[geekster777]

I'd rephrase this as "people despise weak men". I don't think women are unique in this conditioned view, and putting this in terms of Us vs Them doesn't quite get to the root of the problem.

The image of a damsel in distress is a common one that invites sympathy. Being seen as someone temporarily down on their luck who, with a quick pep talk, a removal of glasses, and a loosening of hair, will become the perfect date in your teen movie. Men do not benefit from this sympathy but nor do they suffer from its accompanied baggage and condescension.

I can't say that the solution is "just do for men what we do for women" since that sympathy has some real nasty undertones and connotations. Still, you really hit the crux of the problem with "people despise weak men". And I think we could grow a productive solution from there.