Male Lives Matter — Always Have

It happened again. Women were offended and screamed foul against perceived sexism.

A woman posted a Facebook comment about a girls’ T-shirt for sale on Target Australia’s website. A tribute to Batgirl, the shirt displayed a list of things the super heroine needed to do: “Dry-clean cape, wash Batmobile, fight crime, save the world.”

More women today are looking to be offended by gender bias — all while turning a blind eye to their hypocrisy against males.

A number of women objected to the “fact” that Batgirl’s first task — the housework — would be so mundane and “gender-typical.” One woman posted, “Target, can you explain why you are selling something as offensive as this in your stores? What message are you intending on sending to young girls? I’m insulted that you present a future where our daughters need to complete their ‘home duties’ before they can go out and save the world.”

Another wrote, “Target, your Batgirl T-shirt is out of step with 21st century family values. It is utterly offensive and must be removed.”

Let’s get some perspective here, people, by looking at a list of things that truly are utterly offensive: terrorism, rape, genocide, racist slurs, incest. You get the idea.

Sadly — Target caved by apologizing and removing the shirt.

Related: The Delusion of Gender Confusion

A similar situation occurred this summer with Old Navy, with its “Ghostbusters” T-shirts for toddlers. Boy toddler shirts read “Ghostbusters,” but girl toddlers “merely” read “Ghostbusters in training.” Actual scandal ensued among angry women.

Considering the fact that many stores — including Target — also sell merchandise emblazoned with such phrases as “Girls Rule, Boys Drool,” without an iota of public rage, the problem is deeper than merely girls being discriminated against. Consider, too, that Old Navy sells “Girl Power” and “Strong Girls = Strong World” T-shirts, among other inspiring tees. The equivalent does not exist for boys.

How often is a man, frequently a father, made to look like an oaf who cannot think his way out of a wet paper bag as his wife rolls her eyes?

Imagine what would happen if a store did sell T-shirts that read “Boys Rule, Girls Drool” and “Strong Boys = Strong World.” Women’s vitriol would be swift and epic. Such a thing simply isn’t done.

While true sexism does exist and is a genuine problem for both genders, more women today are looking to be offended by gender bias — all while turning a blind eye to their hypocrisy against males.

It’s as if radical feminism has viciously turned on us. Many of the patronizing things that men did years ago, violating a woman’s sense of purpose and self, are the very things numerous women and girls do to men and boys today, without a second thought. After all, some women seem to believe that mistreatment is payback for the old days.

Related: Blunt Advice for Babied Kids

Beyond T-shirts, look at television commercials. How often is a man, frequently a father, made to look like an oaf who cannot think his way out of a wet paper bag as his wife rolls her eyes at him? Yoplait, Lysol, HelloFresh, Liberty Mutual, Hanes, and a mile-long list of other companies have all used recent advertising that cleverly belittles males. Yoplait is especially complicit, since its recent “Mom’s the boss” commercial eviscerates a father’s authority as his little girl openly defies him and he accepts it.

Children watch ads, too. What are they learning?

Boys need support. Men need respect.

Even a 2015 Hillary Clinton campaign ad displays sexism against males. Little girls write letters to Hillary expressing their excitement because she could be the first female president. One girl says, “Forty-four boys is too many.” Another girl’s letter reads, “Girls are smarter than boys,” and then — you guessed it — “Girls rule, boys drool.”

Imagine if a man campaigned that way, prompting little boys to say how dumb little girls are, and how the president should be a man. Such a campaign could elicit war.

Boys seem to be feeling the effects of the subtle war against them. They’re falling behind in school; girls increasingly surpass their test scores, and more young women attend college and graduate school than young men. Dr. Leonard Sax, author of the book “Boys Adrift,” attributes boys’ downhill slide to several factors, including video games, teaching methods geared toward girls, and, notably, masculinity’s devaluation in culture.

Related: No More Boys and Girls at School

Boys need support. Men need respect. When women and girls subtly deny the value of males, we are all damaged. And when people affirm the false message of sexism against either gender, we harm culture for generations, since children pick up on our subtle communication.

It’s not enough to cheer on only girls and women. Being aware of this is a first step to reinstating males as people who matter equally.