Ask Dr. Helen: Is Male Bashing Curable?

Column here. Excerpt:

"A few years ago Lionel Richie allowed his wife to knock him around a bit. When the media started to question his masculinity he reminded them that it didn't matter what line of defense he took, the media would turn it on him; if he hit his wife back in defense or retaliation, he'd become a woman-beater and abusive husband, but if he sat there and took it, he's labeled as less than a man. It doesn't matter what we do, we're vilified through the narrow focus of society and the media. The world has changed and it's folly to believe that our gender hasn't changed with it."
...

[Dr. Helen's Partial response]

"Is maleness worth fighting for, can the culture be "cured" of its malebashing nature, or is the fight just not worth the hassle? Would it be better to let women take over the burden of running things? Also, any personal experiences with negative male stereotypes and how you handled the situation would be welcome."