Five-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Johnny Weissmuller wasn’t the first actor to play Tarzan in the movies, but he was in the original Tarzan “talkie” in 1932. Tarzan was a fictional person who lived in the jungle, swinging his well-toned physique from vine to vine wearing nothing but a loincloth. He generally appeared opposite another fictional jungle character, Jane, played by Maureen O’Sullivan. Many considered Tarzan the ultimate chauvinist because he was constantly saving Jane from the many dangers of living in the wild. While some critics attribute the line “Me Tarzan, you Jane” to a Tarzan movie script, according to at least one commentator it really happened on the studio’s back lot when Ms. O’Sullivan was struggling to put a heavy suitcase into the trunk of her car. Mr. Weissmuller came to her aid and jokingly uttered the now notorious line. While it really doesn’t matter where the line originated, it has always been viewed as the epitome of male chauvinism. As the population continues to age, the Tarzan character is becoming a distant memory for many, and the chauvinistic line is rarely used anymore in today’s social settings.

While male chauvinism may live on, according to an article in the Harvard Men’s Health Watch men will likely have to give up the self-centered title of the stronger sex…at least when it comes to their health. It’s a well-known fact that men generally don’t see a physician as often as women do. But according to the article, men are making a big mistake, as they are, medically speaking, the weaker sex.More »