On Sun, 20 Apr 1997, Redneck Gaijin wrote:

okay, having dropped the 'Shampoo is a brainless bimbo' arguement until I
can provide solid arguements, let's touch on other points.

There aren't any.  I don't consider her a brain but she's definitely not
stupid either.

Oh? Explain Mousse.

What's to explain? He was refused Shampoo's hand, so he trained in order to
force her to marry him and to prevent any other male from marrying her.
You'll notice that he performs the most menial and demeaning chores Cologne
can find. Some might say this is Cologne testing a potential suitor for
Shampoo; I believe it to be SOP for males in the Amazon society.

And I believe it's because Cologne knows the guy is a complete jerk and is
trying to get him to leave Shampoo alone by making his life miserable.
She can't go further because he is posing as Shampoo's supposed friend and
Cologne doesn't want to overly upset her great-granddaughter with more
drastic action.  This guy is not, in any way, a good example of an Amazon
male and how they are treated normally. 

 In a strict patriarchal society, women aren't allowed to

fight. By extension, if Amazon society is that strict, Mousse would never
have been taught the martial arts. 

We are given to understand that he studied on his own.

You just shot down your own argument.  He was therefore allowed to study
on his own or not is unimportant, he was allowed.

Indeed, seeing how Shampoo prostrates herself to Ranma instead of just
grabbing (or killing) him and go. You see her _kneeling_ before him
offering a tray with a bowl of steaming ramen on it. (Her reappearance,
immediately prior to the Cat Tongue arc.) Strictly matriarchal? HAH!

I don't recall this, and based on her later, more infamous behavior, I don't
buy into it as being anything other than coincidence. Especially since in
Japan you sit to table on your knees.

I do recall this and what more infamous behavior?

More likely, the women of the Amazons still do the majority of the work,
BUT they keep the power to themselves and out of the hands of greedy men
who don't deserve it (seeing that they don't lift a finger ;). The women
wait on their husbands hand and foot, but will gladly chastize an uppity
male.
Of course, this is speculation.

<irony> NO KIDDING. </irony> I really don't see this at all.

We have only a handful of Amazons to go on, and only one Amazon male that I
know of. From their behavior, it's apparent that males are expected to obey
females unconditionally, and that Shampoo's behavior towards Ranma is
'unnaturally lenient.'

That's untrue.  Mousse has shown all to often he doesn't obey
unconditionally.  So, what do we make of this?  Maybe men do have some
determination of their own and aren't pushed around.  If the society was
the men are slaves bit or near that Mousse would be in far worse condition
than he is.  He would have been thrown out of the tribe, executed,
detained or otherwise punished on a regular basis.
Oh, by the way, two things.  One, do we really know Mousse is from the
tribe?  I know he's known Shampoo since they were 3 but is there anything
better than this?  Cologne did once say "Being from China yourself..."
which implies that Mousse comes from China but not the village.
Two, what are these meneal tasks that Mousse is preforming, outside of
fanfics?  I don't even consider working for his stay a meneal task.

Wade