Reuters had a piece last week which fits into some conservations we’ve been having about women and SWPLs fascination with rescue dogs. The Reuters spot displays a couple of disturbing trends front and center (h/t Instapundit).
First, on fashion trends:
As bigger dogs grew in popularity, the industry responded.
“Every dog today needs boots. Every dog needs a raincoat. Every dog needs a sweater,” she said.
Pet fashion is the nexus of “Ruff!” and cuff, and nowhere is that better illustrated than in New York City in February, when the world famous Westminster Dog Show and equally renowned Fashion Week occur simultaneously.
…
Consider French Fry and Tater Tot, two Wheaten terriers weighing 48 pounds (22 kg) and 28 pounds (13 kg) whose owner, Sandy Thompson of Buford, Georgia, wants her “babies” to wear couture.
The feminization of dogs; not just small toy dogs but big dogs. The only article of clothing a large dog should ever wear is a bandana. This desire to decorate and trick out ever last square inch of designable space in the universe if an entirely feminine drive. How can we relate this to how women view men?
Second, and a much deeper cut into the psyche of an increasing number of American women:
Smaller price tags for big dog fashions are offered by http://www.PJNYdogwear.com, launched by FIT student designer Karen Varley, who donates 10 percent of her proceeds to animal shelters like the one where she found her pitbull mix, Polly Jean.
The dog sits still as Varley, unable to find a canine mannequin big enough, drapes her with pinned fabric pieces to create new fashions such as a faux fleece-lined jean jacket, her most popular item, which sells for $43.
“I just felt there was an emptiness in my life,” said Varley, 44, a flight attendant who decided against having children. “Polly Jean has brought so much happiness. Gosh, I can’t even put into words how wonderful she has made my life.”
Sad people doing sad things. It should be noted that this trend piece focuses on New York City, the land of Girls and SATC which exist in the first place in part because of it’s female-skewed sex ratio.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Great line on the sad people doing sad stuff. Varley tithes to an animal shelter. Does she even realize it or is it just enjoying a new interest to her? People dont realize how much of a child substitute pets are until the first time your pet begs for food at the end of a long day after you’ve had kids. Where you formerly would scratch their head and give them some food you say “shut up you stupid b*tch!”. Sorry, that just might be me, but it’s happened to both my wife and I with our two pets after our son was born.
Designing…not necessarily a gender thing…a lot of our boring southern-Midwestern aesthetic has deep roots in religious traditions that view ornamentation as idolatrous, not to mention wasteful of scarce resources.
Of course, most people don’t even understand the concept of idolatry anymore and resources aren’t so scarce.
There’s a North/South Europe dynamic here…does the leftover money get put into something practical or do we throw ourselves a party for the eyes?
By bringing that dog into her home, she is basically saying she is giving up on ever finding a man. She probably came to this conclusion after 10-12 years of very limited success with them.
Lara, you may very well be right. If so, pity, as she’s kind of cute, though she has that ragged “I don’t care what I look like, you should still think I’m a special snowflake” vibe about her.
http://www.pjnydogwear.com/about_us.html
Also can’t tell in that pic if she’s overweight.
In any case, her website says “All garments made in the USA.” so I give her total props for that.
Should have looked sooner. She’s not overweight. Quite the opposite.
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/varley-flight-attendant-design-student-yorks-fit-owns-photo-005201196.html
Excellent piece, Charles.
This phenomenon (if you can call it that) is common here in Southern California. I first noticed it in the early 2000s.
Little dogs satisfy young women’s maternal instinct (up to a point) and are a cheap substitute for adult responsibilities. I know several single, attractive young women who simply can’t find a man, and reserve their care and affection for a little dog instead. It’s sad to watch.
I wonder if studies have been done that track young females with dogs? Do these females go on to have children?
What is even more pathetic are older single, childless women, like ‘Varley’ in the piece above, who dote on dogs. I suppose we can’t blame them. Pity, would be more appropriate.
Funnily enough, I’ve recently met a few single young men who have also acquired dogs.
I’ve often considered that one of the first orders of business of the Provisional Government of National Restoration (PGNR) should be to ban dogs and cats as pets for a certain time in order to compel love-starved young men and women to bond with one another.
“Little dogs satisfy young women’s maternal instinct (up to a point) and are a cheap substitute for adult responsibilities. I know several single, attractive young women who simply can’t find a man, and reserve their care and affection for a little dog instead. It’s sad to watch.”
Yeah, I remember discussing this topic at OneSTDV.com and I think you made a similar comment there.
I see this trend too; in a brief former neighborhood of mine, an area that bordered the Lakeview and Lincoln Park neighborhoods in Chicago (prized SWPL real estate); on the weekends, you’d see just parades of high-breed dogs and doggie paraphernalia on display.
I agree that this was psychological compensation for all the things you listed in your comment, but these particular dogs are also IMO a proxy for automobile ownership; because, in Lincoln Park, if you’re young, restless and conventional, you simply can’t afford to have an automobile because there’s absolutely no place to park it. Even the pricey private-parking garages are fully occupied (and keep in mind that Chicago is not a smooth public-transport town like NYC),
So, dogs are also status-symbols in lieu of the introductory 3-series BMW’s that trendy and striving SWPL’s would otherwise display and parade on the weekend.
The rise of pet ownership tracks declines in human fecundity. It seems to be happening everywhere.
Pets can act as children substitutes, and therefore will be treated as such: mommed over and dolled up for public consumption and private fulfillment. Result: stupid looking pets, insane pet owners (mostly female), bad omen for society.
The subset of pet owners known as “SWPLs with pitbulls” suffer from an acute case of moralpreeningitis. To them, the vicious dog bred to kill at the slightest provocation is a stand-in for the noble third worlders they have failed at redeeming. They have to get their self-righteousness fix somehow, and if that means extending their outreach to “underprivileged” dogs, they’ll do it. I had one of these noxious SWPLs with pitbull approach me and chirpily claim that her dog was “perfectly safe”. Smiling warmly for effect, I told her “No, thanks. Don’t want to pet that beast.”
Yes, I used the word beast. She froze in horror, as if I had just announced my total support for the 2nd Amendment. Good times.
It really is true how the life of the single female SWPL is an endless search to fill the empty spaces created by not having a husband and children. If it’s not bed hopping from one alpha male to another, it’s endless travel to Bali-Vietnam-Kenya-Ecuador-India-blah-blah-blah, anywhere but exploring the United States. Now this dog business seems to be coming into vogue, which I guess means the younger set won’t become old cat ladies, but instead be old dog ladies. Of course, read their dating profiles and it’s “I really want a man who makes me laugh.”
Ha ha! No, no honey. You really don’t, and you won’t give the funniest beta male in the world a second glance. Enjoy your dog.
Dog parks are a great way to meet women, though.
Why are there so many women in NYC? Is it because of a skewed gender ratio at birth? Or is something pulling more females from other parts of the country to NYC? If so, what exactly is pulling them towards NYC? Or is there something that pulls New York men out of the city?
“I know several single, attractive young women who simply can’t find a man, and reserve their care and affection for a little dog instead.”
Oh, you don’t know any woman like this. If yo are an attractive lady then you will have no trouble finding someone
Why are there so many women in NYC?
Because it’s the ultimate SWPL paradise.
Is it because of a skewed gender ratio at birth? Or is something pulling more females from other parts of the country to NYC? If so, what exactly is pulling them towards NYC?
They flock to NY in droves. Based off my totally unscientific dating, I’d say 70%+ of New York women are originally from somewhere else. They come here from all over the country and all over the world, because it is a hotbed of female employment, with tons of jobs in government, education, fashion, media, publishing. It is where many NGOs and charities are headquartered. “Fund raising” is a big field here. It’s still the hottest city for food and all things foodie, so they flock here for jobs as chefs or other restaurant jobs. Acting jobs are here, both Broadway and Off, experimental theater bullshit that anybody can do, modeling. It’s still where you come to be an “artist” (i.e. someone who puts together meaningless slop).
And the political zeitgeist is almost 100% Liberal/Left, up to and including the most insane Leftist radicals. All considered normal here, so again perfect for SWPL women who never have to hear a contrary political opinion. The Hive Mind is overwhelming in this city.
NY is also still the place where you can land a rich Wall Street guy. Not so much as before, but they are there. As are rich men in many other fields.
Or is there something that pulls New York men out of the city?
No, plenty of men here, but it’s so beloved by women that they overwhelm them. As a result, it’s an alpha dog paradise, where any bro with the slightest game can bag all the women he wants, and the ratio of female fatties here is much lower than elsewhere. There are LOADS of physically attractive women, all obsessed with yoga and running marathons (I swear, 40% of the dating profiles I look at mention running marathons!).
But since getting the milk is so easy, the men don’t want to buy the cow. So you also get loads of never-marrieds, many in their 30s and 40s. It’s incredible how often you’ll see a dating profile mention they want to have kids, and their age is 46.
New York women: living FABULOUS lives of quiet desperation.
Oh, another hugely important fact about New York. The crime is amazingly low for an urban center. So you can ride the subways at 2 a.m. and not worry about it too much. Much much different than in the pre-Giulianni days. That man saved New York City, full stop. And they thanked him by calling him Adolph Giulianni.
“But since getting the milk is so easy, the men don’t want to buy the cow. So you also get loads of never-marrieds, many in their 30s and 40s.”
This is a classic case of women overshooting the mark. There are limits to returns on hypergamy. It’s much easier for a woman to get a beta male to settle down with her, but even plain janes want the alpha male. In NYC, metropolis of alpha males on the make, it’s very hard for a woman to accept settling for a beta when her hotter friends are partying with exciting alphas. Moving to the city might be the worst thing for a 5 or 6 or 7 woman to do, if she wants to eventually marry and have kids. The female status whoring and juuuuuust out of reach ministrations of commitment-averse alpha males is a formula for spinsterhood.
Moving to the city might be the worst thing for a 5 or 6 or 7 woman to do, if she wants to eventually marry and have kids.
It is also a terrible, frustrating place to be a beta male. You can see the same women online for YEARS, literally for years, listing out all these great touch-feely beta-ish qualities they “want” in a man but really mean nothing to them, and they keep getting older while they keep ignoring any betas that dare to reach out to them, but might actually, you know, make for a very nice boyfriend.
Fugghedaboutit!
@peterike. Good analysis. DC has some similarities in the sense that women flock here as well, but they are the women of avg (or less than avg) looks with strong academic backgrounds who dream of working for some non-profit or gov’t agency so they can self-actualize. There is a myth that DC is a sausage fest…the ratio of women to men is one of the highest in the country, but these women don’t generally hang out in bars because they are above it all (or they get a taste of what their actual value is and stop hanging out in bars), and they think because they have MBA in Human Resources or grant writing their market value is higher than it is in reality, making them un-dateable for the most part. NYC gets more of the model/actress/artist types while DC gets the feminist, fat, academic-types who don’t wear makeup and all have rescue dogs to keep them company. And similar to NYC, areas in DC that were once uninhabitable are much safer now. The women who come to these cities want safety, opportunities to live out their dream as a hiring manager, things to do like yoga studios or indoor rock-climbing, lots of different places they can go to eat so they can post pics of their dinner or the craft beer they are drinking on Instagram and feel like they are being creative and that their lives have meaning. No, you work for the gov’t and you take pictures of your lunch and and write about it- DIE. If I see another DC food blog I’m going to burn down the Internet. DC is truly the hive mind in action. Just read a few of the online profiles and you’ll see what I mean- they are carbon copies of one another. I can’t wait for the spring, finally getting the fuck outta here!
From a real female dating profile:
Almost 4 years ago, I adopted my dog from a local shelter. I decided to foster a dog after watching a heart-wrenching episode on puppy mills on Oprah (should I have saved the Oprah mention for the ‘most private thing I’m willing to admit’ section?) I intended to foster him temporarily, but wound up getting suckered in by his cute face and silly personality. He’s stubborn, demanding and rarely listens to anything I say (unless there is a treat involved), but I love him more than I ever could have imagined.
I owe my current career path in public health to my time living abroad and while I can’t say I have my dream job now, I am very passionate about the field.
I am often meeting friends for dinner/drinks, but am also happy to do a spur of the moment happy hour with colleagues, take a yoga class or go home and spend time with my dog.
I have lived in the NY area my whole life with the exception of two years spent as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia.
She says she’s 39 (probably a few years older, “39″ is a common fake age), obviously higher than average intelligence, she’s very pretty, fabulous thin body like a 25 year old (she’s a runner!), but man-less and child-less. And likely to not give a decent, caring, smart, funny-but-beta male provider a second glance. What have we wrought?
Thank you peterike, CH, and Donny. This helps me a lot in understanding what liberal/uppermiddleclass/east coast/SWPL women are up to these days. Let’s just all be glad that we ourselves are not these women.
Haha nice one peterike, Happy hour, yoga, walk the dog, watch oprah or the Food network..rinse and repeat.
Also interesting parallel between adopting a stubborn, demanding dog that won’t listen, and going to Ethiopia w/ the Peace corps, and then working some public policy gig. White guilt anyone?
Oh and I’ve never read so many people who are PASSIONATE about their crappy “public policy” jobs. GTF outta here. Just like the dumb dogs that don’t listen, the dumb poor who are demanding and don’t listen need our money. I’m OK with it actually if it keeps them from rioting, but let’s call it what it is and stop acting like we’re doing something more meaningful than keeping the lid on a boiling pot of water.
Dogs are great but not as a replacement for a husband and family. Big dogs are especially great – they’re gentle giants that are often good with kids and as well as for protection. Great Danes, Boxers, and Mastiffs are all excellent additions to the family. The down sides are their shorter life spans and the poop.
“If you are an attractive lady then you will have no trouble finding someone”
The attractive females in question can find plenty of men, but they can’t quite seem to find a *man*.
It’s a pathetic situation in which they find themselves and blame can be attributed to all sides (apart from the dogs of course).
I hate to say this, but that dog looks pretty good with a red scarf.
“He’s stubborn, demanding and rarely listens to anything I say (unless there is a treat involved), but I love him more than I ever could have imagined.”
She talking about the dog here or her last alpha bad boy who was just misunderstood but really a sweetheart?