This Wasn’t Learned in a Male Studies Class

Re “Male Studies--Not Just a Guy Thing” (July 20): Sherry Lutzen’s “studio art degree” and her belief that we should teach men’s studies in kindergarten because “ ‘when you get to seventh grade, a lot of times it seems too late’ ” reminded me of two things.

When I was in a required class in college called “Contemporary Health” (your tax dollars hard at work), the women in the class had to list the traits for their ideal man on one blackboard and the men had to list the traits of their ideal woman on another. By the end of the class, the board on the women’s side was crammed full, spilling over onto the men’s side, with more traits being screamed aloud, leaving the impression that several more full-length blackboards were in order.

On the men’s side, which we handily completed inside of five minutes, leaving us to spend the rest of the time watching the women’s rapidly expanding list with growing feelings of inadequacy, there were either three or six traits, depending on whether you graded the body as a whole or in parts.

Another time, while driving, after making what I thought was a harmless comment, I was deluged with questions about what was I really trying to say? What did I mean by that? Why don’t I say what I really felt? When all I meant was, and, I swear to God this is the truth, exactly what I said was: “Do you get better mileage driving on the freeway with the windows up and the air conditioner on, or with the windows down and the air conditioner off?”

Men are not that complicated. We don’t need a college course on the “Theories of Masculinity” or a men’s studies department. I don’t need to find out “who men are.” I just need to remember that if I think there’s a deep conversation going on--don’t talk about cars.

PHILIP GILKEY

Torrance