Party Pics: four powerhouse female writers debate the future of men at Friday night’s Munk Debate
Are men obsolete? The first female-centric Munk debate may have failed the Bechdel test, but it did have a surprising result. Arguing for the resolution, The Atlantic’ s Hannah Rosin (author, The End of Men ) and the New York Times’ s Maureen Dowd (author, Are Men Necessary? ) went in with a distinct disadvantage—only 16% of the audience behind them—but they ultimately wrested the win from the Sunday Times of London’ s Caitlin Moran (How to Be a Woman ) and pop-intellectual Camille Paglia (Sexual Personae ). Rosin and Dowd put on a good show, with quippy one-liners, including Rosin’s “Your mayor is a shining example of modern manhood.” (They even shared a wardrobe—Dowd lent Rosin an oxblood leather number following a last-minute wardrobe malfunction.)
Arguing against the resolution, Paglia’s impassioned pro-men opening argument left Peter Munk in delighted stitches, but Moran garnered the biggest laughs with her self-aware declarations (“My feminism is 1) strident, 2) fueled by cocktails, and 3) Marxist”). Still, when the results were announced at the cocktail party afterwards, the Rosin and Dowd had made a stunning comeback, nearly tripling their support. Said a shocked Maureen Dowd in her signature Valley girl–drawl: “That’s awesome, but I think we need a recount.”
The Munk Debate – The End of Men will air on CBC Radio One at 9 p.m. on November 20.
247150 <strong>Shinan Govani, </strong>who recently <a href="http://www.torontolife.com/informer/people/2013/10/18/q-and-a-shinan-govani/">left his longtime gig </a>as the <em>National Post’</em>s gossip guru (Image: George Pimentel) Munk Debates - The End of Men Munk Debates - The End of Men https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A001-e1384792946864-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A001.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A001.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/city/munk-debate-the-end-of-men/slide/munk-debate-toronto-a001/ munk-debate-toronto-a001 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
247151 Writer, editor and author<strong> Hannah Rosin,</strong> who wrote the book <em>The End of Men</em> (Image: George Pimentel) Munk Debates - The End of Men Munk Debates - The End of Men https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A002-e1384792963126-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A002.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A002.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/city/munk-debate-the-end-of-men/slide/munk-debate-toronto-a002/ munk-debate-toronto-a002 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
247152 CBC business correspondent <strong>Amanda Lang</strong> (Image: George Pimentel) Munk Debates - The End of Men Munk Debates - The End of Men https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A003-e1384792979252-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A003.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A003.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/city/munk-debate-the-end-of-men/slide/munk-debate-toronto-a003/ munk-debate-toronto-a003 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
247153 British broadcaster and columnist <strong>Caitlin Moran,</strong> who wrote the bestseller <em>How to Be a Woman</em> (Image: George Pimentel) Munk Debates - The End of Men Munk Debates - The End of Men https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A004-e1384792996838-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A004.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A004.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/city/munk-debate-the-end-of-men/slide/munk-debate-toronto-a004/ munk-debate-toronto-a004 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
247154 Professor and author <strong>Camille Paglia</strong> and <em>New York Times</em> columnist <strong>Maureen Dowd</strong> (Image: George Pimentel) Munk Debates - The End of Men Munk Debates - The End of Men https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A005-e1384793013394-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A005.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A005.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/city/munk-debate-the-end-of-men/slide/munk-debate-toronto-a005/ munk-debate-toronto-a005 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
247155 TVOntario’s <strong>Steve Paikin</strong> (Image: George Pimentel) Munk Debates - The End of Men Munk Debates - The End of Men https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A006-e1384793028179-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A006.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A006.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/city/munk-debate-the-end-of-men/slide/munk-debate-toronto-a006/ munk-debate-toronto-a006 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
247157 Mining magnate and philanthropist <strong>Peter Munk</strong> and Munk Debates moderator <strong>Rudyard Griffiths</strong> (Image: George Pimentel) Munk Debates - The End of Men Munk Debates - The End of Men https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A008-e1384793063465-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A008.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-A008.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/city/munk-debate-the-end-of-men/slide/munk-debate-toronto-a008/ munk-debate-toronto-a008 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
247158 Hannah Rosin and Maureen Dowd (Image: George Pimentel) Munk Debates - The End of Men Munk Debates - The End of Men https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-B001-e1384793081851-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-B001.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/munk-debate-toronto-B001.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/city/munk-debate-the-end-of-men/slide/munk-debate-toronto-b001/ munk-debate-toronto-b001 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)