it easy again after publishing this comment?)


    Liz_A in a most recent blog expressed some dismay and distress about the shadows of aging growing longer.  Yet beyond her personal impressions, she suggested that culture is two-faced in treating the aging of men and women differently:


    In short, I think that we have this perception that men age gracefully, and women just get old. Somehow it doesn't seem fair.


    Exactamente.  But... (my reply, here slightly embellished but true to the original spirit I intended):


    Both men and women remain as sexually capable (performance-wise) as each other at comparable ages, but men remain, in general , sexually potent longer than women.  No definitive menopause for men.  Hence, aging for men doesn't appear culturally as drastic a correlate to sexual potentcy as it does for women.  When you look at an "old woman", you can be practically certain that she's incapable of biologically sponsoring offspring anymore.  But when you look at an "old man", you can't make that sure bet.  This, I believe, is the biological underpinning of the (fair or unfairly) bent cultural rant.


    Statistics can lie.  Appearances can deceive.  And culture sure can suck.  Yet Ronald Reagan (aged 91--his birthday is today--and he's the oldest living President ever) might still be capable of impregnating a nubile fertile teenage babe (regardless of whether he'd be mentally competent to do so). But for someone the likes of Nancy Reagan--with regards to this issue of sexual potency only -- would you hedge whether the sun has actually set on her procreative chances with some horny young gigolo?


    Hormones aside, old vs. gracefully aged??  I don't personally make the distinction by gender.  It's all in the mind, right?  Just remember Mr. Jingles from the Green Mile--he was ancient!!

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