1979 School Magazine

"As long as man confined himself to foreign concoc- tions, hecould still maintain the comfortable illusion that he was not doing such an unmanly thing as cooking." ln today's world, a world not far progressed from the days when male superiority was unchallenged and un- questioned, many people still believe that men and women should play entirely different roles, the male role beiong superior to that of the female. This idea is par- ticularly in evidence among males, especially when they are with their "mates". The cooking of normal, everyday meals is deemed as women's work and Jar too "mundane" and "unchalleng- ing" for men to try their skill at. By cooking "foreign con- coclions", the cooking of which is considered to be far more difficult and demanding, the men can still believe that they are maintaining a superior role. Even in these days of "women's liberation", for a woman to make progress in a male dominated tield, is quite an accomplishment. She is either viewed in awe or considered a f reak. But for a man io venture into woman- ly occupations is looked upon as degrading; he has per- formed a task which is "beneath" himself. There are however, many men who enjoy and even prefer, to perform roles usually done by women. Unfor- tunately, social pressure is such that few will do so open- ly. lnstead they delude themselves and their peer group, by believing that they are still maintaining a superior role. Examples of such deception are in evidence in today's society. Those men who cook are not called "cooks", but "chefs", suggesting that they do more than just cook, and rarely do such "chefs" lower themselves to the cleaning up of the mess they create - they are the creators not the cleaners. A man is not a "seamstress", he is a "designer", a creator of originalclothing. And the list goes on, all examples of men doing the same type of work as a female, but calling it by a fancy name and usually getting paid more money for doing the same thing. Until men can have enough confidence in themselves to do the job they wish to do, without having to make ex- cuses for themselves, they will continue to pull the wool over their own eyes. And while they do, those of us who have confidence in ourselves and are able to rush in with both eyes open, can just sit back and laugh at their rather silly efforts. Wendy Luck.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR Since literacy overtook the Western world, women have been indulging in romantic literature. This form of 'pulp' f iction consists of a hero, a heroine, a series of misunderstandings and an engagement ring. As an avid reader of "Mills and Boon" paperbacks, I feel that it is time to defend romance from its numerous critics. I once read fifteen of these books over a five week period. No other references are forthcoming so you have to accept my claim to expertise. Their purpose was to alleviate the Christmas holiday blues. Many women read romantic fiction as a form of escapism and it works ad- mirably. The average housewile finds herself in a rut where every outlook seems depressing and hopeless. Romantic literature takes her into a world where dreams come true and true love exists. Let's face it. Her hubby has lost his zest, so reading about passion compensates for the lack of it in her own life, The spark that is missing is fanned slightly and boredom is at least erased. Like the mid-afternoon soap- operas, these books supply some of the emotion and ex- citement she needs, lt does not take much brain power to follow the plot and the books are convenient as there is no 1.30 to 4.00 p.m. limit. The hero is the most important character. The heroine does not have so many requirements, but she must be at least mediumly pretty. Stunning beauty is not necessary as women can identify with the not-so-lovely more easily. She must be kind, generous, home-loving, innocent and madly in love with the hero, The hero's recipe is much more complicated. To a pinch of good looks, add a large dose each of masculinity, physique and good humour. Stir in moral courage, in- telligence, good breeding and a few enigmatic expres- sions such as unreadable looks. Bring to the boil gently over the flame of eternal faith and love. Take olf fire, folding in popularity. Quickly add a capful of natural reticence. When cool, pour in half a cup of passion (con- centrated). Place is a6'2" mould greased with adoration and paternal instinct. Sprinkle very lightly with a touch of arrogance and male superiority. Add the name Conte Marco della Roletti if exotic touch desired. Bake in a slow oven tor 27-36 years. Garnish with a pipe and tweeds. Serve immediately. It is true that romantic fiction is purely escapism. lt achieves its aim painlessly and adequately. lt takes its readers to other worlds, other spheres of being. (You should see how much my knowledge of New Zealand, Spain, Ceylon, jungle vegetation, the native fauna of New Zealand and opal mining has improved). Many peo- ple criticize romantic fiction books for being corny. Well, corn is wholesome, isn't it? I'm not saying it should be a staple diet, but it makes delightful snacks. All I can say now is "Marco, I salute you." Diane Hawes, 12E,

The music petered to a dull beat as colours lazily mingled and blurred. Something tugged at her heart as her insides were s/ashed to ribbons. ln desperation, she hit out, clawing and biting; struggling against an insistent kaleidoscope of emotion. Gasping, she clutched at a sheef of sanity, but was overwhelmed by a vast sucking whirlpool. With a sigh of pain, echoed through the corildors of time, she submitted. She had fallen in love.

Love is like a game, some win, some lose And some never get to play at all.

9E