Good article! Ah, I miss you Timmy. Also worth mentioning: The PS3’s Blu-Ray player is considered the second best quality player on the market…at about $600 less than the best one…so you get the second best Blu-Ray player AND a video game system AND a computer capable of surfing the web…pretty impressive…am I a fanboy? Probably. Am I a smart consumer? I’d like to think so.

I’m not arguing that chauvinism doesn’t exist; I know it does. But for the most part, the men I know and the men in the aforementioned sitcoms don’t object to the idea of women defending themselves – they just feel purposeless without the chivalrous role to play. I mean, in the case of sitcom characters, network television hasn’t depicted a seriously flawed character (in the realm of equal rights) since Archie Bunker in All in the Family.

In regard to the kickboxing scenario, I think those may may actually in fact question both purposes (men and women) because, if we’re still talking in the realm of social cognizance and tradition, men should already be fully capable of defending themselves and women.

In regard to the Nazis, maybe there wasn’t a consensus of adequate hate, but that generation of Germans was brought up to believe that Jewish people were subhuman. This was necessary because it made it easier for them to subject them to the horrible things they did if they were conditioned to believe they weren’t doing those things to other people, but mutants or Neanderthals.

So, in general, and since I’m speaking in generalities, those things can be said to be true. Again, I’m not writing for historical accuracy or social commentary, but reflection and entertainment, so if this article was an anthropology study, you’d definitely be correct.

Either way, thanks for reading and commenting. And I hope you don’t think I’m advocating sexism.

Towards the end you say:

“The same can be said for the allegedly misogynistic men who question the validity of a female-geared self defense class. They’re not chauvinists finally unmasked by the shock of women kickboxing; they’re just dudes scared out of their damn mind and trying to extract some semblance of peace from their situation by recounting their own physical prowess and ability to handle themselves (and protect women) in the event of a fight.”

I have to beg to differ with you opinion that these men are not sexist (you say chauvinist). If a guy walks into a room full of kickboxing men then would he immediately question the validity of all kickboxing classes? Even if those men could kick this guy’s ass, he probably won’t question it.

But if that guy goes into a room full of kickboxing women and immediately questions the validity of the class then, yes, he’s being sexist. Will the same guy be scared out of his mind in the men’s kickboxing class? Would he need to “extract some semblance of peace”? I’d guess he would not. They why defend this hypothetical person by saying he isn’t sexist?

Anyway, just my opinion. May not be worth much to you but there it is.

Also, I don’t think all Nazis equally hated the Jews. I’m sure some hated more than others. I’m sure there are debates in Amish communities, too, over the suitable level of technology to use.