Is This the New Battle of the Sexes?

At the hardened age of 32, I am set in my ways. I'm an old soul, yes.

I have my daily routines and if I deviate from them, I'm lost as a sailor without North.

My day goes something like this - wake up 6:45, hit snooze once, get up and let the dog out, take a shower, feed the dog, iron a shirt, put the dog in the laundry room, leave the house, get the paper off the front lawn, fight traffic, work for 8 hours, fight traffic some more, debate what's for dinner with the wife, clean the dishes, and I'm in bed at 10. I can go through most of my day wearing a blindfold, it's that routine.

However, I try to take full advantage of the unexpected and unplanned (a phone call, an e-mail, a work project) as it makes the day interesting and different from all the rest. It is what a college professor of mine labeled "making the day less daily".

Well, part of my morning routine is watching I Love Lucy. The zany antics of that red-head really make me laugh and it's good to start the day with a laugh. Each night, I watch Everybody Loves Raymond in bed while I read. However last night, I didn't get much reading done as my thoughts roamed like flotsam and jestam in my the sea of my mind. I started to think about how the stereotypes that surround men and women's roles in society have dramatically changed in the past five decades.

As you know, Lucy plays the naive but lovable housewife who desperately wants her own career in show business but can't escape the day-to-day duties of cleaning house, cooking her husband's meals, and tending to their child. In the other corner, Raymond plays the aloof father of three who gets his twins confused, remembers only what he shot when he last played golf, and couldn't find the vacuum cleaner if it sucked up both of his legs.

First, how many husbands fit the Ray Barone stereotype? I guess that's for the wives to answer. Second, what caused the roles of men and women to change? I guess that's for the women to cheer about and the men to grouse about. Last, are we satisfied with the change; are the sitcoms meant to endear the dead-weight spouse or are they meant to provoke change? When Debra calls Ray an idiot, is it affection or resentment?

All of this to ponder, but, alas, it's not part of my routine.