Having won their way out of '50s-era home servitude, women should make some sacrifices, argues Fay Weldon. For starters, with orgasms. Weldon seems to believe that as a consequence of their increasing power in the world, "generous-minded" career women have a responsibility toward protecting the male ego by faking them. The Guardian (via Feministing) discusses Weldon's new bomb-throwing book, "What Makes Women Happy?" which characterizes men as oblivious oafs and women as their altruistic and intellectually superior wardens.
Weldon, now in her 70s, offers her female readers this pearl of wisdom: "If you are happy and generous-minded, you will fake it and then leap out of bed and pour him champagne, telling him, 'You are so clever' or however you express enthusiasm. Faking is kind to male partners ... Otherwise they too may become anxious and so less able to perform. Do yourself and him a favor, sister: fake it."
She seems to base this argument on the fact that "eighty percent of women only sometimes -- or never -- experience orgasm." Even kindly bypassing the fact that the difference between sometimes having an orgasm and never having an orgasm is, uh, monumental, there's something genuinely wacky about solving a lack of orgasms by faking them. But Weldon seems OK with the idea that most women will largely go orgasmless and expects that any thoughtful woman will accept this and redirect her attention to soothing the male ego. After all, why upset his sense of manliness over something that is likely unattainable? You've already won your high-powered career -- to the detriment of his ego -- so stop your complaining and shut up already!
Some feminists are outraged, calling Weldon an unrepentant misogynist. But her argument reeks of nasty disdain and condescension toward men, depicting women as higher intellects stuck with the sorry task of looking after apelike males who think only in primal terms of defending their egos. This isn't just antifemale, it's antimale!
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