Respect Authority

Sexism aside, there are times when it’s totally okay to be a little embarrassed by your gender. The same way my dad’s high-socks-with-shorts combo used to make me cringe, there are plenty of females in the world that induce in me a longing for more masculine concerns, like obscure sports statistics, or deciding between Axe and Tag.

Today is one of those days. In a feat of “Let’s get people to make themselves look bad on the record,” the New York Times profiled a group of young women known as DABA – Dating a Bankers Anonymous – who gather in various Sex-and-the-City-esque locations to discuss Wall Street’s collapse. But not in terms of its effect on their 401Ks, job prospects or ability to pay rent; rather, how the disintegrating banking sector is taking a toll on their relationships with one-time titans of finance.

Indeed, the DABA girls are bummed: with bonuses slashed and mounting layoffs in the once-elite financial sector, they find themselves the recession’s latest poor unfortunate souls. After all, without a rich boyfriend – married or otherwise – how is a girl to fund her clothing collection, high-priced restaurant needs, or affinity for European vacations?

Such are the woes of the young women, who – though I can hardly begrudge them an anonymous blog for other like-minded bimbos – made the massive mistake of allowing the Times to photograph them mid-“support session.” Which means anyone with enough attention to detail, eggs and malicious intent might feel compelled to retaliate for the poor name these ladies are giving the Big Apple’s non-gold-digging females. …People egg other people, right?

The saddest part? The women are the first to acknowledge that their blog eschews the “scrutiny of feminists.” Which means they consider the idea of women supporting themselves and/or enjoying the company of a man for non-financial reasons up there with refusing to shave one’s legs or, I don’t know, demanding equal rights.

So when the so-called glamour industries – fashion and media – are out of jobs, and their lowly coffee fetchers can no longer rely on big bucks from Wall Street beaus, who will be left to buy the Jimmy Choos and expensive dinners? Oh right, me. In fact, I think I’ll spend some hard-earned money after work today – Obviously I need a bra to replace the one I burned last night.