Lysistrata Returns and She’s Married To a Jerk
Aristophanes was one funny guy. In about 400 BC, he wrote a comedy about Lysistrata, a saucy chick who came up with the idea of withholding hoochy koochy from the men of Greece until they ended the The Peloponnesian War.
And in the way that The Natural isn’t really about baseball and Rocky isn’t really about boxing (at least Rocky I isn’t), Lysistrata really isn’t about the Peloponnesian War. It’s about the war between the genders in a male-dominated society. You know, like yesterday.
One of the most quoted lines is:
[Choir of] Men: There is no beast, no rush of fire, like woman so untamed. She calmly goes her way where even panthers would be shamed.
[Choir of] Women: And yet you are fool enough, it seems, to dare to war with me, when for your faithful ally you might win me easily.
But some men never learn. Take, for example, Virginia Republican Representative David Albo, who took to the floor of the Virginia House to do a comedy routine about how his wife wouldn’t do the wild thing with him after his vote on the ultra-sound bill.
Albo was a co-sponsor of the bill. I am woman; see me cringe.
I think Representative Albo should be very grateful that his wife took her cues from Aristophanes and not Lorena Bobbitt.
Thanks to Deb, Larry, Jan, Julie and Tom for the heads-up.
I’m sick of the bullies and I’m sick of white (supposed) christian men telling me how I should be living my life.
Women need to go on strike for a week. Then lets see how the world works.
1In the middle of all this last week, at another site (yes, he strayed) “Fryer” observed:
“‘Pears to me the GOP never wants to get laid again.”
2I guess that just goes to prove that everyone has a little something they should be grateful for.You’ve just got to be smart enough to see it and I’m not sure many republicans, especially republican state legiscritters, are that smart.
3JJ wrote, “I think Representative Albo should be very grateful that his wife took her cues from Aristophanes and not Lorena Bobbitt.”
That’s especially poignant since the Bobbitt incident happened in Fredericksburg, VA. Albo has to drive through there every time he commutes from his district to the statehouse in Richmond. I never would have remembered this if I hadn’t visited a friend living in Fredericksburg some years ago. As we sat at a stop light, he pointed into a vacant lot and said ‘That’s where they found it.’ To which I replied, ‘Found what?” You should be able to guess what from the gist of this conversation. I wouldn’t want to upset Mama.
4Not knowing anything about Lysisterata, I went online and read about her and the play. I thought it was right on as are you, Juanita Jean. Thanks for the education!
5Ugh, not only have we become a national embarrassment with McDonnell, Cuccinelli , and former senator/ gov George “Macaca” Allen, now this dolt complains about his lack of nookie, due to all the vagina talk. Serves him right.
Thank God he’s not my delegate, but I do live in a neighboring district.
6The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.
Women just need to be reminded where their power lies.
7I doubt if Rep. Albo is gonna get lucky any time soon.
I’ve never met a woman who wanted her bedroom life discussed publicly before a legislative body. But Rep. Albo felt compelled to share that with a few million strangers. His wife must be so proud.
8How about a reverse Lysisterata? If a man calls his state reps & congresscritters to fight for the basic human right’s of his female family members, he gets a…. ah…. reward? Kinda like everytime a bell rings, an angel gets’s it wings.
Women need to Rock Our Power. And men need to learn exactly what that means. Personally.
9“Women just need to be reminded where their power lies.”
That’s exactly what’s wrong with this whole line of thinking. My power does not lie between my legs. It is in my vote and my pocketbook and my voice. Politicians of all stripes need to be reminded of that.
10Juanita Jean and Mikey, that Aristophanes/Lorena Bobbitt comparison is priceless!
11Speaking of not getting GOP nookie… since Santorum thinks sex should be experienced only when reproduction is possible, I hope his wife hits menopause and cuts him off. Or already did, especially after seven kids. And I’m not using “cuts him off” in the Bobbitt sense, tempting though it is.
12I need a whole gob of help and I hope you folks can provide it.
13In 1967 I got out of the navy and ran into a bonfire of ladies who let me and the world know what for.
My daughter is 25 and really interested in womens political stuff and single moms problems, but she and all her college girlfriends think that it’s all out of their hands and belongs to a bunch of old white folks.
Who can get on campuses and gear these ladies up?
In the War On Women, men are going to find that they’ve brought a peashooter to a knife fight.
14Master Chief, my best advice to you is that these women need to gear themselves up. There are tactics on organizing they can learn from somebody else (my best advice on that is to work for the Obama campaign) but the best difference makers are self motivators.
Depending on where they are, there are usually women’s organizations on campus, or they could start one. There are women’s shelters and other places they can volunteer to make a difference on a small scale, and learn about the problems first hand, gaining experience and cred for political activism.
Chief, there is no blueprint or seminar for this stuff. You just have to do. If you’d like to share details and discuss specifics let Susan know through Tell Juanita above, and it’s okay with me if she shares my e-mail addy with you.
15If you’re a facebook type: https://www.facebook.com/groups/300397393356744/
Hold April 28 open.
16thanks for the literary education and the laughs. Ya’ gotta laugh at these clods to keep from crying. if it wasn’t for you, Maher, Colbert and Stewart i would either commit suicide or hurt somebody.
17Oh my God! Can you imagine what draconian legislation those idiots will enact when they figure out that they, as a result, won’t have to have sex with those crones at home?
18Actually, the republican model is now Rep. Joe Walsh from IL. There is no responsibility for the occasional consequences of sex: children, even within marriage. And The Family can provide the private rooms for the release of Viagra energy out of sight of wives.
19FW from VA, I sure am glad I live up in Fairfax City and that my reps are Chap and Dave. That said, our General Assembly sure are givin’ TX a run for their money on stoopid.
Mikey what you did not mention was that when the Fredericksburg PD Officer found IT that night was that he and his partner (yep, two guys) went next door to the 7-11 and put IT in a “Big Bite” box for transport to the hospital. You should have seen the local “on-scene” news reporters try to tell the story that night without using words that would upset Momma. Funniest thing you ever did see.
20If you are an older married Republican you probably won’t even realize your nookie has been taken away.
21I’ll bet when Lorena B. was a teen she never imagined that her name would become famous the way it has. Is she really the only one who has done this, or do the press hide the other stories? For that matter, where is she these days?
22“And The Family can provide the private rooms for the release of Viagra energy out of sight of wives.”
As Gingrich would say, he does it because he loves America too much to be restricted to just one.
23Kudos! Best column so far on crazy men’s war on uppity women’s body parts. What in the world are they thinking? Now, where I live they want to stop CVS drugstore from selling condoms! I guess it is a way to reduce the population through sexually transmitted diseases. People will have sex. Women will not have children they do not want. It just won’t be legal any more. It will increase the dying though…maybe THAT is the point?
24Dave Albo is a Delegate not a Representative. I know, because I had the pleasure of voting for his opponent last election.
25the bobbit “incident” took place in manassas, va, not fredericksburg. paul ebert, the commonwealth’s atty. for prince william county prosecuted the case, as well as the one against john bobbit, for assault. he lost both cases. the offending appendage, tossed out her truck window, was found by two pwc police officers. when it was presented to drs. at prince william hospital, these words, which will live in infamy, were spoken by one of them: “we’re not sure it’s the right one, but it’s the only one we could find.”
subsequent to her acquittal, and separation from mr. bobbit, lorena re-located to the fredericksburg, va area, taking employment at a hair salon located in spotsylvania mall, on rt. 3. i have made it a point to avoid that establishment like the plague.
to date, this is the only incident of its kind reported and prosecuted.
my first thought, upon reading a report of mr. albo’s comments, was that he was lucky all his wife did was refuse to have sex with him. of course. it’s early in the week.
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