"Grass-Eating Men"

From Japan, the nation that gave us Pearl Harbor, sushi, and game shows like "Pie-Fighting Rodeo Bikini Girls," comes today's item of interest: the national concern over the rise of "Grass-Eating Men."

According to this article from Slate.com, women in Japan are growing concerned over the proliferation of men who lack an interest in sex, enjoy shopping and gardening, often live at home with their mothers, and generally seem to be rebelling against the hard-charging, sexually promiscuous, job-oriented, Type-A personality Japanese male stereotype of the 1980's. "I spent the night at one guy's house, and nothing happened—we just went to sleep!" one woman complained on a TV program devoted to the phenomenon. Another woman said, "It's like something's missing with them ... If they were more normal, they'd be more interested in women. They'd at least want to talk to women."

The rise of the grass-eating men is thought to be a result in part of the changes in Japanese life caused by the the bursting of Japan's economic bubble in the 1990's, which saw men who could previously count on lifetime employment at high salaries (in exchange for endless hours at work) suddenly reduced to more iffy, uncertain jobs at greatly reduced pay. With more time available and less pay, many Japanese men withdrew into a more comfortable and self-centered lifestyle that all too often didn't involve - or even need - women.

This is not an insignificant problem. Japan has one of the lowest birthrates in the world, and if growing numbers of men aren't all that interested in sex, well, I guess you can imagine the end result - fewer contestants on "Pie-Fighting Rodeo Bikini Girls." But Japanese women aren't taking this lying down, so to speak - in response to the lackadaisical sexuality of the grass-eating men, so-called "carnivorous girls" are beginning to pursue men more aggressively.

I don't think I could live in Japan. Being pursued by a "carnivorous girl" might not be so bad once in a while (especially at my age), but the rest of the grass-eating man thing just doesn't cut it. While I enjoy shopping (for groceries, books, and electronics) and gardening, I still have a healthy interest in matters of the heart (and lower regions), and thus probably couldn't qualify as a grass-eating man.

Now a yogurt-eating man, that's a different thing. And speaking of that, I guess I should go and pack my lunch so I can once again enter the economic trenches.

Sigh.

Have a good day. Eat salads, not grass. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

P.S. - If Mike can convince you that Friday the 13th occurs on various days during the month, I can play with the calendar, too - this week's Cartoon Saturday will take place tomorrow, because Agnes and I will be in Ohio for the next few days for our granddaughter's dance recital, and I plan to spend my time playing with the Munchkins rather than posting the blog. You'll get over it, and I'll be back on Monday afternoon.

B.