Dave Barry-"Guys vs. Men"

Dave Barry's 'Guys vs. Men" article is a clever and humerous way to show the degree of maturity to what it is to be a "man" and what it is to be a "guy". A man has more responsibility, maturity, and a sense of contol, who knows when to be serious and can show respect. A guy may have less responlsibilities, more fun loving, competitive in meaningless activities, a bit insensitive and is more relaxed. The role of a man is part of the identity as is the guy. Barry notices that even men in their late thirties have a side of them who are just guys. "These are middle-aged guys, suppossedly adults, and they're out there bragginig about thier performance in a stupid juvenile footrace" (406). This article reminds me of a the phrase "there's a kid inside everyone." Meaning, no matter how serious or professional one has to be, inside ourselves is some who wants to have fun once in while and not be so tied down to our commitments.

Barry briefly mentions the difference in guys and women. Women are portrayed to be constantly thinking "She'll be sound asleep in bed, and suddenly at 2 a.m., she'll be awakened by an urgent thought: The blue-green sofa needs to go perpendicular[...] Right now" (405). He compares "every so often a guy will wake up to discover[...] he now lives in an entirely different house"(405). Guys, on the other hand, simply do not think about things that maybe considered urgent as women might.

There is no real equivalent to a "guy" in a female version, which I think is interesting. It maybe because in society girls are viewed to mature faster than boys and therefore always maintain a level of maturity. However, when you use the term, "man" and the term, "woman" they are powerful. They imply a position of maturity and sense of control not only of themselves but also their surroundings or tasks.