Comments on: Ritalin: Breakfast of Champeens

By: Philipa

Philipa — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:30:01 +0000

I no longer have sex. What I meant was that single mums get housing and some men see that as a nice little set up to lay their head, get fed and fucked, before they fuck off when it pleases them. It’s up to the mums to not let a succesion of ‘uncles’ happen.

By: raincoaster

raincoaster — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:09:14 +0000

And with regard to your point about “easy prey,” it’s important to realize the difference between where you fuck and where you live.

By: raincoaster

raincoaster — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:08:35 +0000

At any given time, over 10% of the African American male population between 18-35 is serving time. Trust me when I say that the Projects per-se are effectively a matriarchy, and it is the goal of all children, male and female, to leave them; males, because they earn sufficient income at a faster rate, leave them first. In terms of male role models, it’s really rather desert-like.

By: Philipa

Philipa — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:53:25 +0000

about the Second World War, but at that time society also had widespread, agreed-upon standards of behaviour. That isn’t the case now

indeed, that’s exactly my point, Rain.

The Tory party in the UK is headed by people brought up by a succession on nannies until the age of 7 then straight into boarding school. These sort of people with that model of childhood used to pretty much rule the world – who needs parents??

I can’t really imagine a community where there are no male role models – that means there are no adult males. I find that difficult to imagine as I’ve found that single mums are quite vulnerable and seen as easy prey by some males.

By: raincoaster

raincoaster — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:10:26 +0000

Philipa, I think he’s talking about entire communities where there really are no male role models. The English village is a very different place from the Projects. You make an interesting point about the Second World War, but at that time society also had widespread, agreed-upon standards of behaviour. That isn’t the case now.

The whole question of raising boys to be healthy, happy men is a critical one in our times. I’m not so worried about them not doing as well in school as girls. After all, they are disproportionately represented on the billionaire’s list and the CEO list and elsewhere in management; somehow being boys seems to make up for not being as good in schools. But we have no real sense of modern masculinity; I know two writers who’ve struggled and made this issue the central one of their life’s work, and everywhere they find men searching for identity and not finding it.