We interrupt this blog to bring you this breaking news: The Y chromosome is disappearing. It’s damaged, cannot repair itself and will be gone in about 125,000 years.
Lest you miss the significance of this, let me put it another way: No more men.
Think about this a minute. What will your family tree look like once the male line is eradicated? Granted, 125,000 years is a ways off but, according to scientists, a man’s value to women will be greatly diminished before the dawn of the next century.
Sperm counts are already falling and female-only reproduction is just one generation away. It’s already possible with mice. Here in Iowa, a marriage of residents from two small towns is said to have sparked the classic headline: “Manly man marries Fertile woman.” Will future single-sex generations find that headline amusing, or just perplexing?
A world without men will do much more than upset the genealogical order of mankind. Car oil will go unchanged, bugs will go unkilled, sports will go unwatched and Viagra will go untaken.
To learn more about this sad (from a man’s point of view) situation, check out this ABC News report.
Author Larry Lehmer's book about Dick Clark and American Bandstand -- Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll --is available from Sunbury Press. His book about the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- The Day the Music Died -- is available at Amazon.
Holy Amazons! Fascinating post!
Janice
Posted by: Janice Brown | May 02, 2008 at 04:21 PM
Thanks, Janice. I never dreamed I'd be part of "an endangered gender." Dang it!
Posted by: Larry Lehmer | May 05, 2008 at 11:00 AM
I stumbled across your entry through a friend's blog and I have to say, the rampant sexism in both the original article and your blog entry (that takes a very poorly written ABC article based only on speculation of a truly sensationalist professional at face value) is disappointing, if not absurd in this day and age.
Posted by: Brandice | May 07, 2008 at 03:55 PM
Thanks, Brandice, for contributing to the conversation. Alternate views are always welcome here.
Posted by: Larry Lehmer | May 13, 2008 at 08:20 PM
Thanks for eventually approving my comment.
It's good to know that alternative views are welcome, although I do note the lack of response.
Anyway, I'd better go make sure I have a backup for when all the men folk are gone and I'll need someone to check my oil for me... oh, wait. I already check my own oil... AND watch sports on occasion. ;)
Posted by: Brandice | May 14, 2008 at 01:41 PM