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Home My WebLink AboutThe Brussels Post, 1977-08-03, Page 1616—Tile BRUSSELS POST, AUGUST 31 1977 Sugar and Spice by Bill Smiley Are women oppressed Some perspicacious readers of this column, I'm sure, have detected from time to time, a whiff, a mere essence, a what the Women's Lib movement, in its love'for inaccurate epithets, has termed male chauvinism. There is usually a pig thrown in there too, for added effect, although what a pig has to do with either maleness or chauvinism is a mystery to me. Maleness is a matter of plumbing. Chauvinism, in its true meaning, is supernationalism to the point of idiocy. Pigs can also be female, and I've met some lady pigs. Therefore, as people say when they're trying to stall for time, the slam "male, chauvinist pig" leaves me completely unmoved, even a little scornful. If you look carefully you can see a definite possibility that if I wasn't careful My lip would curl, ever so slightly, yer'elps you're thinking "Oh, here we g(1) a e!ti,l. one of those looks into the murky dee' r Smiley's mind. And just when we thin;, lie's committed himself to sont r ling, he'll slide out from under, and tell os he really loves women, and thinks the Liberation movement is the greatest forward step for humanity in 10 zillion years." Well, you're wrong. I've just spent a weekend with my daughter, who has read ab out 800 books on women's Lib, and conies out with such unadulterated and misinformed garbage about men and women that I have to fight back, in the interests of truth and objectivity. I emerge from these sessions sore and raw and bleeding, but by George, I still have my heels dug in as she tries to drag me into the 2.1st century. To put it very 'bluntly -and briefly , she makes me sick. She blurts out all sorts of hairy and half-formed generalizations. which I'm supposed to accept as gospel. For example, She says, airily, "Women have been oppressed all through history." This is just after I've fer.I•one 'if her kids, and got the other ot,e off to sleep by reading him six booLs of fairy tales. She is lying on a couch watching television, and she and her muthoie are drinking tea and eating cherie cake and cheese, prepared and brought to them by guess who. Her mother, who is about as oppresSed -as Attila the Hun, nods sagely. I blow up, "Crap!" I get so mad that I'm reduced to this kind of language. Poor shoW. "Come on,'Dad.You know perfectly well that women have never been allowed to ' make the crucial decisions, that they've never had control of the purse strings." "Now just a minute there, y ou rotten kid. Just hold it right there, Miss Smartass. My father was never allowed to make a crucial decision in his life. My mother made them all. And he came home and forked over his pittance to my mother and she ran the whole show, financially." • —that's right, Kim" commented my wife, who changes sides as it suits her "Y oUr Dad is the same. He can't make a decision, and if I didn't look after the money, we'd be in the po orhouse. I even have to make out the income tax because he's so stupid. One year he did it, and he was out $2,000, which we had to pay." • This kind of support I don't need. Fortunately, Kim, like every other turkey' painted into a corner, rounded on her mother. "Why didn't you get a job when we were children?" she queried. For no particular reason, except to hassle her mother into a sense of inferiority. "Because I didn't need one. I was ' married to a man who worked 60 hours a week to provide a living for his wife and .children, of whom you were one and don't you forget it. And we had a lot less than you have now." This was one of those big swipes women can make, which simultaneously take a crack at the daughter's husband, remind her that she's been a burden, establish the fact that we coped better than she does, and tries to get me on her side, two against one. It didn't work. I've been at this internecine warfar too . long to choose up sides. I like guerilla warfare better, sniping from the weeds. The old lady went on to show that she'd had jobs: doctor's receptionist; kinder- garten teacher; church organist; pro tern editor,, in which she covered a murder- suicide case. Kim was getting a little desperate. "Yabbut, Morn, that was the old days.Look at you now. You're just a housewife." This is supposed to be the crushing epithet, the one that makes you put your head in your hands and weep, You're right. I've never been fulfilled." But the Old Lady's getting tought, too. She retored: "Yes! And that's exactly what I want to be. I like my sewing. I enjoy cooking gourmet meals. My piano students are a pleasure. Your Dad has lots of insurance." Kim was fairly speechless, but blazing inside. Something had gone wrong with the whole disucssion. "But how can you? I'm, going to ... NO man is going to .. They try to You have to ..." By this time, the two oppressed women were talking- so loudly and angrily that I couldn't ever hear, on the late sports news, whether the Leafs, bless their erratic souls, had won or lost. I tiptoed off to bed, on my way checking that the sons of the slave mother and the grandsons of the downtrodden grannie were properly covered for the night, and dreaming of the sweet days when they could revenge themselves on those two women who were trying to destroy them by making them into little gentlemen. Obituaries • Stokley HONEY POD PEAS Del Monte TOMATO JUICE Cagniiral' TOMATO KETCHUP Economy KLEENEX' Grocery 2 /6 94 S9' 20'oz's. 59 59 Bakery • 200 size. 14 ois. 48ozs.• New group .entertot at Huronview ' There was a good attendance at the Sunday evening song service sponsored by the Clinton ChriStian Reformed Church and led by Mr. Dick Roorda. Peggy Slootegraaf sang three 'solo numbers and provided her own guitar accompaniment, Seven of the' younger children formed a ch oir and sang several of the familiar hymns. A newly formed musical group from the Clinton area "The Greensleeves" entertained on Family Night. Mr, John Newell is the leader of the band and plays the electric organ, Beatrice Thompson and Janice Miller play electric guitars and along with John sing in harmony and in parts for many of the songs. Pat Thurlow thanked the entertainers on behalf of the residents. The weather has been ideal for,the outdoor barbecues with one being held for each area during the past two weeks. Mr. Ed. Stiles of Goderich entertained on Thursday afternoon with an hour of organ music. Mrs. Geiger of Zurich who was visiting relatives at the Home on Thursday led the sing-a-long. Babes in Arms in second week *famous movie staring Judy the early 50's the show includes Hart 1937 musical (made into the . Garland and Mickey Rooney) opens its two-week run at the Tuesday, Julitth: -Updated to the Lady is a Tramp and many Huron Country.Playhouse Johnny One-Note,. That's Why others. all the original hit tunes Where or When, My Funny Valentine, 1Babes in Arms the'Rogers and The show is set -ironically • Alden Jones, Rick Zimmerma piece orchestra. Greenberg handles the danc Peter Itrvis conducts the 1 Mark Russell and Shari Bond) show bubbles with life, laugh and young, love." last Playhouse appearance was Lockhart (a Wayne & Shus regular) Bob Windsor, (wh Barney in ' Red Hot Lover James Murphy directs; Jo The cast includes .Puta The show's two we enough - a summer stock Theatre and involves • a dozen engagement begins July 26 an plays Tuesday throng energetic young theatre hopefuls Saturday evenings with sped who sing and dance their hearts out - in pursuit of making it big in discount matinees o Wednesdays and Saturdays a show biz! "It bubbles," says 2;30. . director James Murphy; "The Hollywood s tar to appea John Carradine, distinguished and George Kaufmann opens on film star will appear at the Huron CountryPlayhouse in the comedy Tuesday, August 9 for a week's engagement. Mr. Carradlnd appears in a comic role, that of George Washington Slept here, Stanley Menninger, a rich old James Murphy, Artistic Director announced today. The popular uncle. American "classic!' by Moss Hart McCutcheon Grocery Phone 887-9445 We Deliver • Schneiders Frozen QUARTER. POUNDERS 1 lb. Box 99' W .e;ston's CINNAMON BUNS FAB Giant size 2 Ib.10 oz. $1.19 'Kraft CHEESE WHIZ 16 oz. $1:37 Reg. 83 59' LAURA THOMSON Miss Laura Thomson , formerly of Henfryn, Ontario Passed away in a Toronto Hiospital on Wednesday, July 27th in her 92nd year. She was born in Bluevale the oldest daughter of the late Jas. and Charlotte Th omson. She is survived by One sister, Mrs.• Charlotte Small of Willowdale and number of nieces and nephews. She was predeceased, by 3 brothers, Boy, Ralph and Walter and one sister Judy,. For a number of years she lived, near Brussels but her latter years were spent with her sister at Willowdale. Funeral service, conducted by Bev, Leslie tandell, Presbyterian Minister of the Atwood congtegation, was held at A Post Classified will pay you dividends.. Have you tried one? bial Brussels 881.6641 the Peebles funeral home, at II a.rn. Burial was in the Elma Atwood, on Saturday, July 30th Centre Cemetery. STEPHENSON'S Chapman Ice Crearri ,99e Plibet# .8874116 Pfee. Delivery McCUTCHEON MOTORS' C ev. Brussels 887-6856 °Ids. ei•••••••••4•••••• This Week's SpeciciI 1976 Impala Landau Special $40895. Reg, $5,200 2 door 1L. 1974 PONTIAC LEMANS Station wagon Reg.0.695. SPECIAL $ 197J CullAss 2 door H.T. Regs $2;895. $2 700,