Joanna Schroeder has had it with “The End of Men” and believes having a title that will sell millions of books isn’t worth furthering the myth that men and women can’t rise to power together.
Yesterday, The Daily Beast featured a piece by Jessica Bennett about the controversial and much-debated book by Hanna Rosin, The End of Men. I’m not sure when I’ve seen a book get so much pre-publication play, but it’s not surprising giving the controversial title…a title that I’m not afraid to say is ridiculous, if not downright damaging.
Bennett seems to agree, citing her own experiences carrying an advance copy of The End of Men around New York City with her:
First, you get a lot of inquisitive stares. Some people snicker. When you accidentally leave the book on the counter of your morning coffee shop, the man who returns it to you points to the cover, giggles, and does a little jig.
I certainly admire Bennett for braving the streets with the brightly-colored book. I don’t know about you, but I have a terrible habit of making everyone else’s book titles my business in a public place, and am willing to sheepishly admit that I judge people based upon said titles. I fell in love with my first serious boyfriend because he was double-fisting the Bible and War and Peace.
Fortunately for us, Bennett isn’t so shallow, and offers an examination of the book beyond the title, citing Rosin’s research into women delaying marriage, women taking over professions like pharmacy work and the many men who are staying home with their children because of their wives’ earning potential.
But the title doesn’t go unnoticed here. In Internet publishing, we would call The End of Men “linkbait”—and linkbait is generally frowned upon. A title should be evocative, maybe even controversial, but it should accurately represent the contents of the article. Linkbaiting is a cheap tactic, one we associate The National Enquirer of the 1980s using to make us wonder if Michael Jackson really did marry an alien* only to discover that the entire article is just a quote from some random cousin of someone who had a vision.
We certainly expect more from an editor of The Atlantic, or from the New York Times which seems to also be capitalizing upon linkbaity titles in reference to this work. Bennett notes that the people in Rosin’s life aren’t too keen on the title either:
But if you are the author of a book called The End of Men—with a man for a husband and a boy for a child—you get sticky notes left on your bedroom door. “My 6-year-old, to whom the book is dedicated, writes things like, ‘Only bullies write books called The End of Men,’” says author Hanna Rosin, whose 2010 Atlantic essay turned 310-page book hit stands this week. She clarifies: “He’s learning about bullying in school.”
Yeah, he’s learned about bullying in school and has learned that it’s not nice to call people names or hurt other people’s feelings.
One has to imagine that the men interviewed by Rosin weren’t anticipating that their hardworking life stories would be used as evidence that men are ending, though we can’t know that for sure. And ultimately, the book isn’t about the end of men, it’s about the ways in which gender roles are shifting.
The question is, was it worth it to Rosin to title her book in such a way that exacerbates a myth those of us working in sex and gender politics have been battling for decades? The myth that as one sex gains power, the other sex suffers? I’m not sure to which degree Rosin identifies as a feminist, but she certainly should know that the myth of the zero-sum gender game was used to keep women from gaining any power in a time when women had very little. We see it at work today in the battle for marriage equality. You often hear that if same-sex couples get the right to marry, it will some how detract from heterosexual marriages.
In truth, we can all enjoy marriages that are equal but different. And we can all enjoy power that may take different forms at different times, but is ultimately equal. The goal is equality, not the stomping down of men as women gain power. If there are ways in which men and boys are suffering, such as in education, we need to believe in equal progress in order to do the work of fixing the disparity. And from Bennett’s article, it seems that to some degree Rosin understands this.
Ultimately, Rosin knows all too well that it is not actually the end of men—and she’s got a husband (Slate editor David Plotz, who will interview her about her book this week) and a son (to whom the book is dedicated, “with apologies for the title”) to remind her of it.
I may be only an online editor and blogger, but I can say with confidence that I’d rather not have the fame, the press, the money that comes along with a title like The End of Men if, ultimately, it does damage to the quest for gender equality; a cause that was started more 100 years ago when women like my grandmother wanted the vote and legal access to property and protection from abuse. It was continued by my mother’s generation who wanted reproductive rights, better enforcement of domestic violence laws, and equal pay. And it is a cause that is shifting and changing focus in the 21st century. One that now includes men and LGBTQ people in its richness.
What we want is equal opportunity, and furthering the myth that we can’t all rise together only damages us all. And I’m sorry, but I simply can’t get past that, even for a great title that will sell millions of books.
;
*Not a real National Enquirer headline…as far as I know.
Read Jessica Bennett’s Daily Beast article here
;
Photo of businessman courtesy of Shutterstock
Heres something interesting: the book is bombing. It’s been out for less than a month and its not even in the top 30 of the NYT best sellers. The only people talking about it seem to be the media.
What I find most shameful about Rosin’s book is that she seems to be waving away the decline in North American manufacturing jobs. This is not a good thing: not for men, not for women, and probably not for the underpaid workers in China and Mexico.
I’m a stay-at-home dad and I don’t care if people think that I’m not a man for choosing my current profession. I know my wife and kids don’t care and that is what matters the most. And remember what people used to think “a man” looked like. A few weeks ago he was talking to an empty chair.
For years men have been told by the women’s movement that the patriarchical model is unfair, that gender roles are atificial, that men need to be more nurturing…. Now, as more men take on non-traditional roles they are told by Rosin that they are no longer men… what a slap in the face.
Right on Joanna. You nailed my initial reaction to what I’ve learned about the book only you said it better than I could have. The title is a smoke and mirrors trick to sell more copies and fails to convey what the book is actually about.
Joanna, I regret to inform you that you’ve come down with a bad case of ethics. This affliction will prevent you from ever attaining media fame and boatloads of money. If you insist on looking at issues fairly and reasonably, you’re going noplace and the New York Times will never interview you. It’s the kiss of death.
Entirely her (and my) problem yes…. Such is the pity, but oh well!
I know right? Damn them and their sense of fairness!
Many people realize that a two income family often means that a person isn’t stuck in a bad job so there is an advantage to having two people in the work force, but society hasn’t overcome that men are only worth whatever status their jobs convey mindset, There are definitely issues affecting men and boys like the gender gap in education that I’m not entirely convinced is caused solely by men and boys disinterest in education (and future employment). I don’t have a problem with men and boys making the choice to spend their lives playing video games and watching… Read more »
Agreed. I’d like to see the end of the end of men articles.
The title doesn’t bother me.
Nor does Ms. Rosin’s thesis.
I figure whatever comes, the decent men will muddle through.
But when I see Pat Robertson or Kanye West on TV, that title makes me think: “Not a minute too soon.”
First they came for the………
Joanna thank your for supporting us men. I love The Good Men Project and was initially cynical of women posting here. Just as I heard some feminist women are suspect of the motives of feminist men who comment on feminist blogs, I was initially suspect of women commenting on The Good Men Project. But you and other women are clearly critical of Ms. Rosin and I as a man appreciate your support of us men. In reality, there is some truth to “The end of Men”. With the poor economy and social conditions many young men feel disenfranchised. On many… Read more »
Another post in support of the GMP and the conversations it fosters. A link to Hugo’s post on the Myth of Men Never Being Hot was my first entry into the gendersphere. It was a rabbit-hole that ultimately led me to reject the label of “feminist” that I’d held since adolescence (I’m in my early 40’s now) in favor of “Gender Egalitarian.” It’s sad that I feel the need to differentiate between the two, but I am very grateful for the self-identified feminists who are acting in good faith — a too-short list, but one that definitely includes Joanna, Julie,… Read more »
The end of men is indeed nigh.
When the President celebrares that soon only 30% of college graduates will be male, and doesn’t care that most black boys fail to even graduate from high school, the end of men is inevitable.
Citation needed, along with the frequency of the brainwave-reading helmet that tells you what the president does and doesn’t care about.
Black boys and young men are the worst performing demographic in educational achievement. They have the highest drop out rate, lowest HS graduate rate, lowest college attendance and graduation rates, bar none. What does this result in? The highest unemployment, highest suicide rate, highest incarceration rate, highest violent assault rate (both victim and perpetrator), highest murder rate (both victim and perpetrator), and the list of desperation goes on. . . The President expressed his approval when he said, “More women as a whole now graduate from college than men. This is a great accomplishment—not just for one sport or one… Read more »
You can tell what politicians care about based on two things:
1) What they talk about, but mainly
2) What they spend money on
Obama has proposed to spend $0.00 to help minority boys and young men but has proposed spending even more millions to impose quotas to get girls to be 50% of STEM students.
you may or may not know that the oldest nationally recognized black fraternity sent a letter to Obama his first year in office begging him to start a cabinet level office on men and boys as he did for women and girls. As far as I know this was never responded to. This demonstrable aligning of power to show that even a minority will and can backstab said minority does a lot to disprove the theory of patriarchy which says that b/c most politicians are male they pass laws designed to help men. Clearly this is not the case with… Read more »
The title is incendiary, the thesis is overstated, the evidence cherry-picked, and the anecdotes taken out of context. At least in one case. Rosin interviewed me for the book and I spent an hour telling her how wonderful my life as a SAHD with a breadwinning wife was. She in turn, portrayed me as a defeated sad sack. (I’m Andy the “terrified” ex-carpenter in the chapter about marriage.)
Very interesting and reading the tone of the exerts of the book, it is no surprise if Feminist Rosin has misrepresented you. Hopefully you recorded the interview
I was recently invited to see this speaker next week by my college’s Women’s Studies department, so I’m going to be unapologetically candid here. It really hurts to come across a title like this for several reasons, and I’ll explain why: First off, I would totally be open for an argument that states that in order for women to rise, men must give up some power. Many of you would disagree with me just for saying that, and that’s ok. I will not stand for a title of a book that suggest that men and women must rise exclusively, and… Read more »
Yeah, she’s an asshole for going along with that title. It’s so embarrassing.
bobbt– I don’t think Hannah Rosin’s point was that all the bank teller jobs should be replaced by women…that sounds too narrow an interpretation… On GMA today, she and her husband were interviewed and she was making the observation that men in the past have been boxing themselves into certain jobs and professions and staying within certain traditional parameters….when women entered the labor force, they may have started out in jobs with different expectations and work goals from the men, and therefore, got more creative and expanded on the work roles they were given since it was still unclear or… Read more »
Idon’t think of this as linkbait. If you look at the video interview i the linkto Jessica Bennit’s article, Ms. Rosin think that ‘The end of Men’ is good for women. You’ve preached in other articles of your belief in “Male Privilage” and I’ve called you out on it. You didn’t respond so I assume you still feel that it still exists. There will always be spots for men in the workplace (some one has to shovel the s**t), but as far as young men go, the employment future (desirable jobs anyway) doesn’t look too bright. Today I went into… Read more »
How about this. Regardless of the name there are places where men have unfair advantages over women and places where women have unfair advantages over men. I’m all for not wasting time on which ones are worse than others (and unlike some folks I really mean that, not just trying shut everyone up from disagreeing with me). Today I went into my Bank, all the managers desks were occupied by women the 2 tellers were men. Why weren’t there any men at the managers desks? Because they were all occupied by women. You see, IT IS a ‘zero sum game’… Read more »
Danny, if some couple chooses for the Father to stay at home and raise the kids, god bless them (and I must add, I envy him). However if he’s forced to because he can’t find a job in his field (at least for a male, as gender quotas must be filled), isn’t that the same kind of oppression that ‘Feminist’ protested about. I mean, is this some sort of ‘comeuppance’ for men? Do they feel “Men are getting back what they deserve!”
No, because a family’s situation being decided based upon who can best provide for the family financially is being based upon jobs available and who has those skills in the family. In the old days, there simply was not an option for a dad to stay home with kids in our society. This was based upon prescribed gender roles that were pretty strictly enforced by society. If anyone feels men are getting what they deserve, they’re assholes and should be rejected by any and all mainstream feminist groups. I certainly reject them. Also, what percentage of companies actually have gender… Read more »
I haven’t read the entire book, only the adapted excerpt that ran in the NY Times under the title “Who Wears the Pants in This Economy?” (One can just picture the editorial meeting: “OK, look, we need a headline that’s even more inflammatory and insulting than ‘The End of Men’…”) Everyone profiled in this excerpt was in the South, and to me it only seemed to clarify that while gender roles for women have progressed a great deal, men’s gender roles remain straitjacketed in the past (at least in Red State America) — and, more importantly, that BOTH men AND… Read more »
I think Rosin may *posit* that, but I’d like to see some evidence.
If so, that’s AWFUL.
Some in the African-American community complain of racisim against them in today’s soceity. To date I’ve not heard of the discovery of any written evidence(you know, memos, e-mails, etc.) does that mean raciaism doesn’t in fact exist? New York State government offically ended ‘quotas’ and ‘set-asides’ years ago. As I said, offically , so you’ll never see anything in writing. However, I’ve been on several jobs where I’ve personally witnessed the E.I.C. (Engineer in Charge) tell my Lead Engineer that “Albany called and said they want 2 women on the job tomorrow.” Sometimes they find additional spots and sometimes they… Read more »
So, if we fire all the men C.E.O.s of the ‘Fortune 500 ‘ companies and replace them with women, would that satisfy you? How about 60% (to keep with the college diploma ratio)? In the appretece training for my union (Operating Engineers) we participate in a program called ‘ Helmets to Hardhats’ where we find work for returning vets. N.Y. State D.O.T. has told us that preference is to be as follows ,1) women of color, 2)caucasian women, 3)men of color. We recently sent a cauician male to a job and hr was sent back because he didn’t fit the… Read more »
Sorry Danny, I had a good reply but it got’moderated’ out. You probably would have enjoyed it. Oh well.
Great points Danny. I would add to your points the following thoughts. I think the difference is this: When and where men might or do *celebrate* the fact that they have advantage (compared to women), he would rightly be called a hateful bigot. When and where men might or do *celebrate* the fact that they have advantage (compared to men), they are merely seen as incendiary. It’s time to start calling out people who celebrate or revel in the fact that women are doing better by many quality of life metrics (education, health care, employment) the same way we would… Read more »
Yeah, and I bet one flight up the actual people running the bank were mostly men. “Bank manager” is still a public face, relatively low paid, and with low responsibility.
I agree. I think the book is inflammatory and damaging to both genders, and the author is just in it for the money. I think it’s shameful. I also disagree strongly that many of her points are even factually true. I am so done with authors who make a buck off of disparaging men this way…and who make it seem like women have it made in every conceivable way, which is SO far from true. #notbuyingit
Well it’s simple. The title, “The New Beginning Of Men” isn’t quite at eyecatching despite it being more fitting.
Linkbait? Interesting word and I think it fits here.