Motherhood is part of the reason there's a pay gap, of course. TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber says women are "paying an unacceptable penalty simply for having children." And guess what? It's hard to have a kid without the involvement of a man at some point. Men want women who make less, then the women suffer financially when they become mothers.

In a recent issue of Star, the celeb tabloid put together a list of couples where the breadwinning lady is the one bringing in more dough: Gwen and Gavin, Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelly, Drew Barrymore and Justin Long, Julia Roberts and Danny Moder, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, Madonna and Guy Ritchie, Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubrey, Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman. But when we posted a story called "Dudes Don't Mind If A Lady Brings Home The Bacon," one commenter wrote, "Am I the ONLY one who would feel weird earning more than my boyfriend?" Around here? In an informal poll of the ladies working for this site? Yes.

In this day and age, what sense does it make? What about your worth? Let's say you make less than your man and then you get promoted. Would you turn down the cash to keep things less "weird"? Does having a larger salary make a man "manlier"? What if he lost his job? Or suddenly had a medical issue insurance wouldn't cover? What if he dies and the will is contested and you're left raising his kid(s)? Isn't modern marriage a partnership, where each party does the best he or she can? And if that means the woman brings in more money, shouldn't that be fucking awesome?

Blue Eyes And Low Salary Make Perfect Woman [Telegraph]
Motherhood 'Affects Women's Pay' [BBC News]
TUC Attacks Motherhood Penalty In The Workplace, Women Get Paid 16% Less Than Men On Avg — Report [Guardian]

Earlier: Dudes Don't Mind If A Lady Brings Home The Bacon

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal has a he says/she says look at V.D. [Hah! -Ed.] gifts with Alan Murray, an executive editor and Laura Landro, an assistant managing editor: He suggests fair-trade roses at $64.99; she gently points out an upgrade to roses and calla lilies in a vase at $69.99 would be nicer. Murray offers chocolates from Neiman Marcus at $38; Landro prefers $45 candles instead. In the words of Kanye West, "Ain't sayin' she's a gold digger..."

The fact remains, even though are there ways to show someone you care without going broke, most people seem oblivious. For some, says Pamela Danziger, author of Shopping: Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Shopping Experience: "When the idea of romance comes in, then sanity goes out the window." And the problem is, even if you think it's a stupid holiday designed to keep post-holiday consumption up, eventually the commercials, ads and billions of stuffed animals nuzzled on a shelf in the drug store conspire against you to make you feel like you have to do something. How do you boycott a holiday without seeming, in a word, heartless? And ladies — be honest: If you didn't get a present from your loved one on Valentine's Day, would you be pissed?

Love Can Hurt — Your Bank Account [BusinessWeek]
He Shops, She Shops [Wall Street Journal]