Tuesday, February 05, 2013

WIFE OF GLENN REYNOLDS FINDS CHANGING LIGHTBULBS AN EMPOWERING FEMINIST EXPERIENCE

Yes, "Dr. Helen" Smith, the proudly anti-feminist "Instawife," actually wrote this:
I hate all the empowering stuff that feminists always go on about: "empowering" women in education, the workplace and the military etc. Usually when I hear the word "empowerered," I think of a group that sees themselves as weak but wants the government or others to place them in a privileged position to obtain goodies or special rights that men are not entitled to. If one truly has power, they do not use the word empowered in every sentence. That said, I do like feeling "empowered" around the house when I can take care of simple household repairs without asking my busy husband to help me with general stuff, for example, changing light bulbs in high places. And if my "empowerment" helps my husband, so much the better.

My husband, Glenn, was nice enough to order me two different kinds of light bulb changers in order to see which one worked better....
Mrs. Instapundit goes on to tell us that she prefers the handy-dandy Unger 3pc Light Bulb Changerkit to the sucky Bayco Light Bulb Changer Kit (Amazon product links for both are conveniently provided), which she just tried, with terribly disappointing results:
The changer comes with a suction cup you attach a string to to allow you to pull it away from the bulb easily. I ended up pulling it and breaking the bulb and then the string fell out.
So she went back to the Unger and grrl power was achieved:
... I found the Unger kit easier to use and the two mechanisms for changing the bulbs were simple, popped in and out and no string was necessary. I have to say I felt like a real handyman (woman) going around the house fixing all the lights and making sure they were all in working order.
(I guess using a stepstool or a stepladder was out of the question.)

And the empowerment lesson in all this?
So, whether you are male or female, I recommend the Unger Changerkit. It can really make your life easier and give you a sense of "empowerment" if that is what you're looking for. Me, I'm just trying to give my husband time to do more important things.
More important things like, I guess, posting even more Amazon product links on his blog, because, y'know, capitalism.

9 comments:

aimai said...

Holy shit. I can't think of anything less empowering than spending your presumably valuable time saving your spouse more time on the grounds that his time is more important than yours. Also: real men love to change lightbulbs. Mr. Aimai spends his free time changing lightbulbs because its fun. I don't interfere with his self enlightenment because I don't judge.

Ten Bears said...

ROTFLMAO

Yastreblyansky said...

Q: How many Instapundits does it take to change a light bulb?
A: I'm sorry, dear, he has important things to do. I'm sure with your credentials you can figure it out, and it'll raise your self-esteem, too.

nancydrew said...

oh. fergawdsakes.

Unknown said...

"If one truly has power, they do not use the word empowered in every sentence."

I'll remember that the next time either of them starts talking about patriotism.

Victor said...

A light bulb changer?

Here I am, the opposite of Conservative, and I've always used my hands.

Oh, and of course, only the old incandescent bulbs in the InstapunTWIT's home, will do - none o' them furrin soshlist squiggly supposedly 'energy saving' thingies.
REAL patriots burn all of the energy they can.

And I'll bet the Mr. and Mrs. UnstapunTWIT's leave the lights on all of the time, 24 X 7, just to make spending money on light bulb changers, more cost efficient.

Rob Patterson said...

Ever get the idea that, for a law professor and a doctor, these two are not the brightest bulbs in the box?

Never Ben Better said...

Okay, so this thing can grab the light bulb for you while you're comfortably standing on the floor -- but how the heck do you first get the globe or other cover off the light fixture to bare the bulb, huh?

Enquiring minds want to know!

No, actually, they really don't.

PurpleGirl said...

Being single, 60, and slightly disabled, I found the easiest way to change the overhead bulbs is to call the management office and them send over a maintenance man who then stands on a step ladder.