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If a man began acting significantly less than a gentleman, a woman would quickly put him in place with a slap, and otherwise tell him that if he kept it up her brothers, boyfrined, or husband would come by and kick the crap out of him. Seems to me the pre-feminist woman handled these things a lot better.

You see that attitude in BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA. Francis Ford Coppola went to great lengths, doing much research and even couching the extras, to create a proper Victorian atmosphere regarding sex.

When Dracula (Gary Oldman) follows Mina (Winona Ryder) on the street, trying to talk to her, Mina indignantly asks, "Shall I call the police? Shall I tell my husband?"

Dracula replies, "Husband! Forgive me, I did not know. I shall bother you no further."

No doubt. I think men are fairly boorish now in mixed company. There just isn't a stigma attached to acting like a jerk as there was even 25 years ago.

Traditionally women have had a 'domesticating' effect on males. I always figured that was a good thing.

I do think that our culture, on balance, is just too sensitive - on one hand both men and women have more education, make more money, and have more options than ever before.

At the same time, they seem to be hopelessly sensitive. An off the cuff remark can be deemed 'offensive' and these strong, educated winners wilt and cry out. It's insane, really.

In an episode of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' Larry David off-handedly refers to someone as a 'mulatto.' The small party he was at was evidently appalled, and his wife insisted that the word now was 'biracial.' Larry didn't know and he certainly didn't mean to hurt anyone, yet it didn't stop his circle of friends from being 'hurt' by the (clearly innocent) use of the word.

Between 1970 and 1990, I think, a whole generation has seems to buy into the mindset that they are entitled to go through life without being 'offended.' Truth is, this is really a kind of 'mock offended' - nobody's feelings are really hurt by casual use of a word like 'mulatto,' 'blind,' or 'crippled.' Yet, the self appointed guardians of people's feelings have no harm coming down on others (and ostensibly hurt their feelings) in the name of a one-sided standard they set for decency.

I consider myself lucky - nobody during my life has ever felt bad about offending me, so I learned to take it. :-)