Are recession-era women looking for a firefighter to carry them out of the burning building of the current economy and into the safety of stay-at-home life? That’s what some people are taking from a new poll.
According to Match.com (via Forbes), women’s most desired profession for potential dates is “firefighter,” followed by “Wall Street executive.” Maybe they just looked at the Post‘s firefighter calendar, but YourTango thinks “sometimes women just want to be rescued.” And Jessica Rotondi of the Huffington Post says, “Given the current economic climate, the desire for sudden deliverance is more understandable than ever.” She adds that 90% of jobs created in the last year have gone to men, and asks, “who wouldn’t want a reprieve from that level of inequality?”
Such a reprieve might look different to different people. While some might seek legislative or cultural remedies for gender-based hiring inequalities, one Emilia Echolls is taking another approach. On LearnVest, she writes that “I plan to marry rich,” which she defines as “an income of at least $300,000 per year and $1,000,000+ in investable assets.” She explains,
You see, “marrying rich” isn’t about draping myself in diamonds and paying for superfluous cosmetic surgeries. It’s about being able to protect myself and my family from whatever expenses the world may throw at us: medical issues, legal problems, retirement. And in doing that, I will still be able to live in comfort, to give my children every advantage, and to seize opportunities like travel, investments and tickets to The Book of Mormon, but without incurring debt or sacrificing the basics in favor of the luxurious.
She also writes, “why haven’t women jumped the track and made it their mission to acquire their own assets? Because they don’t have to.” As long as they can find a rich man, that is. YourTango’s Natalie Gontcharova points out that even snagging yourself a Wall Street guy isn’t a sure thing anymore: “Have we learned nothing from this recession/depression? I was sure bankers’ stock would have plummeted — no pun intended — since the economic crisis began in 2008.” Marrying rich might still work for some people, but finding those rich guys is increasingly hard as the economy apparently tanks yet again. And we’ll need more than a firefighter to save us from this recession.
Women Don’t Want To Be Rescued, A Competent Cowboy Will Do [Forbes]
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