OK, see, here’s the problem: it’s not that conservative writers are horrible people who promote spousal abuse/rape; it’s that they’re trying to make a legitimate point and they’re just really horrible writers.
Take Ann Coulter, for instance. In her mind, she’s the wonderful fusion of Barry Goldwater and Oscar Wilde (but heterosexual): dashing, funny, witty, a scintillating conversationalist, full of interesting ideas, but conservative. Instead she’s a dolt and absolutely wretched at conveying wit, irony, or subtlety.
This Dennis Prager column currently has a lot of people understandably up in arms (viz, viz). After all, he’s not far from advocating spousal rape, if not actually there.
But, see, I think there’s a different thing going on here: He’s just not a very good writer. If you peel back what he’s saying, it can be reduced to boring sex advice that is somewhat contemporary (I’ve seen a lot of talk about the growing sexlessness of marriage; I read an article about women who undertake a series of hobbies specifically to be too busy and tired to have sex).
In other words, “shorter Dennis Prager + what he actually intended” would be
Ladies, you should give up the Y for your man. A sexless marriage is bad! You’re married, relax with the ‘if he loves me’ stuff. Men function a lot better with a steady stream of pussy.
That seems to be what he’s going for: pedestrian, straight-outta-the-8th-grade sex advice. It’s an amazingly complex, subtle and demanding topic – if nothing else, life can tire out even the most frisky individual – that Prager’s clumsy, stumbling hand completely mishandles.
Makes you wonder about Mrs. Prager and her happiness, non?
