Things I enjoy about machismo and its ramifications:
- Sweet talk
- The fact that PDAs are allowed anywhere, at any point in a relationship
- Drive-by poetry
- The fact that two men fighting over you in a bar can actually happen outside of your fantasies
- The chair-pull-out in restaurants, though I was never properly trained on my half of the procedure and this often results in awkwardness
- The fact that if I close my eyes while on the back of a motorcycle, I can easily pretend I'm on horseback (either as a Spanish countess or girlfriend of Pancho Villa, depending on my mood).
- Every Mexican love song ever written
- Dancing skills and willingness
- The selection and affordability of hair gel
- This picture
Things I do not enjoy about machismo and its ramifications:
- Sweet talk
- The fact that PDAs are expected anywhere, at any point in a relationship
- The fact that my eye color is considered a more stimulating conversation topic than my career interests.
- The fact that "girlfriend" and "bride" are the same word in Spanish, and "my compliments to the chef" translates to "Now you can get married!"
- The fact that I can blow an entire dinner party with one sarcastic comment that could be misinterpreted as an affront to my date's sense of honor, or something like that. Same goes for this bullet point.
- The fact that the government needs to pour millions of pesos into an ad campaign that teaches, "Equality between men and women starts at home." The visual aid is a man's calendar, where he's circled the note to himself: "Respect the decisions of my wife and daughters every day."
