Recently I raised the subject (I hijacked someone else's blog) of me making snide jokey remarks about my husband and I asked if it offended the males on this site and of course other women but I was mainly concerned about the men. I didn't get much response and none from any men although I was grateful to those who did see my comment and replied. Hence my blog today.

My remarks were intended as harmless. I expressed irritation with some of my husband's reactions or behaviour and frequently did this in my comments and also in blogs.

However, the other day, I begun to feel bad about it, not so bad for my husband, but bad for male Moodscopers reading such stuff. I thought to myself, if the men joked about their female partners in the way I felt entitled to do with my husband, how would I feel?

Now I know women have been the butt of male jokes for hundreds of years and yes we have suffered as a result. However let's for the purpose of this blog, forget about (if possible) the historical subjugation of women by men and focus on present day mental health which affects the genders equally. Depression is no respecter of any demographic.

Also men take their own lives as a result of depression and mental health issues more frequently than females. We all know the statistics on this or if we don't, can look them up.

I guess the point of my blog is to ask men what they think? I mean why don't the men (and some women of course) ever make fun even remotely of their partners?

Are they afraid to?

I know many of us here on this site do not have a partner and I apologise if they feel they can't relate to any of this. But actually the points I am making do have significance more widely than just husband and wife or partner relationships.

I was worried that my comments about my OH might not in fact be quite as harmless as I thought; in fact if the truth be known I didn't give it a thought when expressing them on Moodscope. Now I am thinking maybe they upset some fragile men and made them feel even worse. I apologise if I did.

I have always considered myself a feminist. I am one and will always strive for equality of the sexes in all areas of life. I have been one for years and will never give up. But why is it OK for women to openly jest about their male partners and not men and/or why don't men do it more?

Jul

A Moodscope member.