Column Writer Should Be Put Out of Business

What exactly was the purpose of the column, “How to Put Your Wife Out of Business” by Michael Lewis (Opinion, March 6)? I asked this question of my 15-year-old son, as I insisted he read this and discuss it with me. “What a jerk,” he replied, adding, “Mom, I think it is supposed to be sarcastic.” I’m not sure.

If it was intended to be humorous, the humor crossed the line, and was horrifyingly offensive.

Is it possible that the man is genuinely threatened and self-absorbed enough to indulge and direct his lackluster writing skills toward his wife and all women who work outside the home?

If he was serious, what kind of message did he intend to send? In my opinion it was an atavistic one.

Surely, the editors at The Times understood the provocative nature of the piece, and sadly chose to give up the valuable space in the paper. I have to question the motive of both the editors and the author.

The simplistic attempt through frat-boy logic to share and make sense of his obviously threatened and boring life was enraging and offensive. No matter what the motive may have been, it astounded and greatly saddened me by its lack of consciousness.

Jeannie Winston Nogai

Santa Monica

*

Even though it wasn’t the slightest bit funny, please tell me Lewis was kidding in his column.

He couldn’t really be so misogynistic, patronizing and insecure as to gloat over his wife, Tabitha Soren, having given up her successful TV career to nurture two kids and a childlike husband. Could he?

Lewis’ unimaginative columns always read like train wrecks to me -- hard to turn away from simply because they’re such disasters.

But his anti-feminist joke? or diatribe? succeeds at least in making this reader angry at The Times for giving him such a large forum and supportive of Soren telling Lewis to stay home with the kids and chores while she goes back to work.

Michele Kort

Senior Editor

Ms. magazine

Beverly Hills