DADvocate

Not long ago, I voiced my reluctance towards dating. Practically everyday, I consider when I should give dating a try again. Except for today.

Listening to the radio while showering, shaving, dressing and during my hour long commute to work, I heard a barrage of Valentine's Day commercials. Not one was geared towards a woman buying something for a man. Rather lopsided.

Several times I heard a radio show host make a comment along the lines of "Guys, get her something good and you might get lucky tonight." Fellows, if you're married or in a deeply committed relationship but still need to "get lucky," I feel for you. Luck or buying favors shouldn't have any thing to do with it. Reminds me of this old George Bernard Shaw story, which may or may not be true.

According to legend, Shaw once asked a socialite, "My Dear, would you go to bed with me for a million pounds?" The woman thought for a moment and responded, "Well, yes, I guess I would." Shaw then countered, "How about ten pounds?" "Certainly not!" the woman replied indignantly. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

Shaw coolly responded, "My Dear, we have already established that. We are merely haggling over the price."

I hope the woman or man in your life doesn't have to be bought.

JWWells pointed out an article about how V-Day has taken over Valentine's Day. The article contrasts V-Day against a satirical P-Day at Roger Williams University.

College administrators have been enthusiastic supporters Eve Ensler’s play The Vagina Monologues and schools across the nation celebrate “V-Day” (short for Vagina Day) every year. But when the College Republicans at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island rained on the celebrations of V-Day by inaugurating Penis Day and staging a satire called The Penis Monologues, the official reaction was horror. Two participating students, Monique Stuart and Andy Mainiero, have just received sharp letters of reprimand and have been placed on probation by the Office of Judicial Affairs. The costume of the P-Day “mascot” — a friendly looking “penis” named Testaclese, has been confiscated and is under lock and key in the office of the assistant dean of student affairs, John King.

Apparently having a sense of humor is a sexist offense. While I'm no big fan of Valentine's Day and agree with this assertation, I don't feel the need to steal Valentine's Day from those who want to celebrate it and then turn it in to my own political statement while robbing the world of a little beauty, love and tenderness. Usurping others' holidays shows a lack of creativity and a lack of empathy. Reminds me of The Black Nosed Buddha.

But, of course, if you have V-Day you can do things like this:

The week before V-Day, the Roger Williams campus was plastered with flyers emblazoned with slogans such as “My Vagina is Flirty” and “My Vagina is Huggable.” There was a widely publicized “orgasm workshop.” On the day of the play, the V-warriors sold lollipops in the in the shape of–-guess what? Last year, the student union was flooded with questionnaires asking unsuspecting students questions like “What does your Vagina smell like?” None of this offended the administration or elicited any reprimands, probations, or confiscations.

.....

In fact, P-Day at Roger Williams was mild by comparison. Wesleyan College hosted a “C***” workshop; Penn State held a “C***”-fest. At Arizona State, students displayed a 40-foot inflatable plastic vagina. It was not confiscated and no one was ever threatened with probation.

So much for higher education. Where is the beauty in these crude feminist displays? Is there some benefit to behaving like the crass construction workers they deplore? Guess maybe I'm outmoded, when I do have romance, I like it to be romantic.