The Supermodel versus The Bro Code

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen caused a stir with an on-camera comment she made after the Super Bowl. "My husband cannot f***ing throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can't believe they dropped the ball so many times," Bundchen said after the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots in one of the most watched Super Bowl games ever.

Bundchen is the wife of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Her comments launched a discussion in the media. Did she cross a boundary by openly (and profanely) criticizing her husband's teammates? One NY Giants player said she should "stay cute and shut up." (He later apologized.) Bundchen's fellow Victoria's Secret models stuck up for her, saying she was just being a supportive wife reacting emotionally after her hubby's team lost the big game.

In our programs at Women's Happiness Magazine, we help women understand masculine psychology, especially in our  Seventh Sense Program. So you might wonder, where do we stand on Mrs. Bundchen's controversial remark?

I'll rule that she did overstep her boundaries, but I feel bad for her. She's obviously a supportive wife. Unfortunately, she showed support for her husband in a way that actually could do harm to his career and his standing among his teammates.

Masculine psychology can be a tricky thing for a woman to navigate in a relationship. (Just as men often struggle to properly understand feminine psychology.) A woman can make a man feel passionately like a "real man" by being a "cheerleader" for him. This is why the football example works so well.

As a man, there's nothing better than doing what you love -- pursuing your "mission" in life -- and being openly admired and adored for it by a woman. No doubt Tom Brady loves the admiration he receives from his wife. Any man would. Unfortunately, Gisele put Tom in a tough spot. Football is a game played by men who must bond on teams. Hierarchy is  important to men. So is territory. If there is a problem with catching the ball, well, that's for the coaches and teammates to deal with.

The word "cheerleading" works so well as a way to describe how a wife should support her husband because a cheerleader stays on the sidelines. She does not get involved in the game. Support his mission, indeed, but never interfere with his mission. This can be a difficult point to communicate in our post-feminist, modern world. Of course, women are equal to men in society. But men and women are different in many respects. This is one of them. Men prefer to have be supported and admired from the sidelines or in private. For a fuller explanation of masculine psychology and the psychology of healthy long-term relationships, get the Seventh Sense Program.

Continue the discussion by becoming a member of Women's Happiness On Demand.