Spartacus submitted this link to a USA Today article about the decline of men in higher education. Colleges and Universities are realizing that they are reaching a threshold where men are going to think twice about going to a school which is overwhelmingly female, and affirmative action for male applicants has caused a lot of controversy. "University of Georgia lost a lawsuit defending its policy of male preference last summer when a female student was denied admission." With the U.S. economy the way it's been, men are being able to slip by without many consequences. But as the economy turns down, a college degree becomes increasingly important to have.

Nightmist writes "Regardless of your opinion of Playboy, I found this article on Excite interesting. Increasingly, advertising agencies have been marketing directly to women and pretty much ignoring men. Now, with advertising in a general slump and the economy going downhill, marketing directed at men (at least for this magazine) is thriving, while other publications are suffering from dramatically slashed customer ad budgets. The news is proof to me that men, contrary to recent convention, should not be ignored by ad agencies as important consumers, and that marketing to men works just as well as marketing to women. There is, however, a new disturbing trend in marketing toward men. Has anyone seen the new Rogaine commercials for men? They encourage us to "ask her if she wants you to use it." If I want to use Rogaine, shouldn't that be MY decision?"

Anonymous User writes "Although osteoperosis is often seen as a female-only disease, approximately one-quarter of its victims are male, as stated in this article from Excite. A diet enriched with soy protein apparently strengthens male skeletal health. This isn't the first time soy has been pronounced good for men, although I do not recall some of the other problems it's supposed to counter. Is this good news or is soy just the latest health fad?"

Spartacus sent in this link to a UK Times story about the Eve Ensler and the Vagina Monologues. Ensler starts off the article talking about how vaginas are the center of women's being, and that they are what motivates women in every part of their lives. And I thought biology wasn't destiny? For those of you who don't know, the Vagina Monologues is a controversial, male-bashing play which has been performed at various universities and theaters around the world. It is almost certainly a sign of the times when a person can make a living doing something like this...

Anonymous User writes "The Chicago Sun Times reported this story about a male teacher who was reprimanded for reporting the bullying of two girls and one disabled boy by school bullies. The school board later heard outraged complaints from the community about the reprimand. Apparently, the teacher was assuming a father-like, strong male leadership role by reprimanding the bullies, but the female principal wanted none of that. Traditionally, men have been the disciplinarians at home and at school. The effects of no longer having that presence at home or at school are all too obvious. It's too bad these bullies have no such role models to help straighten their path to manhood."

Anonymous User writes "Who needs the ERA? Men do, according to a commentary by Robyn Blumner, columnist for the St. Petersburg Times and former director of the American Civil Liberties Union. I've been long opposed to the ERA, supporting instead the equality of all via the 14th Amendment. Ms. Blumner almost has me convinced. The above article, by the way, appears in Black & White, a Birmingham, AL, alternative newsweekly."

Marc Angelucci writes "The editor of the Pasadena Star News wrote about NCFM's Campaign for a Commission for Men in Los Angeles County. Although the article ends with some half-hearted sympathy, it mostly ridicules the idea that men are in "crisis" and compares the campaign to one for "White" people. You can read it here. I wrote a response (click "Read More" to view it). Others can do the same by using the "write a letter" section on the website."

I just wanted to mention that the influx of quality news submissions has been terrific lately, and I'd like to thank the active participants of Mensactivism.org for their efforts. My apologies if the turnaround time between submitting the news and seeing it posted takes a while - my final exams begin soon so I'm having a hard time keeping organized. But by all means, keep the news coming!

Anonymous User writes "This article on Excite explains how Home Depot is sponsoring a "Real Men Cook" event on Father's Day this year. According to the article, the event is designed to "mobilize hundreds of men across the country to participate as volunteer cooks on Father's Day. The mission of Real Men Cook is to raise money for charity through family, food and community celebrations" in various metropolitan areas around the country. Among the many charities being supported are: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History; Real Men Cook for Prostate Cancer, Men's Empowerment; plus many others. My favorite quote from this piece is from a Home Depot spokeswoman: "Through our support of Real Men Cook, we are able to participate in the real-life celebration of men who have worked very hard to sustain their families and build their communities.""

Warren Farrell has shown some excellent examples in his books of how contempt for men has been institutionalized in society by packaging and selling it in greeting cards. He identifies Hallmark (particularly the "Shoebox" subdivision) as one of the biggest perpetrators of this act. Here's something simple you can do this year - don't buy a Hallmark card for any holiday, especially Mother's Day this weekend (there are a lot of degrading cards about men for this particular holiday). I personally believe that spending $3.50 for a piece of cardboard is a waste anyway, and that spending quality time with someone is the most appropriate gift you can give.

Spartacus and an Anonymous User sent in this NY Times article (free registration required) about a false accusation of rape. Anon User writes "This story is about an Oklahoma man who has been freed after spending 15 years in prison for a rape he didn't commit. According to the story, a police chemist's testimony led to the man's conviction. An investigation into all the chemist's findings since her hiring has been initiated. That's the good news. The bad news is that her conclusions have resulted in at least 11 executions of men over the years. In the words of the now-liberated Oklahoma man: "The citizens of Oklahoma County have been duped. The juries have been lied to for the last 20 years. There are going to be a lot more victims.""

frank h writes "Wendy McElroy is at it again. This time she takes on the U.N. Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The fact that the U.S. may be starting to be seen as softening on radical feminism (for those who care to read the writing on the walls, anyway) may well be a contributing factor in our loss of a position on the U.N International Commission on Human Rights. Click here for the link."

Maritta Meri sent in an editorial she wrote about two recent divorce court cases in Ontario, Adams v. Adams and Miglin v. Miglin. Both demonstrate the affluent lifestyle divorced women can enjoy without being expected to work or take on responsibilities. Meri's comparison and analysis of these cases should come to no surprise to most readers of this site, but the essay serves as further testimony to the double standards and "man-as-wallet" attitudes so prevalent in North American court systems today. Click "Read More" below to read the essay.

Anonymous User writes "Reason Online recently published this article, exposing how women were never really excluded from medical research, and asserting that gender politics should have no place in medicine. The article attacks both feminists and men's groups, claiming that the "victim mentality" of both groups contributes to the problem. Unfortunately, I believe the "victim mentality" may be a necessary evil for some men's groups to help push government into restoring balance. Let's face it, we *are* victims nowadays... not necessarily of women (although that is many times the case), but certainly of politics."

Anonymous User writes "Excite once again reveals men's health news that exposes some (perhaps unintentional) inequity in men's health. The article's main focus is the fact that men of lower incomes are less likely to be screened for prostate cancer, but also points out that prostate screenings are not as accurate as they should be. The physician quoted in the story maintains that scientists are seeking ways to improve the accuracy of prostate screenings."