stfuconservatives: faded-as-my-jeans: zombiemovies: I saw this while walking downtown yesterday. smh. Very few things irritate me as fast as the whole “man cave” bullshit. When you think about how little of the housework, chores and child care the average man really does in his home, the idea that he just “needs his own space” to “relax” is fucking infuriating.  “The Problem With Man Caves”: Unapologetically Female Since Dan and I have been house-hunting this summer, we’ve been spending more time than usual lingering on channels like HDTV and the DIY Network, which means that I’ve been seeing lots of commercials for the DIY show Man Caves: Guys need an exclusive space to hang out in their homes — a refuge where they can enjoy what they love, whether it’s a soundproofed basement used as a rock ‘n’ roll lounge and adorned with limited edition guitars; a room where diehard ski fans can chill out with a roaring fireplace and alpine atmosphere; or a lush golf-lover’s paradise, featuring a state-of-the-art virtual reality driving range, media center and top-notch equipment storage space. So he gets a super awesome room in the house filled with amazing electronics or merchandise that they really enjoy, while she is stuck with a “sewing room” or like the picture above, the “family room”, if the idea of her having her own space in the house is even brought up. I mean, why in the world would a woman ever want to spend time away from her family/husband?!?! The concept of a man cave in a home is a sexist concept in itself. Born from the “Men are from Mars” school of thought that men need their own special space to flee their nagging mates and decompress by watching sports, playing poker, drinking beer, and smoking cigars, its perceived necessity derives from the traditional notion that the home (and all the work within it) is entirely the woman’s domain.  Just… everything about this. The idea that a man needs a place to “retreat” from the horrors of his wife and children. And the idea that if a woman wants the same thing, why, she could just step into the laundry room! Because women love washing clothing just as much as men love drinking beer and playing video games. I’m all for having an awesome room in your house filled with cool stuff. But JFC, there’s no reason for it to be the “man cave” as opposed to the “adult cave” or “video game cave” or “pot smoking cave.” I have one at my house, for me. It’s called “The woman cave” or sometimes just “The Vagina Room”, depends upon which of my friends you ask. It’s the room where my collection of Sweet Valley High and Babysitters Club books and memorabilia is displayed, along with my entire library of young adult books and some Firefly/Buffy memorabilia. “Man Caves” featured on HGTV never have cool stuff like that. Just saying.

stfuconservatives:

faded-as-my-jeans:

zombiemovies:

I saw this while walking downtown yesterday. smh.

Very few things irritate me as fast as the whole “man cave” bullshit. When you think about how little of the housework, chores and child care the average man really does in his home, the idea that he just “needs his own space” to “relax” is fucking infuriating. 

“The Problem With Man Caves”: Unapologetically Female

Since Dan and I have been house-hunting this summer, we’ve been spending more time than usual lingering on channels like HDTV and the DIY Network, which means that I’ve been seeing lots of commercials for the DIY show Man Caves:

Guys need an exclusive space to hang out in their homes — a refuge where they can enjoy what they love, whether it’s a soundproofed basement used as a rock ‘n’ roll lounge and adorned with limited edition guitars; a room where diehard ski fans can chill out with a roaring fireplace and alpine atmosphere; or a lush golf-lover’s paradise, featuring a state-of-the-art virtual reality driving range, media center and top-notch equipment storage space.

So he gets a super awesome room in the house filled with amazing electronics or merchandise that they really enjoy, while she is stuck with a “sewing room” or like the picture above, the “family room”, if the idea of her having her own space in the house is even brought up. I mean, why in the world would a woman ever want to spend time away from her family/husband?!?!

The concept of a man cave in a home is a sexist concept in itself. Born from the “Men are from Mars” school of thought that men need their own special space to flee their nagging mates and decompress by watching sports, playing poker, drinking beer, and smoking cigars, its perceived necessity derives from the traditional notion that the home (and all the work within it) is entirely the woman’s domain. 

Just… everything about this. The idea that a man needs a place to “retreat” from the horrors of his wife and children. And the idea that if a woman wants the same thing, why, she could just step into the laundry room! Because women love washing clothing just as much as men love drinking beer and playing video games.

I’m all for having an awesome room in your house filled with cool stuff. But JFC, there’s no reason for it to be the “man cave” as opposed to the “adult cave” or “video game cave” or “pot smoking cave.”

I have one at my house, for me. It’s called “The woman cave” or sometimes just “The Vagina Room”, depends upon which of my friends you ask. It’s the room where my collection of Sweet Valley High and Babysitters Club books and memorabilia is displayed, along with my entire library of young adult books and some Firefly/Buffy memorabilia.

“Man Caves” featured on HGTV never have cool stuff like that. Just saying.

Tags: feminism misogyny patriarchy