The War Against Men: Some Graphs

By Meep
April 11, 2012
Conservative Commune

People have been talking about “The War Against Women”, puffy faces, and the Patriarchy (Ask for it by name!)…

…but as with gas prices, I’m unimpressed with the stats that have been trotted out.

I’m here to help.

What we’re going to be looking at are mortality rates, from Social Security calendar year tables. The numbers I’m graphing are the probability that you’ll die within a year, given your current age. To better see what’s going on, I’m cutting off the top ages, and graphing the numbers for age 5 through age 85:

Look, men on top, as per usual. (Kids come running for the great taste of Patriarchy!)

Oh wait, that means they have a higher rate of death… at all ages. Really separates there at the end, though, doesn’t it?

And there’s a funny bump earlier on. Let’s zoom in:

That’s an odd pattern. Starting around puberty, the mortality rate for girls keeps on at a relatively low level, while that for boys zooms up. Of most interest is the peak in the early 20s – with a mortality rate even higher than a man of 30.

Let me help with the interpretation:

(This is my own term for this well-known phenomenon.)

Indeed, from age 15 – 25ish, aka adolescence, young men do all sorts of stupid things: speed down the highway at 95mph, shoot bottle rockets out their asses, get in bar brawls, date psycho chicks…. it’s a dangerous world out there for young men. The main causes of death in this age range are violent and accidental death: car accidents, suicides, and homicides (in that order).

Before my children hit that period of danger, I will have The Talk with them:

Girls, don’t hang out with men who do idiotic stuff.

Son, don’t be a dumbass.