High Maintenance
Why are the “high maintenance” and “low maintenance” tags always thrown at women and never at men?
See, honestly, I’m high maintenance. I won’t lie to you. [Well, I would lie to you if you'd let me ... yes, I'd be the worst kind: high maintenance, but pretends he's low maintenance.] I seek approval and affirmation. I can be manipulative. I’m self-aggrandizing and all those really horrible character traits that we associate with being high maintenance. It is not enough for me to know that I’m smart—I have to show you, and I need you to tell me!
Societally, though, we don’t lob the “high maintenance” pejorative at the male of the species. I wonder why…
Posted December 21st, 2005 in Introspection, Musing.
Remnants of a more pervasive misogyny, likely.
And YOU think YOU’RE high maintenance? Try being actually insane while in relationships.
December 21st, 2005 at 17:51Mayhaps.
Steve: 1
December 21st, 2005 at 18:00Geof: 0
At least you recognize it… that’s a start I guess.
December 21st, 2005 at 20:49I have a friend who is noted for saying, “Admitting [X] is the first step to accepting it. Accepting it is the first step to you not getting pissed off when I give you shit about it.”
December 21st, 2005 at 20:51Maybe it just doesn’t get applied to *straight* men… I’ve heard it said more by (and about) other gay men than I’ve ever heard it from women.
December 23rd, 2005 at 18:48