= new reply since forum marked as read
Powerful, the dark side is.
maybe when he gets overamped blathering about sports, he needs us to lower his seratonin and blood pressure levels
Groups are not privileged or disenfranchised by their own innate characteristics. They are positioned relative to other groups with more/less institutional power. A lot of people in this Men's Group suffer under the same gender essentialism as the History of Feminists members you like to poke fun at. In reality, you share more than you differ.
Thus:
The whole argument by MRA champions that males are dropping behind in education, work more dangerous jobs, live shorter lives, etc. because there is some sort of institutional bias against males is problematic for ONE SIMPLE REASON:
MEN oppress each other. It's predominantly MEN crafting all sorts of social and legal frameworks to marginalize other groups, including other men. MEN oppress other groups disproportionate to any other group. Specifically, rich white men. But, I will say that the most powerful indicator of privilege is class, and THAT is one thing you should be focusing on.
All of this is to say: men repressing other groups has nothing to do with the fact that they are MALE. Throughout history and cultures, control and authority are positional, not essential. Until very recently, power was predominantly achieved through force. In more egalitarian cultures, power is granted by displays of generosity facilitated by immediate strategic political alliances. Example: potlatches. As societies became more hierarchical, power was taken by armies and leveraging resources. Eventually, technology came to replace brute human force, but history had still granted men the position of power in terms of creating and profiting from these tools.
These days, being male is starting to rapidly drop in importance, replaced by class and I would even go so far as to say profession. The most effective way to escape your socioeconomic class is to go into a high-prestige profession. The Geek Revolution controls a lot of important consumer products, and along with products comes the software that shapes the way that we use things and access information. Data has become so valuable that consumers themselves are now the product. This is power. Are most STEM professionals men? Yes, but this is changing. Especially in countries like China, India, and Japan where education is less gendered. The US clings to gender essentialism, and it's harming everyone.
There are a lot of great arguments from gender studies that talk about how our society's expectation of stereotypical male and female behaviors force people into narrow, proscribed gender roles that greatly limit what they can and cannot do.
The key, to me, is NOT to single out men as either victims or oppressors but to look at the economic and social pressures which result in disproportionate access to freedom and resources. Stop poking fun at those who point out the "Patriarchy". The "Patriarchy" is not just Men vs. Women. It a PATERNALISTIC system of authoritative influence over everyone, a hierarchy of "suitable" behaviors for both/all genders. Men who do not fit into the dominant role of provider/sexual agressor/competitor/etc. are also marginalized. This has been the default mode of thinking for much of Western history, and it's silly to dismiss its pervading influence.
Gender essentialism is tied to homophobia, too, as seen by the recent transphobia in the History of Feminists Group. I'd like to stick evolutionary psychologists who perpetuate this bullshit with nebulous, poorly-constructed or outright misleading "studies" on a fucking island somewhere. They can fight it out while the rest of us evolve 
that not only posits some insane penis-plot as the source of ALL human oppression, ever, everywhere, but also makes goofy-ass, absurd assertions like "penetrative PIV sex is an oppressive, artificial social construct implimented by the patriarchy™"
I've acknowledged repeatedly that Western Civ, and particularly Western Religion, have historically had a Patriarchal Orientation, (duh) which is NOT the same thing as imagining some spooky "Patriarchy™" that personally approves every boob picture that goes on the internet with an evil "MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA".
In fact, I think that things like constrictive gender roles and expectations have gotten much better, not because of legions of Dwork "battling against The Patriarchy™" but because of many of those same things the 2nd Wavers bleat and moan about; namely, the sexual revolution, freedom, openness, and the dreaded idea that "private behavior between consenting adults is their own business" eyeroll eyeroll.
The attitudes of boys in school is drastically different than when I was young. In my graduating class at a small rural school (1980), the valedictorian and the salutatorian were both male. The class speaker was female. The top 10 were made up of about half boys and girls and their average gpa was about 3.6 or 3.7. In the class of 2012, every single one of the top 10 students were female, with an average gpa of 3.95-ish, yet they're largely ignorant of things I knew well by 10th grade.
Are the boys truly not learning? Oddly, despite having poor grades, boys standardized test scores are better than girls. Apparently, teachers are assigning grades primarily on other factors than apprehension of the subject matter.
What's the difference in the last 30 years? When I was in grade school, there were several male teachers with whom I could identify, and I understood the expectation that I was to do my best. Discipline was immediate and effective. Students today are unlikely to experience a male teacher until middle school (only 8% of primary school teachers are male). Discipline is deferred, used indiscriminately and in the least effective form. ("Suspension? Pfft!"
.
In second grade, my now 19 year old son was suspended by the female principal for "pre-gang activity". (Every guy who wasn't a member of an army, tribe, gang or club in 2nd grade - raise your hand) He was later suspended for a week in the 8th grade for passing notes about airsoft guns. When my 22 year old son (who gets married on Sunday) started kindergarten, I clearly remember the conversation with his teacher who expressed dread at the coming school year because there were more than half boys in her class. (11, iirc)
If a male student gets through high school while retaining any degree of academic interest (it is apparent that none from my alma mater did so this year), they are then faced with the hurdle of financing. For every scholarship for boys there are at least two (well funded) ones for girls.
Title IX precludes any kind of meaningful outreach to recruit men to college, but that doesn't appear to be the case for women. The US department of education maintains a program entitled "the women's educational equity" program which gives out grants and funding for programs to increase the margin by which women dominate education.
My kids are both very intelligent, and they're going to do fine, but I had different aspirations for them when they were little. The older went to truck driving school in Utah, and the younger is taking diesel mechanics classes at the local community college. We've produced a generation of missed opportunities in the name of gender justice.
In fairness, "50% more likely" is a bit hyperbolic. Women are about 57% of college graduates so .57/.43 = 32% more likely.
Appreciate hearing your thoughts. I asked you because it was a comment you made that poked my curiosity... it is also something my male partner mentions a lot but he doesn't know much about the background or the details when I ask him about it.
I will investigate more.
As a feminist, I want good things for women (and I know I can sometimes be snarky and dismissive about men's concerns, that is my frustration coming through), but I really don't want men to be hurt along the way. 
To me this seems like a clear case where we are failing to nurture and support boys.
. . . you'd likely be dead without male privilege. 
Or, if you were only smart enough, you'd be able to use all that male privilege to advance your fortunes and become a real oppressor, like you really desire.
MORE
Seriously, if you look at some commercials or shows from the 50s & 60s on youtube, you will see blatant male privilege depicted in them. You will go, wow, this culture has changed. And it has.
There is still male privilege in this culture, but it's not evenly distributed by class, because money enforces it now. Today it's not even significant in the lower classes (that is to say, the lower and the middle class). So, I guess, theoretically, you could be privileged if you had enough money.
And definitely there are men in the lower classes who are nostalgic for the good ol' days of male privilege.
