Men are More Tim Taylor than Fabio

Sorry to burst your bubble ladies, that's if any actually read any of this drivel, but if you're hoping to find your personal Fabio (is he still relevant?) you're more likely to find Tim the Toolman Taylor. Now for those youngins that were born post 2000, Tim Allen played the character of Tim Taylor, a stereotypical suburban male with a unhealthy obsession with tools, cars, and more power. Growing up Home Improvement, the show with the aforementioned Tim Taylor, was one of my favorite shows. It was easy to relate to the antics of the three boys on the show. Growing up with an older brother, many of the sibling rivalries portrayed on the show were accurate. I recently rewatched most of every season of Home Improvement on one of the streaming services and found that I completely missed the adult aspect of the show. Obviously this was done by design as it had to appeal both to children and adults during it's initial airing. But what I've found is that the relationship between Tim and Jill resembles the relationship between my wife and I. My wife is the logical, restraining force in our relationship. She works wonders corralling my various impulses and ideas. Of course Tim and Jill occasionally have disagreements, many of them caused by Tim and his impulsiveness. This is a common trait in many of the male species. It's probably why men typically have a shorter life expectancy than women. We often do things without thinking first; often we do things before we can decide that it's not a good idea. Men also are limited when it comes to doing romantic things for their female partners. From my limited exposure to romance novels, the male protagonist often displays an inordinate amount of romance. It's akin to a man watching an adult film and thinking that all women can bend a certain way and are willing to get in bed at the drop of a hat. That doesn't mean that we can't be romantic. Oftentimes, especially after having children and being together for a while, it's a challenge to do romantic things for our spouse. This is certainly evident in Home Improvement. When Tim's wife Jill tries to have a romantic evening, Tim often ruins it by making bodily noises or watching football. Art imitates art in this sense. I have often been guilty of this, as I'm sure many other men have been. So why can't we be more romantic? Is it evolutionary? Is it fear? I'm not s social scientist (thank God) so I don't have the answer for that unfortunately. But what I can tell you is maybe you don't have to be Tim Taylor or Fabio. Perhaps the best way to present ourselves to our significant other falls somewhere in between. So ladies, don't expect your husband to prepare a candlelit dinner every night, and men, don't expect your wife to instantly become a contortionist. Meet in the middle and that's all you'll truly need to be happy.