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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, April 12, 1993                   TAG: 9304120255
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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`SILLY' WOMEN AND SAINTLY MEN

KATHLEEN Wilson's "Mingling" column of March 2, "Bid for bachelors draws cat fights and cash," reflects a poor attitude toward women. She managed to portray the American Cancer Society's Bid for Bachelors as a cattle drive in which men sacrificed all virtue at the hands of squealing, "lunatic" and "silly women." Of course, the brave men offered themselves as generous acts of charity.

Instead of portraying an event intended in good fun as one where all participants consent equally, Wilson managed to create heroes (the men) and animals (the fur-flinging women).

Wilson's antics suggest an attempt at humor, but actually chide women for being involved in this dating event while praising men for equal participation. The women actually donated to the charity, did they not? And didn't the men get as much satisfaction from their involvement as the women? Wilson simply uses a stereotype of cat-fighting, men-grabbing women to create an entertaining, though somewhat tainted, view of women. SHANNON M. DOOLEY BLACKSBURG

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