I GOT TESTOSTERONE, BABE

Recently, I did the unthinkable and watched a show on Oprah Winfrey Network. What would ever possess me to scrape the bottom of the TV barrel? "Becoming Chaz," a documentary about Sonny and Cher's daughter Chastity undergoing "gender reassignment," which is the politically correct term for a sex change. Seems cute little blonde girly-girl Chastity grew up to be the masculine Chaz, thanks to testosterone injections and a breast-ectomy, or whatever you want to call it.

Lending moral support to Chastity/Chaz was lesbian/bisexual significant other Jennifer, who seemed to have a more difficult time with the GR (gender reassignment....have you forgotten already?) than the recipient. She misses the sweet side of her partner that has vanished due to the testosterone overload. Chaz is suddenly short-tempered, critical, self-absorbed. Just like a man! "You don't have the same sweet smile," Jen laments. A recovering alcoholic, she even goes off the wagon as a response to her partner's new attitude. The program ends with one wondering if the 6-year relationship will survive the GR, but I recently read that the two lovebirds are engaged, so maybe there is hope.

I don't write this to find fault with Chaz but to make a statement about how interesting it is that men and women ARE so chemically different. No wonder Big Bore can't understand why my feelings get hurt so easily when his voice raises one-half decibel. No wonder (when I was teaching) 9 out of 10 kids sent to the detention room were boys. No wonder I always got along better with female supervisors than the ones who were males. No wonder the prison population in the United States is approximately 90 percent male. If that's the case, then why are women even attracted to men? Hmmm. Well, I suppose I know the answer to that one. Never mind.