Hon, make me a sandwich

[Alidar Jarok]

This Woman Can't Get Married Until She Makes Her Boyfriend 300 Sandwiches

Buzzfeed, so it's done in picture and caption form:

Last July, after Smith’s boyfriend Eric Schulte ate a sandwich she made for him, he exclaimed: “Honey, you’re 300 sandwiches away from an engagement ring!”

Smith is now making him 300 sandwiches in hopes of a ring, and is documenting it on her blog.

“Sandwiches meant more to him than nice gifts, regular sex, or any other incentive I could use to get him closer to putting a ring on it,” says Smith.

“Maybe I needed to show him I could cook to prove that I am wife material. If he wanted 300 sandwiches, I’d give him 300 sandwiches.”

I'm torn. On the one hand. Yes, this is absolutely sexist and demeaning, at least in an abstract form not considering the circumstances. It really sounds subservient. On the other hand, I definitely could see something romantic about it (provided he's keeping count and plans something big when they hit sandwich 300). It is unique (certainly, it's not quite the asshole husband demanding something from his wife).

Here's her view:

Some might say the idea is sexist. “A woman in the kitchen—how Stepford Wife of you!” a friend argued. I say come over for dinner, and watch E [Eric] whip up roasted duck breast with a balsamic and currant sauce with a roasted parsnip puree and shaved pickled beets in no time, and you’ll see who spends more time in the kitchen.
Some say I’m just desperate to get engaged. Hardly. I don’t have to be. E didn’t say “cook me 300 sandwiches or I’m leaving you!” He gave me a challenge—a dare, to some degree—and the type-A, Tracy Flick side of me can’t stand being challenged. I will prove to him and the rest of the world I can make the 300 sandwiches.

Also, the sandwiches do, indeed, look delicious.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

 

[Miss Chicken]

I would be making similar conditions for him. I am not sure what I would get him to do 300 times but I would think of something.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

She should kick him in the balls 300 times.

 

[Miss Chicken]

She should kick him in the balls 300 times.

That is a good idea.

 

[R. Star]

Well that's odd. All I can say is if it works for them and makes them happy, it's their business and not mine.

 

[An Officer]

Weird power balance, but each to their own.

Who wants to get engaged under those circumstances. It's women like this that give other women a bad name.

 

[FPAlpha]

Some couples have quirks that look very weird for outsiders who don't know them.

Maybe that is the case here and they are laughing their ass off at all the Stepford wife comments and such because for them it's just how they roll.

However on the surface it doesn't sit well with me.. it looks very subservient for me and an asshole move on his part. If they really love each other and want to be with each other there should be absolutely no condition to enter a marriage.. none at all.

I want to believe our generation has moved way beyond the point where the woman is the person in the relationship that cooks, cleans and takes care of the kids and i hope every woman kicks her man's ass when it's time to use the vacuum or dust off the cupboards and he just kicks back and watches sports (or any other clichee male activity).

 

[scotpens]

They're adults and it's nobody else's business what conditions they agree to as a prerequisite for engagement or marriage, just as long as it doesn't involve anything illegal.

 

[Venardhi]

Whatever works for them. The sooner we stop giving a shit about who is or isn't acting some specific way or another, the better. If they're happy, then they're doing something right. End of story.

 

[Amaris]

Well that's odd. All I can say is if it works for them and makes them happy, it's their business and not mine.

Yep. That works for me, too.

 

[Starkers]

She should make him 299 sandwiches then leave him

 

[Captain_Nick]

^ Love it!

Man tonight is the night of the weird threads or something

 

[Starkers]

To be honest sandwich man seems perfectly reasonable after racist guy and crazy Nigerian!

 

[Chensams]

“Sandwiches meant more to him than nice gifts, regular sex,.."

They're doing something wrong if a sandwich is better than sex.

 

[1001001]

I think it's funny, and clearly they both have a good sense of humor. I don't see any reason to get upset about it. People demonstrate their love and commitment all the time in various ways. Is making sandwiches significantly different than spending two months salary on a diamond ring? I'd say it's even better.

Here's wishing those crazy kids good luck.

 

[JarodRussell]

The recipes do result in delicious sandwiches.


He thinks sandwiches are better than sex. And just like sex, he won't get any more after their marriage. Mwuhahaha!

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Here's one that will probably be less debatable. Photographer wants non-fat, non-slut, non-black girlfriend, and is willing to pay a $1000 finder's fee.

 

[JarodRussell]

The sad thing is, he is definitely going to find someone by that.

 

[Captain_Nick]

Businesslike. I like that.

 

[JarodRussell]

Sexism is only kept alive by the stupidity of women. There, I said it. As long as the majority of women is okay with how they are treated by men and depicted in media, it won't stop. As long as female actresses think they somehow elevate their career by doing nude photoshoots and nude film scenes, they shouldn't complain about sexism. Think of that underwear scene in the latest Trek, and similar scenes in all other films and TV shows. It was absolutely mindless, based on the exploitation of the female form, and the authors didn't think about it. All it needed was the actress saying "Guys, this is stupid, I won't do it." The need to somehow "sex it up" is an inherent sexist one. It's absolutely not necessary to do so. Just like Jeri Ryan and Jolene Blalock were absolutely okay with running around in skintight catsuits for no fucking reason other than being masturbation material for the nerdy geeks. Just say no to shit like that.

She is making him sandwiches thinking it's all romantic. And that other dude is going to find his girl for the price, and that girl will also tell herself how it's okay.