Welcome to the New Paleolithic Age. The pervasiveness of "hook up" culture has triggered a resurgence of "alpha men" who "once again drag women by the hair into their caves," argues cultural critic Charlotte Allen in a controversial "The Weekly Standard" cover story. And "women love every minute of it." Allen says this shift is leaving "beta men" — the "nice" guys who lack "good looks, self-confidence and swagger" — unable to find wives and girlfriends. Is there any truth to Allen's claim that women have lost interest in what used to be called husband material?
The phenomenon may be real, but let's see real evidence: Undoubtedly "beta men and women in today’s sexual marketplace" are struggling to find suitable mates, says Conor Friedersdorf at True/Slant, but Allen needs to summon stronger evidence than the declining marriage rate. She's forcing a statistic to bear the weight of "pseudo-scientific" generalizations about pick-up artists. Let's see a "control group," please.
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