A reader (thanks!) sent me a link to a CNN article by Martha Brockenbrough, author of Things That Make Us (Sic): The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar Takes on Madison Avenue, Hollywood, the White House, and the World. Frankly, this bitchy title should tell you that this snarky writer would have no more tolerance for husbands than she does for those who don’t use perfect grammar.

Anyway, the article entitled “Why we get mad at our husbands” is simply a rant against husbands and dads who don’t listen, drop whiskers in the sink, can’t deal with the kids and make some women (including her friend)) feel that they are “married to nothing more than a hairy man-child.”

The author is upset that her husband doesn’t listen to her. After reading her nasty piece, I can see why. The gist of it is that men don’t do enough and that women are angry that men aren’t more like…. of course, women:

The ones we also really need to talk to, however, are our husbands. The fact that so many moms are mad, and that so many of the complaints are similar, is significant. And maybe that can give all of us moms — who love our husbands but wish they’d just be…more like us — the push to make some changes, to delegate more and demand more for ourselves. Anger can be debilitating — but it can also be motivating.

Maybe what Brockenbrough should realize is that women feel anger more deeply than men and tend to do more complaining. Maybe the changes need to start with her and her angry fellow women. When you spend your time nagging someone constantly about their faults, whether the “fault” is their less than stellar grammar or what you perceive to be inadequate parenting etc., than it’s no wonder they tune you out. As Gandhi said, “be the change you want to see in the world.” Stop nagging and ranting and treat your guy with respect, maybe then, he will be more receptive to your requests.

For men out there, if a woman seems angry, does that make you more likely or less likely to comply with her demands (requests)?