Be a man!

It's not easy being a man. And no, this is not some segue way into a rant about the stupidity of men. I just don't envy the pressure they're put under.

The best way I've heard it described: "Men are expected to know the answer before the question is even asked".

So if I understand this correctly: perpetual certainty is a must, displays of weakness are to be avoided at all costs, and must he-man skills include car maintenance, home repair, techie skills, the ability to to survive in the wilderness, puppy cuddling and a six-pack.

Did I leave out "must be sensitive" and "mind read"?

Living up to these ideals is impossible and yet the expectations keep getting heaped on - by parents, by girlfriends/wives, by the media, by other men. We've already see the same thing happen with women and all the roles we're expected to undertake.

And when you drop the ball, there's always someone to remind you of your failure as a man/woman.

I bring up the topic because there's been a lot of discussion lately about what it means to be a man. On Sunday, a friend tossed out, "I can't figure out which pipe is leaking. What kind of a man am I?" Then the other night, Powell and I watched Revolutionary Road, a movie whose statements about gender in the 50s is still relevant today.

To (potentially) inspire some good conversation, I polled some lady friends and discovered that most of us don't care if our men can't do half the stuff on that list... as long as they have a good sense of humour about it.

Are we being desperately optimistic, sure to turn into shrews once in a relationship? Have our neuroses mellowed with age? Or is anyone willing to back us up?

On your marks...