The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-10-09
HAL
BOYLE
SAYS
By Hal BOYLE


women ought to get up and give
their seats to men in a bus, or til
their hats in an elevator whenever
man enters.
These womanly gestures of chiv
airy toward the new weaker sea
certainly wouldn't be inappropriate
today, but ! have set up no cry fol
/ them.
How do such ideas get around
anyway? All / did was to point
out In a recent essay the obvious
fact that as a result of the emanci,
patton of women the clinging vine
wife has been replaced by the
| clinging vine husband.
He just changes places with her.
She steers the family bus, spends
the money and sparks the kids
He merely sits on the fence, UNI.
pires her errors and tells her fond.
ly, Gee, Honey. I'm a lucky man
to have a girl like you to lean on.
How did you pick me out of all the
men in the world? I'm not really
so much to look at"
Far from opposing this trend,
said 1t was fine thing. Everyone
now knows that women are physi-
cally more durable, emotionally
more stable Il must have read
that somewhere), and far tougher
minded than men. Since they now
have the freedom to use this great
er strength, it is only natural that
they should take over the job of
running this troubled world. Men
thus can relax into the soft cling
ing vine role their sex plays so
often in the vast realm of nature.
Who ever heard of a king bee
in a hive? Man is a shy dreaming
drone at heart, and the present era
Of stalwart womanhood at last
gives him the strong shoulder he
needs to rest his weary head on.
In putting down these thoughts,
| intended only to pay tribute to
the woman of the future--a conf
dent herculean figure striding the
earth in triumph, one who, like the
lady spider, takes the mere male
as luxury and treat, not ne
cessity.
But the more man praises a
woman the more she regards him
with suspicion. My mail from in
dignant women has been so heated
il almost has to be handled with
tongs. A few scorching examples:
"Your mother must have dropped
you on your head as a child"
"You. :. you. you.
Censored"
why do you hate women, you
coward?"
mo real woman wants a cling
ing vine husband, and you know
it,
IF you were my clinging vine
husband, I'd pull all your pretty
little leaves off-but fast"
The trouble with all you men is
you're jealous, you can't stand
competition. ]"
On the other hand, a sensible,
elderly widow wrote:
Il read your ad for clinging
vine husband. Where can / get one?
Any husband is better than none.
In answer, ladies, | would like
to say this: ! didn't invent the
clinging vine husband. You did.
Many modern women sellishly
have tried TO turn the equal rights
movement into a one-way lane.
But il IS a two.way street. They
handle a mans paycheck, beat him
to his fayorite barstool, and when
he goes TO the ballpark TO root for
his team he is answered with q
soprano boo. They desperately in
sist on being accorded all their an
Gent courtesies at the same time
they grab for all the privileges u
the new freedom.
But life just amt that rewarding.
If women crowd a man out Of bis
world. be has only one world 70
turn to--their old world. He shriv-
els into the twining vine. know .
fellow who has turned to making
quilts as a hobby because. as ne
SAYS, ''It's the only think kno" OF
that women aren't trying TO beat .
man at !" !.
Come right down TO il, il would
be nice 10 have women tip their
hats to you. I'm tired Of showing
my bald spot. and . little token
Of respect from their sex these
"a A. a-ss xa@n harm