by Lisa Bennett-Haigney, NOW Publications Manager

Just for Men

Everywhere we look and listen lately, we are bombarded with the renewed joys of manhood. You know, the type of manhood that celebrates breasts, beer and belching. It would be impossible to list all of the offenders here, but for starters there's Comedy Central's "The Man Show," which features "girls on trampolines," women dressed in school girl uniforms and lots of good old neanderthal fun. The cable channel FX (from our friends at FOX) has it's own version called "The X Show," where this week's topics include Dating a Younger Woman and Girls in Guys' Party Shirts. FX also has a new show coming from Howard Stern Productions titled "Son of the Beach," which promises to sink even lower than "Baywatch."

Speaking of Howard Stern, he may have outdone himself last October when he promoted on his show "The World's Biggest Gangbang." This was an event staged in Los Angeles where a woman was going to have sex with 1,000 men (the final tally was 742 and reports say no condoms were used). All listeners were invited to come by and participate and Stern had a representative present to publicize the "King of All Media."

Stern has competition from radio host Tom Leykis, who is winning more and more male listeners. Leykis has a theory called "Leykis 101" which expresses itself in a ratio, where the woman should be as attractive as possible but with as little self-esteem as possible. Leykis uses the example of women who have been sexually abused as prime targets for men to lure into bed.

Finally, if you've been to a newsstand or 7-Eleven lately you've probably seen the ever-increasing glut of "men's" magazines. There are the old stand-bys like GQ and Esquire that frequently feature odes to hot babes. This season's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, always reliable for a new gimmick, features 3-D glasses to view the models busting out (their lingo). And now, little brother has his own magazines in Details, Gear, Maxim, Bikini, and the latest, FHM. You'll know these magazines when you see them--their covers all feature young actresses in provocative poses and little clothing. More of the same awaits young men inside.

When did it become hip again to objectify women? Perhaps it never went out of style, but there sure has been a resurgence in the past few years. Are men trying to comfort each other with the fact that they're still the boss and women are their playthings? Do we really want our sons and daughters growing up thinking that it's cool to assume these old-fashioned roles? Write to the producers of these he-man shows and publications and share a piece of your mind.

This week's feminist media picks:

(Note: Nothing is perfect, particularly in our society's media. These picks represent those works of entertainment or information that are for the most part woman-positive and socially responsible.)

Magazines/Web Sites: New Moon, Teen Voices, Moxie, Bust. Young women are also the target of narrow-minded magazines that sell make-up, fashion and boyfriend tips. However, there are also lots of good magazines out now for girls, teens and young women. New Moon is for younger girls and boasts girl editors ages 8-14. Teen Voices covers the true diversity and concerns of teen grrls. Then there's Moxie and Bust, which are great alternatives to Cosmo for young women. All of these magazines feature strong women, real-life stories and entertainment, too. They are more difficult to find at the newsstand or grocery store, but you can ask the manager to start carrying these magazines, and in the meantime, check out their web sites.

Movie: Boys Don't Cry directed by Kimberly Peirce. Here's your chance if you didn't see this small, independent film when it first came out. Boys Don't Cry has now opened in more theaters thanks to the Golden Globe win and Best Actress Oscar nomination for Hilary Swank's amazing lead performance. Swank stars in the real life story of Teena Brandon who lived for a time as a young man named Brandon Teena. Teena makes friends and falls in love with a young woman. But when this wild group finds out they've been fooled, there's hell to pay. There are some difficult scenes to watch, but they don't feel gratuitous. The movie is a sometimes joyful, most of the time sad, almost mythical account of an outsider looking for love and acceptance inside the identity he feels most comfortable. See Boys Don't Cry before Academy Award time because Swank should be picking up another award for her realistic portrayal.

TV Show: Family Law (CBS, Monday 10-11pm ET). It's your basic law show with a twist. The women lawyers outnumber the men. There are three lead women, one male lead, plus two supporting female characters. Two of the lead women are past 40 (played by Kathleen Quinlan and Dixie Carter), and they are allowed to be attractive without being tossed around as sex objects. The show has addressed some very real family issues with careful consideration. In fact, last week's episode dealt with a transgendered woman who fathered a daughter when she was a man and now seeks custody of the girl. The story was handled very tastefully and had an important, but not overdone, message about tolerance and being different. Let's hope this show keeps dealing with subjects other shows ignore.