Alpha Models

By Guest Blogger Jeanne Latter

… a man-eating barracuda? a woman-hating misogynist? emotionally unavailable?  going for the jugular?  do or die?

The terms “alpha male” and “alpha female” receive lots of play these days.

The battle of the sexes rages on and is now more unsettling as divorce is on the rise,  marriage is becoming obsolete, multiple affiliated families work  — and work at order in  merged households, an ever-growing singles segment strives to connect through family, social clubs, dot coms,  and new “lifestyles” are proffered.  This names only a few complications in modern living.  The age-old battle has more new weapons of mass communication (and destruction) — and new modelling to contend with.

Enter the alpha male:  historically he is strong, protective of his territory, leader of the pack, first in rank.  Now he is goal driven, charismatic, sexually attractive, a leader, dominant, always in control — emotionally and socially, will do what it takes to get him where he’s going, often ruthless, a male to contend with.  Emotionally cut off, the alpha male often views the female as a trophy, plaything, object, useless to his driving ambition.

Out of the bedroom exits the alpha female, his counterpart, the same thing in reverse.   This female , it is said,  gets what she wants when she wants; an overachiever, the glass ceiling shatters at her feet; however, she must fight doubly hard to win the goal, to maintain her position  She goes for the jugular, too, and her sense of worth is often derived strictly from career.  She steps on broken bones and bruised egos and, concurrently, family relationship is hardly her first priority.  She often settles for the beta male: second in command, comfortable, cozy, restoring her femininity, permitting her to be herself… for awhile.  These traits lead to resentment, jealousy, and ostracism from the rest of the female pack.

From a rational perspective, the above model is ludicrous and bound to fail.

NEW MODEL

As we stand aghast at the primal, self-centered, self-destructive modes of behavior, we might attempt to forge a new model.

In the fast-paced, time-bound, corporate-climbing, socially and politically correct world, the maxim, “opposites attract,” rings false.   Sharing personal and work values, goals, and affinities, once they are thoroughly understood individually,  offers a mature, supportive, joyful base in the world.  The better traits of both species can be adopted, forging perhaps a reconciled model of Androgynous Alpha!   We, male and female, each know the fruit-bearing facets of our of masculinity/femininity to bring to the table, gleaning the best of both, creating a win-win situation – for an enlightened world.

If not, back to the battle.

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Jeanne Latter (NYC), actress, director, playwright, performs three one-woman plays: ”Amelia Earhart,” ”The Life and Times of Hildegard von Bingen,” “Great Ladies of the Theatre.”  Jeanne’s written a new action/adventure screenplay tentatively titled:  “The Vessel … An Irish Story,” being shopped for a producer.  She can be reached at Linked In.