Hmm. I started with Penguin's response to the original post. Seemed well reasoned to me. But, then I am a man who, by your definition, is a mysoginist. I vigoroulsy deny that accustation.

I think I detect that your problem is really with American men. Penguin and I are British. Personally I also identify as European. I do recognise that some men behave in a hateful way towards women. But not all men. I also recognise that far too many men, while deploring the behaviour of other men, are cowards when it comes to calling out that behaviour.

I grew up with a single parent (a war widow), and attended an all boys boarding school. My working life was spent mostly in a male dominated sphere where women were generally employed in low grade, servile roles. But by the time I retired, 16 years ago, there were women at the top of the commercial 'tree' - one of them was my boss!

So women's lives, this side of the pond, are generally improving. One final 'qualification' that I think I can fairly claim entitles me to involve myself in this discussion: 60 years of marriage.