WHY NOT ABOUT MEN?

Ladies' Mirror, Volume I, Issue 5, 1 November 1922, Page 26

WHY NOT ABOUT MEN?

by A. MANN

A N old commonplace of the newsr*- paper world alleges that any reasonably well written article will find a journal to print it, provided it concerns women. The public avidly

peruses information about women their fashions, their ways, their adventures, their character, to say nothing of their lack of character—it likes to look at their photographs, and to read lists of their frocks. . This is strange, for the newspaper public is largely feminine. Why do women not dwell on the classic features of the male? Why at a marriage ceremony does nobody take details of their exotic socks? It may be that men are uninteresting. Many women, and more men agree on that point. Probably it is the masculine lack of daintiness, and the fact that among men one misses the—let us say, the occasionally erratic emotion which makes women so magnificent a subject for description and debate. All the same, it seems rather unfair, for there are many things about men that one might debate on with profit. For instance, one might discuss, "Have men grown less moral?" It is a wonderful subject, lending itself to attack and defence. Why it is not treated I do not know, unless the cynical public assumes that men cannot be less moral than they were. Or one might discuss, "Do the nicest men follow the fashions?" One might go deeply into the question of slits at the back of the coat, permanent turn-ups, tie and shirt colour schemes, the proper curl of the hat-brim. The subject is immense, and yet is apparently despised. Again, here is a subject which has been used in hundreds of novels, and will be used again: "Will a man sacrifice his love or his career?" Men arc continually being told by women that they give themselves entirely to their work, and take no heed of their sweethearts and wives. If that is so, why is it not discussed? It is an intensely exciting subject, it lends itself to romance. But no; silence, profound as that before the worlds were made. The more I reflect on this, the more humiliated I am by the lack of popular interest in my sex. The above subjects are but a hint. We are also waiting to hear whether "Men are more religious than women?" "Male Logic; is it Logical?" "Is the toothbrush moustache going out?" "Is the American haircut going to stay in?" "Can men cook?" "The male bird and how to snare it." The neglected subject "Man" awaits its —its Homer—its Sappho, perhaps—who knows? It is an inspiring subjectif anyone cares.