barbarism begins at home

A recent chat with a friend on the extraordinary male chauvinism still prevalent in this society has brought back memories of an old song, I don't know why. Its original context -- corporal punishment, a recurrent theme in so many songs by The Smiths -- is wholly different, but it does make sense to me in other contemporary contexts as well.

There are indeed all sorts of ways, bodily or otherwise, to punish and put unruly girls in their proper place.

And, yes, here too barbarism begins at home...

Unruly girls

Who will not settle down

They must be taken in hand

A crack on the head
Is what you get for not asking
And a crack on the head
Is what you get for asking

...........................

A crack on the head

Is just what you get

Why? Because of who you are

And a crack on the head

Is just what you get

Why? Because of what you are

A crack on the head

Because of those things you said

Things you said

The things you did

--The Smiths, from 'Barbarism begins at home', Meat Is Murder (1985).