What’s Wrong With This Picture

I overheard something, something I probably shouldn’t have. That something was a private conversation. I wasn't eavesdropping, but and unfortunately I was within hearing distance. They don't know I heard the conversation and am shocked they didn't come to see where the retching noises were coming from, the ones I was making after I heard what they had to say.

Please try to picture this. Two grown men, mid-thirties, well educated, one of them is married with an infant daughter. These two ‘men’ are having what appeared to be a normal conversation, but it wasn’t normal. It wasn’t a conversation about hockey or basketball. Nor a conversation about the latest movie or television show they were watching, or work for that matter. No, these two grown men, who I will remind you again are in their mid-thirties, are talking about how hot the 'girls' of Laguna Beach are. Ok, I threw up a little again.

What's wrong here you ask? What’s wrong with this picture? Men talk about women all the time. It's a normal thing I suppose, but what they were talking about wasn’t and here is why:

a) These men are watching a show meant for teenage girls
b) The 'girls' they are talking about are actually teenage girls
c) These men are technically old enough to be their Fathers’

Don't get me wrong on point c. I have no issues with May/December romances, when it’s two adults. Plus, the conversation was a bit... disturbing. They find these 'girls' hot. Not hot in a cute sexy hot way... but hot in a sexual turning them on way. Ew! It's no wonder that women in their 30's are having troubles finding guy's in their 30's to have relationships with. These men are no longer looking for the a woman who is mature, educated, fascinating or fit, no, what they want is a woman with the perfect body and no brains. They are now looking at teenage girls.

On top of everything else this behavior scares me. A lot. As women and feminists we fight daily to stop men's disrespect for us. We fight daily to bring to light the abuse that many silently suffer. We try to find funding for shelters and help lines. We expect that all of our hard work is actually educating men. Apparently we aren’t getting through.

Maybe we aren’t trying hard enough. Maybe we aren’t speaking up enough. I know I should have that day. I feel guilty that I didn’t confront these two men with my disgust. I did however decide from that experience that I am getting in their faces from this day forward each and every time they make a misogynistic remark, every time they eyeball a woman. Every time they make a sexist remark.

This problem isn’t going to go away if we don’t do something about it. We can’t wait for Laguna Beach to get cancelled. There will be another show just as awful to replace it. Instead we need to go to the source. Thirty year old men drooling over teenagers. Then we need to voice out!