Category Archives: On a lighter note..
Who says women don’t have a sense of humour?
Date IITians: Gold-digger meets Pedigreed Pup?
Now here’s something that popped up on my browser window. I don’t know exactly how it came to be there. It may have appeared via an inadvertent click on a Facebook ad or a random link on my populous Twitter stream. I just know I’m going to get some flak on this one but it was so bizarre to me, that I just had to blog about it.
My first reaction was, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME??” As it turned out, they weren’t. Date IITians appears to be a social network/dating website. Here’s a little something that appears as part of the revolving screen.
Someone is waiting for you
You may admire a girl’s curves at the first meeting, but the second meeting shows up new angles.
And it gets better when you go in further:
Its the new era of Online Dating !
Thousands of IITians’/IIMites’/NITians’ profiles.
Make buddies, flirt & date your soulmate.
Develop a long-term relationship.
There is a certain kind of IIT guy that I deplore. I call them Pedigreed Pups and they are defined by nothing more than their degrees. It’s like they’re walking/talking certificates with zero emotional intelligence. But hang on, relationships & dating are about emotional intelligence.
Pedigreed Pups are human males too and to them I ask – is your self-esteem really so low that you have to resort to flashing about your college name to get a girl? Do you really, really think that no girl is ever going to take an interest in you otherwise? That’s really sad, man.
Never mind the sort of men that a tagline like that is bound to attract, what about the girls? What girl in her right mind would consent to being showcased like a piece of delectable meat (curves indeed!)? I’ll tell you – a gold-digger is what.
Since, and only because the IITs are institutions that India prides itself on, because a stamp from them ensure the entire nation’s never-failing respect and admiration, I have a problem. Firstly, does this not sully a strong, respectable brand? Secondly, what does it say about us as a people that we look up to the glorification of such crass values as gold-digging, blind objectification and gender stereotyping?
If IITians are the most intelligent minds in this country, how do they not get this? Or is it too much to hope that this is all a grand parody? They also have a blog, whose delightfully sincere and helpful posts tell me they’re serious. Oh well, different strokes for different folks I suppose. Now you know where to get your ISO certified dates from.
Weird Conversations
I guess there are some decent things about being a woman. 
*If you enjoyed this comic-post, check out the rest of the Idea-toons. I used Stripcreator to create this comic.
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XXFactored Feb&Mar2011: Sex Charts, Mad Men & Causes Gone Wrong
I didn’t post an XXFactored update in February because the month was so busy that I barely had the time to scout for links. Other people however, did share links and I really wanted to showcase them. While on this, allow me a brief crib about the new Facebook page format. It shows the page admin’s links on the main page but other members links in a tiny box. Not cool, I say. It totally kills the spirit of community that link-sharing used to do.
Now on to the links.
- Someone’s idea of what happens to people of either gender when they fail their exams. It sparked off a heated debate. (via Lakshmi Jagad)
- HOWL-a-rious! ‘- 14 Realities of Romantic Relationships in chart form‘ (via Cracked)
- In memory of a remarkable woman and a talented musician laid to waste – ‘I’m Every Woman‘
- I’m sure a whole lot of us will be silently thanking the makers for this handy tool! – ‘5 Signs You’ve Been Stalking Your Ex Online Too Much‘ (via How About We)
- Harsh, hard-hitting….dare I say…true? The undeniably justified cause of gay rights, seems to have become no more than a free ride of attention and entertainment for those so privileged. ‘The Queer Movement is dead; Long Live the Queer Movement!‘ (via DNA Newspaper, link courtesy Dhamini Ratnam)
- A hilarious set of charts – check out the ones mapping people who use Twitter daily versus others. – ‘10 Charts about Sex‘ (via OkCupid)
- ‘Why Indian Men are still boys‘ (via Tehelka, link courtesy Gautam Ghosh)
- ‘No, Catcalling is not a compliment and here’s why’ (via Hello Giggles, link courtesy Ashwini Mishra)
- If this 60s show has sparked off your fancy, here’s a look at some of the female stereotypes of the time by how Don Draper sees them. ‘4 Types Of Women Don Draper has Dated.‘ (via YourTango)
- ‘What Your Favorite Mad Men Lady Says About You‘ (via TheGloss)
- This is totally off the edge – ‘Marketing Xenosexuality: Women & the Sex Robot taboo?‘ (via Future of Sex, link courtesy Gautam Ghosh)
- “Lighten up” can be the most passive-aggressive chauvinistic phrase ever! ‘The Million Little Barbs of Lighten Up!‘ (via BuzzFeed)
- ‘Where Have All The Young Men Gone?‘ (via HR Blogs, links courtesy Gautam Ghosh)
- This is true of any movement – rabidity only works against you in the long run. ‘How Pro-Lifers made me a Pro-Choice Activist.‘ (via TheGloss)
- ‘5 Warnings to go with 5 Types of Men who make great husbands‘ (via From Outside The Mall, link courtesy Gautam Ghosh)
You can catch the links as they come in and even post your own to The XX Factor Facebook Page.
What To Do When A Woman Says, “Do What You Want!”
Image via Wikipedia
I’m following an extremely entertaining conversation on Twitter. It all started with,
@dharmeshG: When a girl says “Do what you want.”, what should you do?
We all know what’s coming, don’t we? For your entertainment value, here are some of the responses that followed that tweet. First, the funny guys who show up at any slightly debatable conversation (and how could they resist THIS one?)
Then came some advice, albeit couched in a dig.
@tailing2ideas: man, that is a warning. back off from whatever you were doin
@chuck_gopal: If she is in some way responsible for your salary, then acquiesce to her wishes.
@bluebustees: Be very careful about what u say or do next. Its a trick
And the general consensus was,
@Mr_Anthrope: You don’t do what you want. And you do it with the broadest smile you can muster.
This joke never gets old. Unless of course it was a genuine question. In which case, what, men are STILL having to ask that??!
The Mind Of A Not-Single Man
Never mind the mind of a married man, dramatic sulking is the prerogative of any man that’s not single. Well, at least he’s got imagination.
If you liked this post, also check out the other Idea-toons.
Related articles
- The May-December Couple (xxfactor.wordpress.com)
Preening Peacock
Image via Wikipedia
I have a friend who looks into every mirror, glass and reflective surface that he passes. The pater is best known to the dhobi as the source of endless lectures on the perfect way to iron a pair of trousers versus a pair of cordruoys. The boy thinks any suggestion towards a health regime is an insult to his body image.
It mayn’t be obvious, but these aren’t so different from what my gender has been accused of, for years. But since the men will have to take umbrage at this, let me give it another name. It’s Manity and it’s worse than vanity because its bearers believe that they possess no such flaw (errr…virtue? Since everything male has to be glorified and paraded around?).
Let the peacocks preen now.
If you liked this post, also read:
XXFactored Oct2011: Gender Stereotypes, Rape & What Women Mean
XX Factor welcomed its second guest contributor, The Armchair Philosopher, this October. Here’s his first post, laying out the dilemma of being a Modern Man. I am looking at bringing in even more guest contributors so leave a comment telling me what you think about this. Onto the link-love:
- ‘Do You Think There Are More Women Bloggers Than Men?‘ (a discussion by BlogAdda)
Image by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com via Flickr
- ‘The speed in which a woman says ‘nothing’..’A titbit of wisdom on women (on Twitter by DeveshMistry)
- The Official Trailer of ‘Miss Representation’ (via Youtube, link courtesy GautamGhosh)
- ‘Why Feminists Have Better Sex‘ (via TheGlobeAndMail, link courtesy GautamGhosh)
- If being able to have sex (forced) is all that defines you as a man, what does that say about manhood?: ‘Horror Of South Africa’s Corrective Rape’ (via CNN, link courtesy ManojKewalramani)
Featured Earlier:
- XXFactored Sep11: Geek Girls & Romance In Current Times (xxfactor.wordpress.com)
- XXFactored Aug2011: Relationship Anarchy, Divorced Friends, Crushes & Glorious Singledom (xxfactor.wordpress.com)
- XXFactored Jul2011: Dating, Male Behaviour & A Woman’s Point Of View (xxfactor.wordpress.com)
XXFactored Sep11: Geek Girls & Romance In Current Times
So another month draws to a close and we’re nearly at a year of link-love on my blogs. Do drop me a line and tell me what you think of it!
XX Factor‘s first guest-contributor, The Single Married Man has been bringing this blog a whiff of freshness with his own brand of relationship musings. This month he talks about getting back into dating. There’s more to come from him and in the meantime, you can also catch him on Twitter.
There’s another guest-contributor coming up sometime this month but I won’t tell you anymore for the time being. Any suggestions on the kind of perspective you’d like to see here at XX Factor are welcome!
And here’s the month’s features:
Image via Wikipedia
- Yes, I’d imagine this would be ridiculously funny…except that I can’t imagine a man actually going all the way to this. ‘A Post Gender Normative Man Tries To Pick Up A Woman At A Bar‘ (via McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, link courtesy GautamGhosh)
- LOL @ Personal strength no.2!!’Romance Resume‘ (via McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, link courtesy GautamGhosh)
- ‘A Guide To Geek Girls‘ (via OldBoysNetwork, linked to by GautamGhosh)
- I was ROFLing all through and then I saw the last one and I pretty much fell out of the window! ‘21 Things We Secretly Suspect About The Opposite Sex‘ (via Cracked)
Featured earlier:
The Man Shop
*Image by Runs With Scissors via Flickr
This post was written in jest. If you are offended by strong female opinions, jokes about the dating market or the battle of the sexes, please read no further.
I remember an urban legend that did the popular rounds a couple of years back. It described a Craigslist ad, unabashedly detailing its writer’s requirement for a ‘Sugar Daddy’ in return for her services as a Trophy Wife. She got a response from a potential Sugar Daddy sort who explained that since what she brought to the deal (looks) was a depreciating asset while his contribution (money) was an increasing asset, the deal did not make sense. He proposed a ‘rental’ agreement as opposed to her ‘buy’ offer.
Back then, it caused a lot of mirth among the men who read it, one of whom gleefully forwarded the entire thing to me as his reaction to XX Factor. It made me mad enough to write a post, which unfortunately, I never ended up publishing. So now, here for your mirthful pleasure (and please read with a huge, big scoop of salt), I present – The Man Shop.
So in the traditional dating market, women are coming up short on account of their fading looks as compared to men’s increased earning capacity? But now that women are wearing boardroom collars (and carrying matching handbags with corresponding purses), this relationship economy is turning on its head. The man is now available on sale just as well and my gender has always enjoyed shopping. Let’s look at what The Man Shop has to offer:
When we go window shopping, we find the following on display:
Perfect Provider
Cost: Not for sale. This one is for display purposes only, showcased in fairytales & myths fed down countless generations to women.
Maintenance: An elaborate production of movies, books, maxims, wise-women sayings.
Lifespan: The length of one romcom/ chicklit novel/ fairytale.
Benefits: What are the benefits of being with a guy who is not commitment-phobic, lazy, insensitive, selfish or mean but is courteous, romantic, egoless & forgiving?
Risks: Delusion. Unrealistic expectations.
Okay, let’s move on to the actual wares on display.
Trophy Boyfriend
Cost: Moderate to High depending on the circles you move in. Rich, successful men like having women fawn over them (actually all men do). It’s not impossible to acquire one of these so long as you’re willing to bury your pride and keep from getting too fond of him. The tricky part is the competition with the other women. Wear your clearance sale-fight cap.
Maintenance: High. They are fickle and whimsical (or maybe that’s an affectation, just because they can). Be ready for high upkeep of beauty, wit, intelligence (or stupidity, whichever caught his eye about you).
Lifespan: A week at best. If he’s still there after that, the chances are he wasn’t a trophy in the first place (and is hanging on to you for dear life). In the far chance that he falls in love with you, he’ll still be too used to too much female devotion to make a really good partner, short-term or long-term. Let go if he doesn’t.
Benefits: He looks good, he makes you look good and he’s perfect for turning your nemesis/ex-boyfriend green with envy.
Risks: None. P.S. – Remember to treat these men like ice-cream. If you get one, enjoy him while he lasts and then forget about him.
Pedigreed Pup:
(A version of the Trophy Boyfriend with an impressive degree)
Cost: Expensive (unless a rare one is going slumming for the fun of it, you generally have to match their status symbols)
Maintenance: High (fragile egos, tight schedules)
Lifespan: A few weeks.
Benefits: Flashy, impressive
Risks: Reneging on their deals with all tracks covered. P.S. – Read the fine print.
Toy Boy
Cost: Moderate (generally impressed/overawed by the financial edge you have)
Maintenance: Low to Moderate (will look up to you for advice, for directions on how to live their life etc)
Lifespan: A couple of months.
Benefits: Willing to be puppy-dogs
Risks: Messy if they fall in love with you. P.S. – Never treat a Toy Boy as a Trophy Boyfriend. If he’s that flashy and he’s dating you, he’s probably got an older woman fixation in which case you’re the prize.
Married Man
(If this offends you, move on to next item. If a product exists & this one certainly does, assume there’s an interested buyer)
Cost: Low (desperate for any crumbs of the perks of the hallowed bachelor days)
Maintenance: Very low (especially since you have more options than he does)
Lifespan: As long as you can stand it
Benefits: Unrestricted Freedom
Risks: The wife finding out. Let’s not talk about conscience; it could be all you hear for the rest of your life.
Fuck-buddy
(Friend-with-benefits if you may please)
Cost: Moderate (Even going by the premise that most men are always ready to f@#$, relationship history irrespective, the species is a little rare on account of the fact that some men can’t stomach the same attitude in women)
Maintenence: Zero. That’s their key selling point.
Lifespan: As long as you can both sustain it (or till one of you gets married, in which case see case above)
Benefits: All the comfort and convenience of a friendship. No judgements over nature of love life, career or monetary status.
Risks: Loss of a friendship; awkwardness if one decides to get married (and presumably both keep in touch after) and the big one – if you can come and go as you please, so can he.
* To be continued when further stocks arrive.
If you liked this post, also read:
- Men by the cities & towns they live in
- Men by their professions
- Men by their hobbies & interests
- Men by the Indian states they hail from
- Men by which Bollywood pin-up girl they like best
- If alcohol was a man
Related articles
- This Year’s Model: The Trophy Wife vs. the Tiger Wife (vanityfair.com)
- Hunter Hunted! [Women expert men hunters] (herbertmtowo.wordpress.com)
- Sugar Daddy Ken Doll Spotted on SeekingArrangement.com (prweb.com)
Modern Couple
Yay, one of my favorite shows is back on air! Modern Family, Modern Family, Modern Family….! I particularly enjoy the character of Gloria (even if the boy thinks she’s a bit of a gold-digger). The promos show her husband Jay whupping a piece of meat, chanting some kind of tribal beat while Gloria spurs him on with
“Higher! Faster! Louder!”
The episode has been aired so I think it’s okay to talk about it now (but if you haven’t seen it, this is a spoiler alert) Jay infuriates Gloria with his irreverence and condescension to her culture. Instead of an apology, he teases her further by pretending to commune with the spirit of her dead grandmother. In the argument that ensues, Jay goes through the meat-thumping ritual that Gloria says ‘drives death away from meat, to honour ancestors’. In a snide aside she adds,
“I just made that one up. Colombians don’t do that. We are not lunatics.”
When the guests arrive at that evening, they are greeted by Jay with his shoes around his neck, which is, he explains, another Colombian custom. (another Gloriaism, of course).This followed by Gloria’s comment that,
“You mess with us, we mess with you.”
I pointed out that the ‘we’ she refers to is not Colombians but women. It cracked me up of course, a sentiment not echoed by the boy (of course). Shortly after, he brought me to a point of hair-tearing with stupid jokes, not listening to what I was saying and being a man in general.
We were just sitting down to a meal. He had taken charge of a small bowl (read: heat in microwave, needed to be done thrice, with supervision from me). When we opened the microwave, the bowl was too hot to hold. I didn’t complain and of course he tried to pick it up, hot as it was. Still cool, I suggested that putting a cloth, like say, the edge of his tee-shirt might be the way to carry it to the hall. And that’s what he did. Delicately holding out his tee-shirt apron-style around a tiny bowl.
We got to the hall before I touched the food and said it wasn’t hot enough. Frowning, he carried it back (still in his tee-shirt) to the microwave. And he heated it up again. No guesses about how that bowl of food finally made it to the table. I waited till he put the bowl down to remind him of the kitchen towel, the rest of the food sitting on the counter which could have been brought in while waiting for the bowl to cool and a few other options. And when I finished, the Modern Family end score came on.
We mess with you, indeed. I only wish I’d had a camera handy.
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