Column
Old Men Are Back to Saying Women Should Question Their Success
A recent Wall Street Journal op-ed is more evidence of the rise of old-school misogyny
Last week, the Wall Street Journal ran an op-ed bemoaning the “future of love and relationships.” The author, Gerard Baker, argues that women face a grim dating future with increasingly fewer eligible bachelors, all because women are outpacing men in the classroom. “It’s always been assumed that women are more selective in seeking out a partner of the opposite sex,” Baker wrote. “Men are notoriously undiscriminating; women, obviously more refined and sophisticated, are more choosy.” If the premise of the piece wasn’t enough to give you hives, the accompanying art surely will: It features a terrified-looking man nervously skulking behind a woman in a graduation gown.
Unfortunately, this op-ed isn’t an anomaly. Between sweeping abortion bans, concerns over girls’ revealing outfits, “boys-will-be-boys” excuses for sexual assault, and now claims that smart women won’t find husbands, old-school sexism sure does seem to be making a comeback.
Anytime American women manage to make significant political or social gains, we are threatened with a lifetime of…
