Who's the man?

I read an interesting article the other day about manimony and it totally got me thinking: what the heck have we gotten ourselves into?  Yes, we've made leaps and bounds, we can vote, we've burned our bras...now, we have to pay manimony.  For those of you unfamiliar with the "term", manimony is money that the wife must pay to support the husband after a divorce when the husband makes less money than the wife...now, I can't help but to think about how society molds us into who we are and how, these days, the signals are really mixed up.  If you're a little girl, you're dressed in frilly little outfits and huge bows are plopped on your head.  Little girls have parties at the spa and sip sparkling cider.  Little boys are dressed in athletic apparel and encouraged to kill animals with whatever resources they have, and, if you live in the south, drive a tractor or a race car or some other form of dangerous automobile.  So, in our (and our children's) early years we're given this signal:  girls, sit pretty while the guys are rough and tough and provide for us.  However, as we grow older, we're told:  be tough, be prepared to take care of yourself and be a strong woman, you don't need a man.  So, I'm guessing most of us (at least I know I do) try to find balance in all of this chaos.  So, I'm going to wear pink every now and again, spritz on some body spray, own a substantial amount of high heels while I also raise the kids, clean, cook and, at the same time, I'll race to the top as a strong-minded, success-driven, hard-working provider.  So, what have we become, girls?  We've become the man AND the woman.  Don't get me wrong, please.  I take great pride in and enjoy the comfort of knowing that I am fully capable of taking care of myself and my offspring.  And I am very thankful that I was encouraged, early on, to be able to take care of myself if I had to...But let's get back to this manimony business.  Really, guys?  There are women out there that are working, taking care of the kids, running a household, AND paying their ex.  I can't help but wonder if the women of the olden days (and some of the trophy wives of today) were smarter, in some ways.  I mean, I've never hear of women of the 1950's paying manimony.  Guys out there: don't worry, this isn't a "let's sit around and bash the boys" blog.  If you're on top of your game and aren't planning on being with a woman so that she can support you AND be an apron-wearing pin-up girl, you'll be ok.  However, if you are the opposite, heed my advice (or whatever else you want to call it):  If you want us to be the man AND the woman...well....what exactly do we need you for?