The infantilization of women is well-enough known to be a cliché, from “protective” male chauvinists to the sexual standard set by Britney Spears and Cristina Aguilera. In the interest of fair play, apparently, a German bar has opened a “Männergarten“–a place for women to drop their men-children off while mommy-wife goes shopping for men:
The living room-sized space at one end of the Nox bar in central Hamburg looks like it’s been perfectly equipped as a children’s daycare center. There are comic books spread out on tables, comfortable couches, a remote-controlled car, plastic toys and even a playpen of sorts with a construction set. It’s only when you catch a glance at the copies of Penthouse and Playboy scattered about that you realize this is not your average kids’ area.
In fact, children aren’t allowed here; women aren’t either. The Nox bar has set aside this room for men only. More precisely, for men who have no desire to tag along with their wives or girlfriends while they look for skirts, scarves and handbags in the designer boutiques in Hamburg’s premier shopping district.
For 10 Euros (about $11.65 US), the “boys” get a meal, 2 beers, and all the laddish entertainment their tiny little heads can absorb before they have to go nappy-time.
Bars in Cologne, Munich, and Berlin are planning their own Männergartens.
Leave a Reply