The poor state of manhood

Poor Doug Giles. He's a man, and, according to him, it's just hard being a man today.

Nowadays, especially via TV and Hollywood, men are seen as despicable, cruel, pusillanimous, selfish, ineffectual oafs, veritable bumbling idiots who need women or some gay guy with a Queer Eye ? to help us through our primal fog towards metrosexual healing.

Poor guy. I mean it's like there are no positive male role models in America.

Take, for example, Jack Bauer of 24, played by Kieffer Sutherland. He's saved the world on three separate occasions, all the while being a totally bad dude, and a manly man. But maybe that's a bad example. I mean Jack Bauer isn't exactly an ineffectual oaf. He can be cruel, but only in the line of his duty.

Or how about Benjamin Franklin Gates, star of National Treasure, played by Nicholas Cage, in theaters now. He foils a bunch of criminal crime guys who want to steal the constitution and use it to get to a treasure. He's patriotic, heroic, and a snappy dresser (without any visible help from the Queer Eye Guys).

Of course there are occasionally shows about guys where they look silly. I suppose that really in America the only people who should be allowed to look ridiculous are women and possibly minorities.

Frankly I'd put my concern over Mr. Giles complaints up there with people who claim that Conservatives, despite controlling the white house, the congress and the supreme court are a persecuted minority.