Danger: May contain sarcasm

By

May 8, 2008

Warning: This column may contain sarcasm, satire and humour some readers may not comprehend, or even find offensive. Proceed at your own risk.

I get many letters regarding what I write and I don’t usually respond to them in my column, but I received one last week that I would like to address. I hope you will indulge me.

In the letter, the author chastised me for several things, the first being the fact that I was “gossiping” about a customer’s lack of handiness.

Tom is not a “typical” customer. An ongoing theme on his radio morning show involves him making fun of himself for his lack of handiness. If the author listened to the station he would know this. He would also have noticed that after saying how much I love the station, I wrote the wrong phone number to contact Tom!

I put the number of the station he worked at 20 years ago!

(And, to be honest, this is the mistake I thought I’d get letters about!)

Tom was well aware I was going to do a piece on him, and was glad to go along. He even told his side of the story on air. I think most people were aware I was just joshing. I don’t write about my customers; that would just be irresponsible, and for the letter writer to suggest that borders on libel.

He then went on to say I was small-minded because of my views on how a man should act, feel or look; all based on the fact I suggested a man should be handy.

Interesting.

I always like how people write to me and attack me personally instead of the issue. (Note to the author of the letter: This is an example of sarcasm – I don’t really like personal attacks.)

I can appreciate the point of view; I am all for equality, but I think the letter writer’s passion for his cause may be a tad misdirected. I have to wonder if he watches comedians and then writes to them pointing out what things in their acts offended him.

Hell, Gloria Steinem and Jane Fonda even went on The Colbert Report and baked a pie while talking about feminism!

I am a man. This is a column for men. I like being a man. I like the camaraderie men have. I have no ill will toward women. I also realize that we are different. There is nothing wrong with being different. It is the differences and the stereotypes that make life interesting and fun.

Somewhere between the feminists saying “I am woman, hear me roar” and the gays saying, “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it,” it has become almost taboo to be a man; and even more taboo to be proud of it.

And somewhere along the way we have lost our sense of humour.

Don’t take this the wrong way — though I am sure someone will — I really do believe a man should be handy. I also believe a man should know how to cook, clean, do laundry, take care of his children and do a multitude of other things that some people, years ago, would have said was women’s work.

But no man (or woman) can do it all.

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