I am Bentley Weisel’s biggest fan.
Her weekly column, “Bent on Boys,” provides the relationship tips I crave. Only she understands the difficulties that accompany waiting for the perfect man, daydreaming about fairy tale princes and changing outfits multiple times to match the exact taste and preference of my crush.
And though I usually get my love advice from Tiger Beat, Cosmopolitan and other such venerable magazines, her weekly commentary on today’s dating landscape remains unparalleled. Which is why, quite frankly, I am appalled by those who criticize her column — calling it “offensive and sexist,” and “undermining humanity.”
Such haters clearly misunderstand the purpose behind Bentley’s sage advice. Allow me to clarify. These folks claim that she “stereotypes” people into unfair categories.
To this I say nay; she merely identifies and synthesizes complex human beings into simple, easy-to-spot definitions. This way, you don’t have to waste time getting to know people drastically different from you. In one swoop she saves us all from futile efforts for companionship. (Doesn’t look like James Franco? Next please!)
Others take offense to her opinions about the impossibility of male and female platonic relationships. They refer to such questionable fields of research as “women and gender studies” and “psychology” to refute her claims.
Bentley on the other hand, cites specific, cultural evidence such as the film When Harry Met Sally — even using exact quotes. How can we choose to ignore such bastions of societal reference? Bentley is not afraid to point out these forgotten truths.
Beyond her astute reflections on accepted facts, Bentley describes her own experiences into the column — courageously getting real with her readers.
In “‘Death of dating’ cripples coupledom,” she writes, “Women have gotten very good at throwing themselves at guys, myself included.” Finally, a straight-talking girl willing to admit her mistakes.
Above all, Bentley adheres to the number one belief of relationships: Boys should do everything, even if they’re incompetent. In one of my personal favorite columns of hers, “Colors categorize couple’s standing,” she elucidates such notions for us.
“Men can be tricky in their seemingly simplistic tendencies,” she writes, and “When we push men into relationship corners, we end up pushing them away from us.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself, Bentley. If we women made the first move, then what? We might text them first? Even offer to split the cost of a date? I can’t even kid about such abominations without getting a little nauseous.
Personally, I hope that this letter can provide some clarity for those who choose to criticize Bentley for her inspiring ideas. While the rest of the world devolves into a disgusting cesspool of “equal partnerships,” “female empowerment” and “evolving gender roles,” I know that Bentley will stand for us — the princesses of the world; we know that the worth of a man does not depend on the size of his you-know-what, but the size of the horse on which he comes to rescue us.
And that is a fairy tale ending worth fighting for.
Gina Edwards is a junior studying journalism.
