our androcentric culture-第14章

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moral　obliquity　of　one　lying　to　the　whole　world；　for　money；　and　that　at
the　cost　of　another's　hard…won　triumph。

If　women　had　condemned　the　conduct　of　one　or　the　other　as　〃not　good
house…wifery；〃　this　would　have　been　considered　a　most　puerile　comment。　
But　to　be　〃unsportsmanlike〃　is　the　unpardonable　sin。

Owing　to　our　warped　standards　we　glaringly　misjudge　the　attitude　of　the
two　sexes　in　regard　to　their　amusements。　　Of　late　years　more　women　than
ever　before　have　taken　to　playing　cards；　and　some；　unfortunately；　play
for　money。　　A　steady　stream　of　comment　and　blame　follows　upon　this。　　The
amount　of　card　playing　among　menand　the　amount　of　money　lost　and　won；
does　not　produce　an　equivalent　comment。

Quite　aside　from　this　one　field　of　dissipation；　look　at　the　share　of
life；　of　time；　of　strength；　of　money；　given　by　men　to　their　wide　range
of　recreation。　　The　primitive　satisfaction　of　hunting　and　fishing　they
maintain　at　enormous　expense。　　This　is　the　indulgence　of　a　most
rudimentary　impulse；　pre…social　and　largely　pre…human；　of　no　service
save　as　it　affects　bodily　health；　and　of　a　most　deterring　influence　on
real　human　development。　　Where　hunting　and　fishing　is　of　real　human
service；　done　as　a　means　of　livelihood；　it　is　looked　down　upon　like　any
other　industry；　it　is　no　longer　〃sport。〃

The　human　being　kills　to　eat；　or　to　sell　and　eat　from　the　returns；　he
kills　for　the　creature's　hide　or　tusks；　for　use　of　some　sort；　or　to
protect　his　crops　from　vermin；　his　flocks　from　depredation；　but　the
sportsman　kills　for　the　gratification　of　a　primeval　instinct；　and　under
rules　of　an　arbitrary　cult。　　〃Game〃　creatures　are　his　prey；　bird；　beast
or　fish　that　is　hard　to　catch；　that　requires　some　skill　to　slay；　that
will　give　him　not　mere　meat　and　bones；　but　〃the　pleasure　of　the　chase。〃

The　pleasure　of　the　chase　is　a　very　real　one。　　It　is　exemplified；　in　its
broad　sense　in　children's　play。　　The　running　and　catching　games；　the
hiding　and　finding　games；　are　always　attractive　to　our　infancy；　as　they
are　to　that　of　cubs　and　kittens。　　But　the　long　continuance　of　this
indulgence　among　mature　civilized　beings　is　due　to　their　masculinity。　
That　group　of　associated　sex　instincts；　which　in　the　woman　prompts　to
the　patient　service　and　fierce　defence　of　the　little　child；　in　the　man
has　its　deepest　root　in　seeking；　pursuing　and　catching。　　To　hunt　is　more
than　a　means　of　obtaining　food；　in　his　long　ancestry；　it　is　to　follow　at
any　cost；　to　seek　through　all　difficulties；　to　struggle　for　and　secure
the　central　prize　of　his　beinga　mate。

His　〃protective　instincts〃　are　far　later　and　more　superficial。　　To
support　and　care　for　his　wife；　his　children；　is　a　recent　habit；　in　plain
sight　historically；　but　〃the　pleasure　of　the　chase〃　is　older　than　that。　
We　should　remember　that　associate　habits　and　impulses　last　for　ages　upon
ages　in　living　forms；　as　in　the　tree　climbing　instincts　of　our　earliest
years；　of　Simian　origin；　and　the　love　of　water；　which　dates　back　through
unmeasured　time。　　Where　for　millions　of　years　the　strongest　pleasure　a
given　organism　is　fitted　for；　is　obtained　by　a　certain　group　of
activities；　those　activities　will　continue　to　give　pleasure　long　after
their　earlier　use　is　gone。

This　is　why　men　enjoy　〃the　ardor　of　pursuit〃　far　more　than　women。　　It　is
an　essentially　masculine　ardor。　　To　come　easily　by　what　he　wants　does
not　satisfy　him。　　He　wants　to　want　it。　　He　wants　to　hunt　it；　seek　it；
chase　it；　catch　it。　　He　wants　it　to　be　〃game。〃　　He　is　by　virtue　of　his
sex　a　sportsman。

There　is　no　reason　why　these　special　instincts　should　not　be　gratified
so　long　as　it　does　no　harm　to　the　more　important　social　processes；　but
it　is　distinctly　desirable　that　we　should　understand　their　nature。　　The
reason　why　we　have　the　present　overwhelming　mass　of　〃sporting　events；〃
from　the　ball　game　to　the　prize　fight；　is　because　our　civilization　is　so
overwhelmingly　masculine。　　We　shall　criticize　them　more　justly　when　we
see　that　all　this　mass　of　indulgence　is　in　the　first　place　a　form　of
sex…expression；　and　in　the　second　place　a　survival　of　instincts　older
than　the　oldest　savagery。

Besides　our　games　and　sports　we　have　a　large　field　of　〃amusements〃　also
worth　examining。　　We　not　only　enjoy　doing　things；　but　we　enjoy　seeing
them　done　by　others。　　In　these　highly　specialized　days　most　of　our
amusement　consists　in　paying　two　dollars　to　sit　three　hours　and　see
other　people　do　things。

This　in　its　largest　sense　is　wholly　human。　　We；　as　social　creatures；　can
enjoy　a　thousand　forms　of　expression　quite　beyond　the　personal。　　The
birds　must　each　sing　his　own　song；　the　crickets　chirp　in　millionfold
performance；　but　human　being　feels　the　deep　thrill　of　joy　in　their
special　singers；　actors；　dancers；　as　well　as　in　their　own　personal
attempts。　　That　we　should　find　pleasure　in　watching　one　another　is
humanly　natural；　but　what　it　is　we　watch；　the　kind　of　pleasure　and　the
kind　of　performance；　opens　a　wide　field　of　choice。

We　know；　for　instance；　something　of　the　crude　excesses　of　aboriginal
Australian　dances；　we　know　more　of　the　gross　license　of　old　Rome；　we
know　the　breadth　of　the　jokes　in　medieval　times；　and　the　childish
brutality　of　the　bull…ring　and　the　cockpit。　　We　know；　in　a　word；　that
amusements　vary；　that　they　form　a　ready　gauge　of　character　and　culture；
that　they　have　a　strong　educational　influence　for　good　or　bad。　　What　we
have　not　hitherto　observed　is　the　predominant　masculine　influence　on　our
amusements。　　If　we　recall　once　more　the　statement　with　regard　to
entertaining　anecdotes；　〃There　are　thirty　good　stories　in　the　world；　and
twenty…nine　of　them　cannot　be　told　to　women；〃　we　get　a　glaring　sidelight
on　the　masculine　specialization　in　jokes。

〃Women　have　no　sense　of　humor〃　has　been　frequently　said；　when　〃Women
have　not　a　masculine　sense　of　humor〃　would　be　truer。　　If　women　had
thirty　〃good　stories〃　twenty…nine　of　which　could　not　be　told　to　men；　it
is　possible　that　men；　if　they　heard　some　of　the　twenty…nine；　would　not
find　them　funny。　　The　overweight　of　one　sex　has　told　in　our　amusements
as　everywhere　else。

Because　men　are　further　developed　in　humanity　than　women　are　as　yet；
they　have　built　and　organized　great　places　of　amusement；　because　they
carried　into　their　humanity　their　unchecked　masculinity；　they　have　made
these　amusements　to　correspond。　　Dramatic　expression；　is　in　its　true
sense；　not　only　a　human　distinction；　but　one　of　our　noblest　arts。　　It　is
allied　with　the　highest　emotions；　is　religious；　educational；　patriotic；
covering　the　whole　range　of　human　feeling。　　Through　it　we　should　be　able
continually　to　express；　in　audible；　visible　forms；　alive　and　moving；
whatever　phase　of　life　we　most　enjoyed　or　wished　to　see。　　There　was　a
time　when　the　drama　led　life；　lifted；　taught；　inspired；　enlightened。　
Now　its　main　function　is　to　amuse。　　Under　the　demand　for　amusement；　it
has　cheapened　and　coarsened；　and　now　the　thousand　vaudevilles　and
picture　shows　give　us　the　broken　fragments　of　a　degraded　art　of　which
our　one　main　demand　is　that　it　shall　make　us　laugh。

There　are　many　causes　at　work　here；　and　while　this　study　seeks　to　show
in　various　fields　one　cause；　it　does　not　claim　that　cause　is　the　only
one。　　Our　economic　conditions　have　enormous　weight　upon　our　amusements；
as　on　all　other　human　phenomena；　but　even　under　economic　pressure　the
reactions　of　men　and　women　are　often　dissimilar。　　Tired　men　and　women
both　need　amusement；　the　relaxation　and　restful　change　of　irresponsible
gayety。　　The　great　majority　of　women；　who　work　longer　hours　than　any
other　class；　need　it　desperately　and　never　get　it。　　Amusement；
entertainment；　recreation；　should　be　open　to　us　all；　enjoyed　by　all。　
This　is　a　human　need；　and　not　a　distinction　of　either　sex。　　Like　most
human　things　it　is　not　only　largely　monopolized　by　men；　but　masculized
throughout。　　Many　forms　of　amusement　are　for　men　only；　more　for　men
mostly；　all　are　for　men　if　they　choose　to　go。

The　entrance　of　women　upon　the　stage；　and　their　increased　attendance　at
theatres　has　somewhat　modified　the　nature　of　the　performance；　even　the
〃refined　vaudeville〃　now　begins　to　show　the　influence　of　women。　　It
would　be　no　great　advantage　to　hav