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I remember one day with my middle schoolers. One of my classes had all of the girls gone one day, leaving about a half dozen boys, all of whom got to work quickly did their work quietly, finished early, and were chatting quietly at the end of class.
One of them commented on how everything was so much quieter it was that day, and another said it was because all the girls were gone. There was the predictable "Miss Nakamura's a girl" and the inevitable "Yeah, but she doesn't count" response, which I'm never sure how to take. Anyway, the first boy pointed out that it wasn't the girls that were the problem, it was them, the boys, who acted up when the girls are around. They debated this for a little bit then asked me why this is.
I explained that it's called presenting behavior, and it's programmed into your brain. When around the opposite sex, we tend to instinctively try to show off, even if we're not aware that that's what we're doing. For example, when a peacock spreads his feathers. This is, I speculated, why we have sports. It isn't about beating the other guy, it's about showing off your hunting prowess for the females. When there are no females around, as in class that day, no need for presenting, not need to compete for the attention of potential mates.
Ok I've lost track of my point again. Oh yeah, pet peeves with guys. The displays of gross behavior are sometimes a form of presenting behavior. Making a show of farting or belching, then commenting loudly on it, can be a way of showing how masculine they are.
Gilda
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I'm against ending blackness. I believe that everyone has a right to be black, it's a choice, and I support that.
~Steven Colbert
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