What Is It With Men And Sheds? The Feminsation Of The Household, Of Course

Yes, obviously, this is standard column writing. To pick up on one little aspect, absurdity, of life and then weave a few jokes around the question “Whassupherethen?” The trick of such column writing being not to do it where the question of what’s up here then has an entirely obvious answer. Why is it that men have this fascination with sheds? Because the feminsation of the household means they no longer actually have any male space left inside that household.

Do note there’s nothing good nor bad about this, it simply is:

Time to get out of the outhouse: what is it with men and their sheds?
Rhik Samadder

Time was when houses were large enough – or the patriarchy strong enough – that rooms with parts of machinery spread marinading in oil were commonplace. Necessary even, given the mechanical standards of the time. The female space in the house was limited to perhaps a sewing room, or a boudoir – yes, obviously enough, in the larger establishments. The rest of it was shared space, or, for those more attuned to the iniquities of the patriarchy, was entirely male dominated.

Fast forward to our present day and that shared household isn’t quite so shared. There is no room left in it for any expressions of masculinity. So, the shed, where such may still be indulged. The domestic at least victory of the female being that very banishment.

We know this is true for it is a running joke, a mildly satirical story line, in the last of Terry Pratchett’s novels. And as we all know, anything that is a joke in that world of Sir Pterry’s is a reality in this one of ours, no?

Oh, and ladies? If you want The Man to spend more time in the house, less in the shed, allow him more space to be inside it.