Thank you Beth!

I agree that it's gotten tougher on men. The feminists are trying to wussify all of them. I for one say NO! Don't wussify them! I like manly men! Woo-hoo!

This is something I've noticed from not a few women: What's the objection to the Mars and Venus analogy?

To my mind, saying men and women are different but they're not from different planets is like saying, "Sure, apples and oranges are different, but they're not as different as apples and oranges."

What am I not getting?

The problem, MM, is that women want to be treated as equal partners, with equal respect, responsibilities and pay- for the most part.

That's not to say that we don't also enjoy some pampering, door-opening, and flowers though.

It's a catch-22. I'm not a feminist in the sense that I want to be treated like a man in society... but I am a feminist in the sense that I want to be seen as more than just a maid, babysitter, and arm ornament.

But how does the different planets analogy suggest an unequal relationship?

You are talking to a reformed "I can bring home the bacon, raise the kids etc..." mentality woman here. I gave up my career to have a family. My husband is smart enough to have said in his retirement speech, " People always asked me, how I did it. How did I survive in Iraq or anywhere else. That is easy to do, you have no other responsibilites. The one with the real responsibilities is the wife who stays behind to manage everything else."

Equality while recognizing we are unique is the main thing. Not from different planets.