Whos Cheap by Adair Lara Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Whos Cheap by Adair Lara - Article Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Adair Lara in  Who’s Cheap starts off the article by recounting her second date with a guy who came across as cheap to the author when he didn’t offer to help pay for gas. She stated that he was â€Å"as cheap as a two-dollar watch† (Adair, 68). Her response, in my opinion, is justified – anyone including myself in her position would be appalled. I remember that once, while I had some financial constraints, I did not pay my share of the bill with old friends, and despite knowing me, I got labeled as the cheap guy. Lara says that this reaction is commonly found amongst women. Yet they do not elicit the same reaction as males do. She wonders why this double standard still continues. She then states her main point of some traits being gender specific when it comes to distaste towards them. She particularly says that â€Å"men are beneath contempt when they are cheap† (Adair 68). I wholeheartedly agree wi th her on this point. Being a male, I have to constantly be careful in social situations, as men are quickly termed cheap, whereas my sister does not have to put in the same effort. She does say that despite women making as much and sometimes more than their male counterparts, it is usually considered ‘proper’ for a man to pick the check in a restaurant as well as offering to pay whenever the occasion arises. She does not actually state it as such up to this point in the article that what she really means is that men should always pay regardless of financial standing in comparison with the female. This idea is strengthened throughout the article. Even though this seems like a sexist stance for her to take, but once again, I can testify to the truth thereof. If I go out on a date, everyone would expect me to pay, interestingly enough, I was accosted by my mother once when I had the check divided between me and my date, with my dad saying that men were supposed to pick up the tab. Adair also states that some men are stingy by nature which is correct but in my opinion should be expanded to contain both genders. I have known some very stingy females in my life just as the author admits to. Once again it is not a trait that is gender specific yet more unpleasant when displayed by males. So this part of her argument I agree with. She also writes about a friend of hers dumping her boyfriend when he acted cheap on a movie date by handing her M&M’s one by one. I found this incident hilarious but find it hard to say how I would react in a similar situation. What might appear normal to some may be abominable to others. For example, she mentions how her own date she writes about at the beginning of the article, loved talking about purchasing his car, a feat that was likened to â€Å"buying shoes† (68) in her native California, by the author. Perhaps the author was a bit harsh on him without knowing the motive behind the act. Maybe the guy had to struggle to purchase the car and considered it an achievement which he wanted to share with those close to him. Once again, perhaps it depends on the person’s perspective or how the words are actually delivered.