Althouse: "If you're a girl and you're nervous, you flip your hair."

January 21, 2010

"If you're a girl and you're nervous, you flip your hair."

If you're a boy and you're nervous... !!!

26 comments:

robinintn said...: Haha. I read that to my 15-year-old daughter last week and she was horrified, and not about the hair flipping.; 1/21/10, 4:44 PM
Kylos said...: Not nervous. Just physically uncomfortable. They'll learn to be discreet with time. But the problem will persist.; 1/21/10, 4:47 PM
Unknown said...: Guys adjusting "themselves" has less to do with being nervous than the fact that they may find themselves out of alignment. Nervous guys, especially, teenagers will mumble, look at the ground, fool with their hair and other assorted nonsense.

Usually adjusting oneself, depending on where, how, when, and by whom one was raised, is not something done unless necessary. when it is, it is done.

You have two sons, Ann. didn't you give them some guidance on this matter at the appropriate time?

WV "ungvhws" What Teddy said when he found out Coakley lost.; 1/21/10, 4:49 PM
john said...: kylos - not if they play mlb.

(typing with 1 hand is why i'm not using upper case).; 1/21/10, 4:51 PM
Sofa King said...: NEAL: What about me bothers you?
DEL: There's lots of things.
NEAL: Name one.
DEL: You want me to name one?
Fine, um...
you play with your balls a lot.
NEAL: I do not play with my balls.
DEL: Larry Bird doesn't handle the ball
as much as you do.
NEAL: You trying to start a fight?
DEL: I'm simply stating a fact.
You fidget with your nuts.
NEAL: Know what make me happy?
DEL: Another couple of balls and an extra set of fingers?; 1/21/10, 4:54 PM
Kylos said...: John, true! But then, sweat can cause discomfort (and I'm sure athletic equipment can be uncomfortable as well), so adjustments to relieve discomfort may be more necessary for that pitcher who can't keep his hands off himself.; 1/21/10, 4:56 PM
rhhardin said...: The article is women's horror fiction.; 1/21/10, 5:06 PM
Skyler said...: Prudie is an idiot. This is not acceptable behavior and no boy over the age of 4 should be allowed to do this without stern correction.

There are asocial people out there that might do it, but it is never acceptable and even Michael Jackson was a perv for doing it in public. In fact, because Jackson did it, makes it even less socially acceptable in my book.

Unbelievable advice.; 1/21/10, 5:12 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: That letter writer better not go to any baseball games. She might get the vapors and pass out.; 1/21/10, 5:27 PM
john said...: Skyler - jees, you sure got your jockies in a twist. Perhaps a (discrete) adjustment is called for.; 1/21/10, 5:29 PM
Ralph L said...: I read this several days ago and agree with Skyler. In my day, a boy would be laughed out of school if he was seen with his hand down his pants. One of my classmates was caught by another student jerking off at freshman football camp. His nickname was "Springboard" for 4 years of high school.

Prudie makes it sound like the boys are wanking in public--she has no concept of the horror of the ill-timed spontaneous erection seared in every male's memory.; 1/21/10, 5:34 PM
the gold digger said...: I noticed in Turkey that the men adjusted themselves in public a lot. I attributed the practice to the late circumcisions they inflict on boys. Turkish men must want to reassure themselves that their equipment is still there. You might not remember being circumcised at a few days, but you sure must remember someone coming at you with a knife at six years old.; 1/21/10, 5:41 PM
blake said...: I'm a guy last time I checked, and I can't believe it when guys do it.

I mean, if my nervous tic is picking my nose, does that make it acceptable?

Girls are remarkably unsympathetic, though, I think. They have no concept of how things can shift down there.; 1/21/10, 5:48 PM
muddimo said...: Jeez. Sticking your hands down your pants in public to "adjust" yourself is not normal, acceptable behavior. It does seem to be kind of a nervous tick in some ghetto cultures but should not be tolerated in public life.; 1/21/10, 5:53 PM
HKatz said...: "Girls are remarkably unsympathetic, though, I think. They have no concept of how things can shift down there."

I guess. Similar to most guys not having a concept (and naturally not wanting to think too much about the concept) of bleeding from down there for several days each month.; 1/21/10, 6:05 PM
blake said...: I guess. Similar to most guys not having a concept (and naturally not wanting to think too much about the concept) of bleeding from down there for several days each month.

Similar, but not the same. Gals get a couple weeks off from that on the one hand. On the other, the discomfort is minor for guys.; 1/21/10, 6:09 PM
Joan said...: Prudie is an idiot. This is not acceptable behavior and no boy over the age of 4 should be allowed to do this without stern correction.

God bless you, Skyler.

I have two boys, rapidly approaching 13 & 9 years old. The number of times I have had to say "Get your hand out of your pants," has decreased over the years, but I still have to say it occasionally. It's not something any male should do in public. I understand the need to make "adjustments" from time to time, but if you need to put your hand down your pants to do it, excuse yourself from the room, first.; 1/21/10, 6:18 PM
HKatz said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/21/10, 6:22 PM
John Stodder said...: Sticking your hands down your pants in public to "adjust" yourself is not normal, acceptable behavior.

Okay, not disagreeing with you. But then why is it considered more acceptable for women to adjust their bras in the same way? (At least among friends, family and co-workers.)

Is it that male genitalia is considered unsanitary? Any part of the body where moisture can gather, specifically where skin touching skin creates pockets where perspiration is trapped, is a fiesta for germs. What goes for the male crotch goes the same for the underarms. Hands should be washed after touching any of those areas, including the areas under breasts.

One last contrarian observation: One thing boys and even young men have to deal with is sudden, inappropriate and uncontrollable erections. Adjusting in that case can often be a matter of making this erection less apparent. Is it better for boys to let everyone see the bulge unmolested, or should he take a quick pass at moving the offending member to one side so it's less apparent and might be unnoticed?

Perhaps sadly, this problem does become less frequent with age. Pretty much.

Now I've jumped the shark. Maybe I should go away for awhile.; 1/21/10, 7:28 PM
Wince said...: I must admit, whenever I visit Althouse, I have to switch from "six to midnight."

Let's see if that one gets on the Althouse masthead ;); 1/21/10, 8:52 PM
David said...: ". . . . she has no concept of the horror of the ill-timed spontaneous erection seared in every male's memory."

Which at some point it becomes a fond and poignant recollection."; 1/21/10, 9:46 PM
MadisonMan said...: I don't think it has anything to do with nerves. It has everything to do with hornyness. These are teen boys we are talking about. Teen Boy and Polite are rarely found in the same sentence or room.; 1/21/10, 10:16 PM
Beth said...: This makes me want to go listen to Pants on the Ground again. "Get your damned hand out of your pants!" goes well with "Pull up your damned pants!"

Of course, around here, we've been singing "Farve on the ground, Farve on the ground..."; 1/21/10, 11:17 PM
Palladian said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/22/10, 8:06 AM
Palladian said...: Hmm, when I was a teenage boy I spent my time putting my hands down other teenage boy's pants...; 1/22/10, 8:08 AM
FormerTucsonan said...: Granted, sometimes YOU.JUST.GOTTA.ADJUST! But if you can't do it via a descrete bump or through your pants pocket, then you need to leave the room.

14 year old boys put their hands down their pants when they don't have fathers around to tell them that's not how a grown man acts.

And Prudie is a moron for going to her kid for advice on this.

wv: gravit - Bwahahahahahaha!; 1/22/10, 11:33 AM