This article in the NY Times by Hilary Stout is a classic example of how the Times specializes in covering trends that threaten the patriarchal status quo by assuring the audience that the threat is safely contained and really not a threat at all. The topic is the growing incidence of unmarried couples buying houses—-something that’s been going on a long time, and both people in my household have bought and sold houses whilst living in sin before we even met each other. So yes, it can be done! And it’s not particularly more fraught than doing it with a spouse, since the latter is just as capable of up and deciding they don’t love you anymore and sticking you with an economic and legal nightmare.
But setting that aside, what’s funny about this article is how it shows how the Times has perfected the art of subtly reassuring readers that this trend poses no threat to the patriarchy. Because, stripped of all pretension, the ugly truth is that women who buy alone or go in with someone (male or female) who isn’t a husband are flouting social conventions that suggest that women (and to a degree, men) don’t deserve to have nice things if they don’t comply with the social requirement of marriage. But not to worry! As this article demonstrates, these people—-especially the women—-will pay for their transgressions.
Because the narrative that’s implied, though not outright stated, is that this whole trend is more proof that Feminism Is Bad For Women. Because men, who of course are so much cleverer and more ruthless than women can even imagine, will happily exploit lowered social standards to get what they want (sex, real estate) while depriving women of the deepest, and really only desire women really possess, the wedding ring with a side of babies. Somehow, quotes upholding this point of view magically appear in the piece.
“My whole thing was with this market, get the house — the one you want and love — first,” Mr. Haberstroh said.
That wasn’t entirely her whole thing. “I was itching to get engaged before we bought the house,” said Ms. Horelik, 28, a teacher who works with special education students. “Chuck definitely felt the pressure from me and both of our families.”
But, she added, “now I see why he wanted to wait. He saw the prices and rates were dropping and we realized we may never see such a buyer-friendly environment again.”
What I especially liked was that last bit, which makes it clear that women are personally too weak to stand up for what they want, and so they need patriarchal strictures to step in and force men to do the right thing. The notion that this was something that actually happened is a joke that makes this jolly spinster feminist laugh, of course—-there’s no evidence that back when women knew their place, there was less raping, stringing women along, or abandoning dependent women. But I digress. You can’t subtly intimidate the rebels with just one example, after all.
“New York rents are very high and you never see that money again,” Ms. Matthews said. She went on to list the benefits of buying: “We got a great mortgage rate, 4.75,” she said. In addition, owners of units in new developments in New York City can take advantage of a program that phases in property taxes over a period of 10 years. And then there’s the federal tax credit for first-time home buyers, to expire on April 30, 2010, which will provide several thousand dollars in income tax relief.
“We will eventually get engaged and get married,” Ms. Matthews added. “We’re kind of like, let’s get this apartment now, then let’s make it official.”
Mr. MacLaughlin said: “We were talking about getting married and I said, ‘Wait a minute, if we just put off the ring, we’ll get the apartment first.’ ”
You or I might see this as just chatter, but rest assured, it’s pitch perfect for a conservative to swoop in and point out that women are just so dumb they can’t see how men are exploiting sexual liberation to get the milk without buying the cow. That this woman actually lists the arguments are no matter—-it’s made very clear that she’s parroting what her boyfriend told her. The point is that even though this story purports to be about couples breaking the mold, they went out and found quotes to reassure you that your stereotypes are still upheld.