My girlfriend recently started rescuing and fostering pitbulls. Not because of their scary reputation, but because she feels sorry for them due to said scary reputation. We currently have this giant 90lb doofus called Walter who has an enormous head and sort of looks like a shark when he lays at certain angles. The reason I bring Walter up is because, as annoying as it is to get nearly knocked over every time we set foot in her apartment, she and I have a built-in security system. She said to me, "You do realize that every time we walk Walter at night, no one is going to mess with us, no matter how weak or womanly or lesbian-esque we appear." And she's right. This crazy oaf of a pitbull has the power, due to his unfortunate reputation, to protect us.
But for many girls, who, you know, don't feel like raising a gigantic dog, the best bet at the end of a long night is an actual man to help us get home safely. I thought of a conversation I had recently with a guy friend of mine. We were out drinking at a bar and it was time leave, but we had to go in different directions. He offered to walk with me until I could find a cab because he didn't want "Any asshole guys messing with you." I very much appreciate the gesture, and the effort, but the sad truth is that women need men as protectors for the sole purpose of protecting us from other men. It's the strangest form of irony that exists, but it is irrevocably true. Louis C.K. sums it up perfectly in his musings on heterosexual dating, and the risk that women take every single time they get in the car, at night, with a male stranger. Check it out:
