Writer Dr. Christine Whelan has unearthed a word — and perhaps struck a nerve.

The word is misandry, and the nerve is, well, close to wear a man lives:

Misandry is not a word you’ve probably heard before. Literally, it is the hatred of men, and it’s comparable to misogyny, the hatred of women. But more commonly, when someone talks about misandry, they are referring to the idea that men are inferior to women, dolts incapable of helping around the house, idiots who just fart and burp.

According to a 2007 study conducted by FathersAndHusbands.org, men in prime time television are viewed far more often than women as sources of marital discontent, as inadequate parents, and as “corrupt” and “stupid”. By a factor of over 11 to 1, wives are portrayed more often than husbands as “justifiably dissatisfied with” their spouses and by 17 to 1 that men are more often portrayed as “corrupt”. Women were significantly more likely to be seen as intelligent (5 to 4), good looking (7 to 1), and inspiring (5 to 1).

Do the fictional interactions on TV reflect reality for the majority of American nuclear families? It seems likely: Get a group of married women together and tell a story about a stupid husband. Watch the others chime in with their own version in an instant. It’s hard to know what goes on privately between married couples, but in the female for-public-consumption version of stories, the man is usually the butt of the joke.

She has a lot more to say about why misandry seems to be so prevalent in our popular culture — and what it may mean for all of us. She makes a good point — several, in fact. Bring her column to the dinner table tonight. I can guarantee some lively conversation and, maybe, a little pre-fourth of July fireworks…