Apparently Michael Buerk has filmed a programme for Channel 5 arguing women have taken over the world and the gender balance has shifted too far in their favour (see the BBC for more coverage). Buerk’s accusations include that men now have to live by women’s rules, men are just sperm donors, men are becoming more like women (citing Tim Henman and David Backham) and that jobs now favour women because of the decline in traditionally male occupations such as manufacturing.

Rather than list a few reasons why this is nonsense (oh go on then, its obviously women’s rules that less than 4% of rapes reported to the Police end in conviction, sexual harrassment, prostitution and trafficking are obvious signs of women’s superior power in society and obviously with women in control we’ve created the worldwide decline of manufacturing in favour of service industries (although interesting he claims new jobs demand multitasking skills which apparently women are better at which just smacks of a lack of personal skill in that area). Anyway, rather than list a few reasons why this is nonsense it’s more interesting to reflect on why high-profile men feel the need to make this sort of claim.

Certainly when Buerk was recruited to the BBC the controller of both BBC 1 and Radio 4 were women and both have been replaced by men recently - a certain sign that women are in control and making men obsolete. Is this a personal sign of sour grapes? (The BBC have refused to comment). And more to the point isn’t it a sure sign that women aren’t in control that Buerk is allowed to spout this nonsense on national telly?

Posted by Louise Livesey on 16 August 2005, at 4:43 PM