Have you come across women who find it quite endearing that their partner is hopeless at anything DIY?
When I were a lad I felt a certain responsibility to be able to learn to decorate, change fuses, put up shelves, etc. Same with cars - change a wheel, change oil, etc.
Now one hears women talking of how hopeless their partner is in an endearing manner. ("He tried to fit a shelf ant it ended up costing us £300 because he drilled through the water pipe" - laughter all round!)
Regards
John
Most of the "village blokes" I know round here are generally pretty handy - and know what they specifically don't like to do (eg a bloke I know is a genius with woodwork and building, but always calls in his sparky mate for electrics and won't touch gas or water either).
But we are talking about the 35+ age group. The younger ones I know (who are in London because I don't know many 20-somethings here) in seem to know rather less right down to being in that category you mentioned.
It's OK to be not very good at a fair few things, but to be completely useless at anything practical is rather sad.
It helps them feel equal to men because they can't do those things either. They probably can't cook, sew, knit, or plough either.
Owain
They can go on a SlutWalk.
I have a slightly different problem. I can pretty much do most things around the house, leccy, plumbing, woodwork, bit of brickwork (crap at plastering). Why should I pay someone to do these things? Cos I can't be arsed to do it myself ;) And since I'm a tightarse I don't pay someone, so the odd sink tap which is hanging off will get sorted "sometime". :D
Sounds familiar. It's the little things that don't get done - like changing a tap washer.
The reason I leave the little jobs undone, is I'd rather know what she want done, than discover what's next on her secret list ! ;-)
The last great sin in this country is intelligence; young people particularly (I speak as a 37 YO!) seem to view knowing anything at all technical as risible.
I get called in for a lot of basic electric or plumbing jobs - changing light fittings & taps for example - for that very reason.
That I definitely agree with. 20-somethings seem to have no DIY skills whatsoever - apart from my daughters who are pretty capable.
There are a lot of people like that around - thankfully.
And in the ever growing underclass intelligence itself is regarded as risible - instead of something to be proud of.
'Projects' are much more interesting than 'little jobs' :-)
It's all part of the anti-man milieu that's become ubiquitious in the media and which, were the same things said about women or blacks, would lead to protests at best and prosecution at worst.
On 05/06/2011 00:25, brass monkey wrote: (crap at plastering).
I believe plastering to be a dark art.
Guy
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4.4>5.4 4.4>5.4 4.4>5.4 The Reality Check's in the Post! 4.4>5.4 4.4>5.4
It might also have something to do with the dire warnings and endless safety regulations introduced around every relatively simple activity. When every accident is interpreted as a risk to an entire population, with no weight given to the considerable benefits, then inevitably you end up with a populace scared to attempt anything new. We're paying a heavy price for crippling such natural curiosity.
It's part of the emascuation of men, following the 'families don't need fathers' fashion of a few years ago.
The attitude you mention above abounds on TV adverts.
One about dieting biscuits has a nicely-dressed wife/partner being ridiculed by her thick, slovenly husband/partner who proceeds to drop his jaw when he splatters ketchup all over his (unhealthy) fry up.
The TV series of Scott and Bailey is the same - the two female detective constables are portrayed as (heavy) drinkers and smokers, while the men in the series come across variously as thick, duplicitous, voilent, rapists, or murderers. When they need police assistance, it's the thick-as-a-brick male colleagues that supply it.
Perhaps the real reason women take the approach you mention is that it absolves them from knowing anything technical?
TF
And it makes it less likely that the unintelligent will remove themselves from the gene pool.
The secret list, yes!
Indeed. You must have to sign a pact with the Devil.
As necessity is the mother of invention, so affluence is the mother of ignorance.
Slot head, Phillips or Pozidriv?
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