Battle of the Sexes
Since the beginning of time, men and women have had their own separate place in societal structure. Sure, over the course of time, certain lines have been blurred--women have become construction workers, electricians, CEOs of huge corporations, war heros,and even made a run for the Presidency. Stay-at-home moms and housewives are few and far between, due in large part to our economic system in America. Despite all of that, though, in any suburban house on any given night, you can listen in on or more of the the following conversations between a parental figure and a daughter:
"You are NOT wearing that to school young lady!"
or
"Go into the kitchen and help your mother with dinner, Sally (or Annie, Suzy , insert girl's name here)"
or
"Oh sweetie, if you want to fit into your prom dress, you probably shouldn't eat that."
or
"Dating is a privilege not a right and you don't have any rights!"
And maybe if we are listening in on some parental figure and a son, maybe it's more like:
"Why don't I ever have to talk to your sister about grades?"
or
"Why isn't the coach starting you this week? Didn't you work hard enough?"
or
"How come you're always hanging out with your friends? Don't you like girls?"
or
"You think you should hit the gym? Your arms look puny"
Now, these are all made up of course, but they tend to follow a certain pattern of remarks that are made to girls and boys over the course of their lives.
(If my ones for the boys seem corny, please remember I am somewhat limited due to my own gender and the lack of experience in growing up with any boys in my home).
The question this week, AoPers, is a simple one, but one that has plagued civilization since the dawn of time (well, maybe not THAT long) and that is this:
Who has it easier in life, men or women?
Now the rules are as they always are here--always the WHY? But, beyond that, I would like you to give me at least 3 examples that support your answer and ones that you can speak intelligently about because you have experience.
Think about your life on all levels, home, school, social. Consider all the interactions between men and women that you have seen or been a part of and if at all possible, try to view it from a variety of perspectives. It will be hard, but try not to let emotions play into your answer--if you have a positive/negative energy or memory or experience with one sex or the other, don't let that color the way you respond here.
"You are NOT wearing that to school young lady!"
or
"Go into the kitchen and help your mother with dinner, Sally (or Annie, Suzy , insert girl's name here)"
or
"Oh sweetie, if you want to fit into your prom dress, you probably shouldn't eat that."
or
"Dating is a privilege not a right and you don't have any rights!"
And maybe if we are listening in on some parental figure and a son, maybe it's more like:
"Why don't I ever have to talk to your sister about grades?"
or
"Why isn't the coach starting you this week? Didn't you work hard enough?"
or
"How come you're always hanging out with your friends? Don't you like girls?"
or
"You think you should hit the gym? Your arms look puny"
Now, these are all made up of course, but they tend to follow a certain pattern of remarks that are made to girls and boys over the course of their lives.
(If my ones for the boys seem corny, please remember I am somewhat limited due to my own gender and the lack of experience in growing up with any boys in my home).
The question this week, AoPers, is a simple one, but one that has plagued civilization since the dawn of time (well, maybe not THAT long) and that is this:
Who has it easier in life, men or women?
Now the rules are as they always are here--always the WHY? But, beyond that, I would like you to give me at least 3 examples that support your answer and ones that you can speak intelligently about because you have experience.
Think about your life on all levels, home, school, social. Consider all the interactions between men and women that you have seen or been a part of and if at all possible, try to view it from a variety of perspectives. It will be hard, but try not to let emotions play into your answer--if you have a positive/negative energy or memory or experience with one sex or the other, don't let that color the way you respond here.
I think men have it easier in life. 3 examples to prove my point would be men get paid more, men do not have to worry about monthly cycles and carrying/delivering children, and men have lower expectations to live up to.
ReplyDeleteEver since forever, women have been expected to stay home and do the chores while men worked and put food on the table. Now, women are getting decent jobs and supporting themselves, however there is still a wage gap between men and women of about 20%. So for every dollar a man makes, a woman makes 80 cents. So in the workforce, men have it easier based on finance.
Men do not have periods or have to carry and deliver children. I think almost every girl can agree that periods are so painful and are one of the biggest inconveniences that exist. I personally have not had a child, but I know enough about the process to know how painful the delivery of a child can be, and men do not have to go through any of this at any point in their lives.
Men do not need to worry about living up to certain standards that women have to. They are in a way expected to be gross, while women have to always smell like flowers. They are expected to not really try hard in school while girls usually are expected to have straight A’s. Guy’s parents are usually more lenient than a girl’s parents also because “boys will be boys.”
Call me a feminist,sexist or biased because i'm of the you know female nature but I do 110% believe that WOMEN HAVE IT HARDER. I'm saying this because on many different levels this is true., one example is not particularly something that has happened to me but let's just start this off by saying men don't have to give birth. As beautiful as giving birth is after a women does so her body and life is changed forever, for 9 months before the baby comes and forever after, and that's something a male will never have to experience. Another example is that men are less likely to get publically sexualized, where as I walk down the beach in my bikini with my friends and all we hear is whistling, and get "cat called" and or our asses grabbed. I've been in multiple situations where I've gotten grabbed and DID NOT want to be. My other example, would have to be women feel a certain pressure because the media portrays us to look and act a certain way. Women have to leave the house with "their faces on" because god forbid we leave the house without a little lipstick and mascara we're now all of a sudden "sick" or "not okay" or "not beautiful." Women also have to constantly fight against certain stereotypes and feel the need to have to prove themselves to men when in all reality women are the shit and we don't need to.
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ReplyDeleteMen have it easier than women in many ways, 3 examples of that would be women having to give birth and go through a period for the majority of their life, not being able to have authority, and not having as much freedom without being judged when it comes to their sex lives. Women giving birth is the only way that life can be created, without women none of us would be here. On average a pregnant woman gains 28-40 pounds and her uterus expands 500 times the normal size. On average women goes through labor for eight hours, women described giving birth as going through intensified menstrual cramps. Speaking of periods I can say through personal experience that it is one of the biggest inconveniences in my life, not only due to the fact that you are constantly bleeding for a week. But the cramps that come along with it that make you feel as though you are literally being stabbed.When a man has authority they are looked at as strong and important. But on the other hand whenever a woman takes control and has authority she is viewed as a bitch, controlling and crazy. It even states in the bible that women should never have authority “I do not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man; she is to remain quiet” ( 1 Timothy 2:12). A man can go out and have sex with 3 different women, in the same night, at the same place and he is suddenly “ the man”. A woman could do the exact same thing and would be called a whore literally for no other reason than the fact that she is a woman. A woman could also have sex with 3 men that she was in a relationship with and loved and still be called a whore.I think that is worse because it was with someone that a woman felt connected to and loved.
ReplyDeleteI believe men have it easier in life. Men make more money, are expected to be able to accomplish any task, viewed as stronger physically and mentally. Women constantly have to deal with the limitations society out in front of them in the work field, household, etc. Women’s salary a year statistically is less than that of a man’s, this is a prime example of a obstacle women have to face. Also societies downplay on women's ability to accomplish certain task and jobs entertains the idea women have a harder life to live due to the way they are seen by society. This constant battle to just get the opportunity to prove all the neigh sayers wrong is a mountain to climb in itself compared to how men face the same issues with no doubt in their mind people have confidence in them to get the job done, whatever it is.
ReplyDeleteI may be bias, but I think that women certainly have it harder in life. Similar to the examples of conversations you gave, women are constantly being restricted, even with simple things like clothes. If you wear something that shows too much, you are considered a slut. If you wear something that is too conservative, you are considered a prude, or insecure. Whatever you do, there is someone judging you based on your appearance, or at least making you feel bad about your choices. I feel as if we can never be right. Another reason women have it harder are the amount of standards that exist. Women are expected to be pretty, and dress nice, and be social. The image that is portrayed of women out there makes it hard for us to be comfortable with ourselves. A lot of us go through the struggle of being someone who we arent just so we are accepted and liked. Men have standards too, but they don't seem as strict or harsh. Again, I may be bias but that's just what I have observed. I feel like most men can agree that in this case, there are more social standards for women. Just like what my classmates said, another thing that makes it hard for women is pregnancy and periods. Don't get me wrong, I think pregnancy is an amazingly beautiful thing- something that we should be grateful for and feel blessed with. Not that I would know, but it seems like carrying a baby for 9 months certainly isn't always sunshine and rainbows. A lot of changes to your body occur. And, with periods, I am here to tell you that literally NOTHING about this is sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes men just don't understand what us girls go through with this. There are things in life that are harder on men, but from my view it looks like overall women have always had it harder and will continue to have it harder.
ReplyDeleteThis is an obvious answer as men have it way easier in life than women. Men get paid more and are viewed more highly then women when being talked about in a position of power, men don't have to deal with carrying babies or going through menstrual cycles, and men don't have to worry as much as women do on how they look and how they are viewed in society.
ReplyDeleteThroughout history it has been proven that men get paid more than women do. Just theoretically speaking as obviously a women working as a CEO is obviously making more than a man working at McDonalds. But apart from the money aspect, everything is modeled around men. "Throw the ball like a men", or " Man up". Men are viewed as a more dominant sex when talked about theoretically which gives them a step up in our sexist society.
I think mens only argument for this next reason is how we sometimes get kidney stones (even though women do too). But women have to go through a cycle of ovulation and a whole lot of other things men were just blessed with not being able too. Also, women have to carry and bear children. They have to carry it for nine months, go through severe bodily changes and emotional mood swings that men simply don't and would not be able to handle.
Usually women are the victims of the words, slut, whore, bitch. Women have to go through there life making sure they are molded to a certain lifestyle so they are not called words like this or viewed like this in our society. They worry about how they look and go above and beyond to look good. Compared to men, they get praised for having sex multiple times , but if you are a women you are called a slut and shamed by other girls.Women have it a lot worse in our society. Even now when we say things have changed and that women have more rights. Women have it worse.
Men have it way easier than woman by a long shot and its been that way for centuries. Woman have always been treated extremely less than woman. Back before the 19th amendment woman were not aloud to vote or own property. Woman didn't have jobs because they were at home cooking for the husband and taking care of the children. In today's society the treatment of woman is much much worse. First off many woman face sexist comments or rude comments. For example, a woman can be walking down the street and then hear someone whistle or honk a horn or straight up say something like "Damn girl". Woman also have to deal with people touching them inappropriately in crowds. Men don't usually have to deal with people touching them when in a crowd. Woman are also the key victims in rape. Yes men can be sexually assaulted but woman are more likely to be sexually assaulted. Woman have a lot to worry about, far more than men. Woman do so much for this society only to be treated like dogs.
ReplyDeleteWithout any hesitation in my response, men have it easier. I’m not here to undermine what men go through and make it seem as though they don’t have their challenges. I’m not saying that they breeze through life without any obstacles or bad days, but in comparison to women, they have it reeeallllll easy. This doesn’t really apply to me because I have not started my career yet, but I am very well aware that there is a salary difference between men and women. Women try just as hard as men when it comes to their job, yet they are paid less. Although the job itself may not be easy, and maybe men have a hard time doing the job, they still go home each night with more money in their pockets because of their gender. Slut shaming also comes into play when comparing men and women, as the number of bodies a man has is considered something to be proud of and boast about, whereas the number of bodies a women has is something that is frowned upon. I have found that the men who degrade the women that have a few bodies are also the ones who go around and see how many bodies they can rack up in a weekend’s worth of time, but that’s none of my business. Lastly, men have it easier because they can pee while standing up.
ReplyDeleteThis one is easier for me, men have it easier. I do not mean to sound like a jerk or anything, but this was something I have known for a while, ever since I was a kid. I believe it is subconsciously known to every person on the planet, whether you want to admit it or not. For me, it began as a kid. The FIRST thing I was glad to know was that I wouldn’t be the one to pop out babies. I already knew how painful it was to have children(the whole apples to watermelons comparison). Anytime, actually every time childbirth is depicted on tv, the woman is in pain. I was always relieved that it wasn’t going to be me. A little childish, but as I matured I realized that there is less pressure on the man when it comes to family. Women have the child. Women are the ones who usually spend the most time with the kid. Women are the ones portrayed as being adept at taking care of an infant. If one of the parents are going to leave, it is the dad. Men have it easier in this respect. The second thing I realize is that men are the dominant sex, physically. Yes, men are stronger. If you were to take the average male and have him arm wrestle the average female, the male is going to win. It’s genetics. Going from elementary school to middle school, it became clear to me, as boys and girls were starting to be separated when it came to physical activities. Unfortunately there are those who take advantage of this. If I were to walk on one side of the street, and a girl my age were to walk on the other, and there was a criminal at the end of the street, 9 times out of 10 the female will be attacked. It is unfortunate, but when it comes to strength, men have it easier. My third reason has to do with worth, more specifically the worth of a man and women. As a result of reason 2, we live in a world where men are valued higher than women, evident in positions and pay. Have we ever had a female president? No. Have women always had equal rights? No, we had to have a whole movement for rights for approximately half of the population. Most households have the husband earning more too.
ReplyDeleteI believe that women truly do have it harder than men. Having a woman’s body is immediately a struggle for the obvious reasons that we can get pregnant and we have to get our period once a month but we also go through so many daily struggles with the inequalities society put in place for us rooting back thousands of years. Women are the stay at home parent who can’t amount to any success and must always listen to the man of the house. Now obviously these stereotypes have lowered tremendously but we are still affected. We get paid less, people are more hesitant to promote us, and women's products cost a significant amount more than men’s products. Now doesn't that sound messed up? We get paid less, but we must pay more for things we need. I can only hope that in the years to come, things become more equal for both genders.
ReplyDeleteNow I want to talk about the struggles that men go through because their lives aren’t perfect either. Yes men are typically more successful and get more money, but think about the standard they are held to. Men need to be strong, tough, anything but emotional, but men have feeling too. It is easier to women to share their feelings and cry but for men to do that, they are considered weak. Men keep things bottled up because they want people to think they are strong. The documentary Audrey and Daisy had me thinking about what would happen if a man had gotten raped. Yes it is less likely to happen but if it did there is no way that any more than 10% of it gets reported because they are embarrassed by it.
Both sexes have standards that they are held to, so both of them have struggles. I don’t like this question because I don’t want to focus on just the struggles of one gender, but the struggles of both.
Men definitely have it easier in life than women by a long shot. Women are held to higher standards, go through the pain of bearing children and periods, and overall get treated as less or unequal to men by a lot of people in our society. Society makes it so that it is harder for women to do things that they want in life. When it comes to jobs women get paid less and don’t have as many job opportunities as men. A lot of jobs would rather hire a man than a woman even though a women might be better at this particular job than a man. This is unfair to women and is just one way that their life is harder than a man’s. Getting paid less and having to work extra hard just to get a chance at a job is unfair to women. Women also have this certain expectation to live up to that seems not to apply to men. Women are expected to be proper, be smart, be basically perfect, but for a guy it seems like they aren’t expected to be anything special so it doesn’t matter. It’s like women have to be flawless or they’ll be looked down upon, but men don’t have these expectations to live up to by society. Lastly, men do not have periods or have to give birth to children. I can only imagine the pain and annoyance that these events cause in a woman’s life. Men do not have to experience this pain and are very lucky that they do not. A lot of men probably think they have it way harder than women, but if you look into and break it down men really have it way easier than women do.
ReplyDeleteBy a country mile, men have it easier than women do in society. If we were to specify a cultural problem for each ethnic group (African Americans, Hispanics), then this would obviously be a different conversation. But as a whole, men may have more expectations to live to, but women have just enough expectations not only for their life, but in society, that makes them weary and diligent everyday. For example, men don't have menstrual cycles. I saw a video on Twitter today that put the importance of birth control and periods in perspective for men (specifically Donald Trump and the Republican Co.). And she said to imagine having your private parts kicked and punched multiple times, comparing that to periods. I find it pretty ironic because men, when they get kicked in the nuts, have to take a moment to compose themselves, but women have to deal with their sensitive parts chronically throbbing once a month for I don't know how long.
ReplyDeleteAlso, women give birth. And for all who believe that women don't have to worry about a lot of things in life, birth is giving life to a new human. And women have to deliver that human. From their vagina. Enough said. Men don't have to worry about dying giving birth.
And finally, men don't have to have to worry about making sexual decisions. What I mean by that is that they don't have to worry about body count. When you're a man, having multiple bodies means you are a hustler, you are the man and you can get any girl you want anytime you want. But if you're a girl, you're called a slut or a thot for having sex with too many guys, which is a complete double standard. Another example is the Brock Turner situation. We all know what happened and how Turner should've gotten more years, but instead got out way early on “good behavior”. I always wonder what the situation would be like if it Brock Turner was a girl.
Simply put, girls just have to put up with so much more personal crap that men seem to overlook what girls actually have to go through. And personally, I think girls are more insecure about themselves, from their body image to the clothes they wear. When I think about it, Donald Trump is truly the embodiment of a terrible person. Women, as a whole, have joined together this past year to really oppose Trump and what he is trying to do. Because of this, women are more independent and strong willed than ever before because they really have to start looking out for themselves and their own gender. It's becoming increasingly hard to be a woman in society, and men need to realize that if we want to better ourselves as a society.
In this world there is no doubt in my mind that men have it way easier than women. Women first of all have always been looked down upon by men even up to this day. When it comes to jobs the wage of a women is lower than the average wage of a man. Men are also looked up to more in handling a higher position at a job because they are men and they think a women can't do the job just because they are a woman. It's sad to think that a woman can have the same position as a man but still get payed less just because of their gender. It makes no sense at all. Not only do women have it harder in the workplace but they also have it way harder in everyday life too. Women have to endure childbirth as well as periods every month. On the contrary men don't have to deal with anything close to this. A man may deal with some acne or the changes of puberty to a man's body but it is nowhere near what a woman must endure. It is also held to a higher standard that women have to look good in today's society while men don't get criticized as much if they look bad. Most girls think that they have a dress up nice everyday as well as put makeup on to be pretty. The sad truth is that if women don't do this a lot of men criticize them. But men never have to put makeup on or anything and it's not that big of a deal. Today's world has come a long way since back then with setting equal rights between men and women but there are still inconsistencies in today's world. Women are always viewed as being below men still and it's very obvious that they have it way harder in society.
ReplyDeleteMen definitely have it easier than women. I mean I guess men have their share of difficulties, but they aren't anywhere as close to women's difficulties. 3 examples would be that women get told they can't do something just because they're women, they have to give birth and suffer those 9 months and change their lifestyles and they have to deal with period every single month. I think the hardest thing about being a female is that even when you know you're capable of doing something a man is doing, you still get told you can't do it & than when you manage to prove society wrong you get told you didn't do it as well as a man would or you get less credit than a man would. I don't know what's worse than being degraded just because women are "weaker." Which brings me to my next point which was women have to carry a child in their womb for 9 months. I don't think a single man could handle the pain of giving birth or even dealing with the changes during pregnancy and a lot of men know that too. I always read a post that's says "a human body can bear 45 del of pain while a women giving birth bears 57 del of pain which is equal to 20 bones being fractured at the same time." Also, I'm sure most people have seen the video of men experiencing period pain. They start suffering at like level 4 pain.. imagine how bad women with level 10 pain feel. Men can do whatever they want without facing any consequences basically unless it's illegal. In a world where women are considered "weak," men can even handle half the pain women have to handle.
ReplyDeleteMen and women have different roles and different expectations in modern american culture. Men historically have been the bread winners while women stayed home and tended to family. This has changed drastically in the last 50 years. Starting in world war 2, women went to work to keep up supply and demand in factories while men went away to fight. Women found themselves also starting to join armed forces to support soldiers overseas as nurses and the like. Today women have continued the stress of working outside the home but today the difference between men and women is that women are still expected to tend to all the home duties that they previously handled. Women handle it well because we are strong and competent and most naturally put the needs of their families before their own. Women now are expected to work. It is very rare to find a housewife that prides herself in cooking, cleaning, food shopping while caring for kids and home.
ReplyDeleteOn top of the double responsibility that women carry they also have a hard time earning respect in the workplace. Women who are just as smart, just as qualified and just as hardworking as men have a hard time securing high positions as well as equal pay in those positions. Women are sexualluy harrassed and the weak ones are forced into misconduct to get what they want. A practice that is disgraceful after we have proven our worth and what we are capable of.
The success of a family, even when their are two parents in the home, lies solely on the mother's shoulders. She is expected to teach and guide her children the way that the father used to be expected to do. Fathers used to be considered the head of the household but today the mother is viewed as the failure when the children do not live up to expectations.
I also feel that in a time of empowerment women are expected to be perfect in physical attributes in order to get and keep a husband. Not only do they have to be hardworking and smart, they also have to be skinny and stay young in order for their men to stay at home. I feel in the past men valued family and a good wife. Now I see that men view women as replaceable and indispensable. If another catches their eye they will be quick to walk away and justify their “happiness” to their children. If mothers walk away in an attempt to secure “happiness” they are thought of as loose and selfish. Two different unfair standards.
ReplyDeleteIt's not hard to see that we live in a patriarchal society and therefore men have it easier.
Men are respected more than woman. For some reason a great idea said by a woman is not seen as great till it comes out of a man’s mouth. This tends to happen when I am in a male dominant environment. My ideas are quickly overlooked because how could a girl know anything about well anything. Growing up in a family full of boys and coming from an old school hispanic family I was taught that women come second. My aunt actually told me I wasn't allowed to play basketball with my cousins or my brother because I had cleaning to do. I was about 14. She told me I had no business playing with them and instead had me help her cook dinner for them. Men don't have these types of restrictions growing up.
They also don't bleed every month. Periods are horrible especially if you get bad cramps and migraines. Men won't ever have to push a human being out of them. Really think about that. Woman are the life source of the human race yet we aren't respected enough to make our own decisions about our own reproductive systems. Men also don't worry about what kind of attention their outfit will bring them. Growing up I was very aware that certain outfits would lead to unwanted comments and it affected how I dressed. Because of some bad experiences, I went through a phase where the only thing I would wear were hoodies. I felt comfortable and safe in them. It really sucks to know that as a child you are being sexualized for wearing things like tank tops and shorts in the summer. Men don’t have to go through that. They have never been told to call home to get a change of clothes because their outfit was distracting. Well I’m sorry guys can’t control themselves around exposed shoulders. I know my shoulders are sexy but are they really going to disrupt a whole class? Exposed shoulders aren't the problem. By telling these young girls that they're the problem it just reinforces rape culture. Overall it's painfully obvious that woman have it harder than men.
To be completely honest this is a hard question to answer. I am not going to sit here and be the guy that says that women have easy lives, and men are the ones that have it rough. It's just not the case. Women have aspects in life that they need to live up to or they would be classified as a failure. Also, there’s such slight room for error in women's lives because if they mess up or are classified as something whatsoever, is sticks with them for a period in their lives. If a rumor starts about a male figure, it will probably be thought of as a joke or breeze through people's minds; compared to rumors about female figures, it's put in headlines. Females also have a harder time in life in the household. Women now and days work, clean the house, make food for the family, and take care of the kids in any situation. I think every kid thinks of their mom as a superhero getting them back and forth from school, sports, and activities with friends. As a child myself I looked up to my mom and all she did especially as a single parent. Also, women have babies and I don’t quite think men could bear that.
ReplyDeleteMen have just a hard time in life as women though. For male figures in society, if you are one that doesn’t get a lot of girls, or are a sports start, you aren’t even noticed. In other aspects, males are the ones that are picked for war. Most soldiers in all armies are males. Also, african american males under age 25 are more likely to die then go to college. Males in the household are expected to make more than their companion and be the majority share breadwinner in the house. I believe the reason for the income difference is because of jobs that men are looked to do such as construction and architecture projects.
I understand that both sides are held to different standards and have different situations to go off. However. After really thinking and taking everything I know, experienced, and seen into consideration, I believe men have it easier than women. Unfortunately, that’s how it is and every time we try to take one step forward, we’re shoved four steps back.
ReplyDelete1.) Control over our own bodies. Men are taught from a young age that they should be the breadwinner, their wife should be submissive to them. Men are given the excuse that ‘boys will be boys’ when they do something that they are not supposed to do and there are no repercussions to their mistakes. Women are afraid to tell the truth because they’re afraid of the backlash they will get, especially and specifically sexual assault cases. Instead of women deciding the future of reproductive health services, a board of [white] men get to sit down and cut what THEY don’t need. It should be women in that conference.
2.) Working in a hyper masculine society. When a woman is put in charge, everyone is nervous because of the notion that women are too emotional. They’re afraid a woman will make a hasty decision in the result of her emotional breakdown and will regret it later. On the other hand, no one is ever worried when a male is put in charge. He’s tough. He can handle the stress. The woman can’t though. And that’s why you see very few female leaders.
3.) Men are held to different sexual standards as women and no matter what we do, we are either seen as a prude or a whore. A man can have as many ‘bodies’ as they want, can flaunt it, and have no one say a word about it but God forbid if a girl has even one hook up, she’s seen as a slut or a whore. We can’t win when it comes to our sex life. Either way you go about it, you’re going to get called a demeaning word no matter the situation you’re in. No one really cares about a guy’s sex life. It’s just the girl they worry about.
Although men and women can both experience the same kind of “shaming” for not being the stereotypical Man or Woman, women have it much harder. Women are held to the highest expectations all the time. For example, women are expected to know how to cook and want to clean up after everyone that leaves a mess, and if you don't want to do that or don't know how then you're not living up to the standards of a real woman. In addition, women are judged so much, and mostly by other women, to be perfect. To uphold a reputation no less than flawless, and have great bodies, and a pretty face otherwise they are undesirable. I don’t think men worry so much about this because other men aren’t going to bring any of this up. Lastly, women are perceived to be these fragile beings, but carry children and endure intolerable period pains every month. When all this becomes too much they’re told to “man up”. Women since forever have been told to be people it's not easy to be all the time, and that's why men have it easier.
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ReplyDeleteAlthough I am fully aware that men are pushed to certain difficult standards and expectations according to society, women unequivocally have it harder than men. Unequivocally.
ReplyDeleteWomen have it harder because they were shamed and oppressed for centuries and continue to face issues. Women experience far more limitations than men in society, and we even know this historically (ex. women once could not vote, could not own property, etc.). In one statistic according to “The Understudied Female Predator” from The Atlantic, only 38 percent of victims of reported sexual violence are men, meaning women are much higher sexual assault targets.
Yes, men have problems, too. They are expected to be strong, tough, and not cry because they would be seen as weak. If a man were to be a victim of rape or sexual assault, they would not be taken seriously. Why? Because of the double standard that men could get away with it and a woman victim would be dismissed, or this next point:
Point #1: Women are viewed as weak..
That “weak man” men are afraid of being is an analogy to a woman being “weak”, essentially making it an insult to be a woman. That is why and what men mean when they say things such as “Don’t be a sissy” or “Stop throwing like a girl”. I’m not being biased, but I can passionately say this with personal experience. This past weekend when I moved houses, I carried my sister’s large, heavy chest myself (we did not get movers, so my brother and I did most of the furniture lifting work ourselves, hence why I’m sore) from the old house into the truck. At the new house, my dad’s friend came to help us since he got off work early, and when I went to get the chest that I could perfectly handle, he told me, “No, don’t carry that; I’m going to take that with your brother” and also asked me when I carried other boxes (even the light ones), “Are you sure you can handle that?”. Even if men have this expectation to be strong, tough, and aggressive, society says that is what a man should be, and therefore, men are the most respected gender. Now yes, there are obviously physical differences between men and women. However, the difference is that women are shamed for their level of strength just because they are more emotional with hormones, even though women deal with painful regular periods or the immense pain of birth (especially with twins or C-sections) .This “weak” stereotype is an underlying issue of why women were not taken seriously for centuries and seen as only good for cooking and cleaning.
Point #2: Women are held to higher beauty standards.
It is harder for women to meet the societal expectations of beauty due to the extra amounts of pressure on girls looking a certain way from the media. This is especially difficult during tween and teenage years. Girls have so much more to deal with physically: hair, makeup, clothes, shoes, jewelry, or body image. For instance, actresses often have to lose or gain a certain amount of weight just to earn a certain role, and models are often pressured to look skinny or fair in the media. On top of this, fashion is always changing. All of this is to meet the pressured standard that girls should always appear attractive.
Point #3: The Gender Pay Gap & Its Double Standards
It is no secret that men are paid higher, and it has been that way for centuries since they are seen as the “breadwinner”. A woman could go to law school just like a man doing the same thing and get paid less, which is unfair and outrageous. This makes it harder for women to get jobs since men dominate the workforce, and men are, therefore, more susceptible to receive higher positions like CEO's. What are some double standards of this? Women are paid less in society, but feminine products,which are necessities, are taxed and more expensive than men's products (ex. How pads are taxed when Viagra is not). Also, a male-majority of representatives in congress vote on women’s health issues.
I’m not saying that men do not have problems, but taking all of this in account in comparison, men do not suffer the way women do.
Personally, I think that men have it easier in society. Honestly, I feel that it has always been that way. From the start women have been the ones to take care of the house and be nothing more than that because society said so. I know that was long ago but it was the start of it. Now women today are constantly looked at and compared concerning their image. They are expected to look a certain way and dress a certain way in order to be considered "beautiful." The pressure is on women more than ever and that's something men don't have to deal with much. Another reason is women are judged more harshly when it comes to sexuality. Men can have sex with multiple people and be looked as "the man" but if a women does that they are called a "whore" or "thot." They are held to a different standard.. Lastly, women are taught by society to be in competition with other women to get the male's attention. We are taught a to be something that we're not in order to be accepted.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has their own personal Beatles and certain obstacles that they will have to face in their life time. Now with that all being said, Men have it a lot easier than girls do. Women have to put up with bunch of extra BS that men don't have to put up with. Women have to put up with double standards when it comes to dressing. A guy could wear sweatpants and a hoodie and people wouldn't say a thing, but if a girl wears sweatpants and a hoodie people talk about her behind her back and judge her for it. Another example is when people say that girls can't do as good of a job as a guy could. A woman could have double the experience as a guy but people would still second guess if she could do as good of a job as the guy could. Woman basically have to prove themselves every time they do something. The most troubling double standard is sex life. If a guy has a high body count he is known as a "legend, a Savage, a boss", but if a girl has a body count higher than like 3 she is known as a whore, a slut, a thot. Woman have to constantly put up with double standards and constant doubt during their everyday life.
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ReplyDeleteI think we should acknowledge that both sides are held to different standards and have different situations to go off. However after really thinking and taking everything in, I think Men have it easier than women. One reason why I would say this is because women having to go through the pain of giving birth and through a period for the majority of their life. Another would be being judged more harshly for their sex life. When a guy gets a bunch of bodies they can flaunt it and are considered a man, but if a women does that, they are regarded as a slut. Thirdly, It is harder for women to meet the societal expectations of beauty due to the extra amounts of pressure on girls to look a certain way.
ReplyDeleteBtw the wage gap is a myth
Simply I think that men are easier because there are less problems with men. as far as like when it comes to drama if 2 guys fight within like a week they will be okay they either be cool again or they just see each other like they just random people walking down the hallway. vs if its a women they are bipolar take everything over board and if they fight they will be sworn enimies forever it could be a fight that happened 3 years ago they will see that girl and be like I hate that B****. but females have their own problems just like men but they are a little worse.
ReplyDeleteThis question is very con·tro·ver·sial due to the fact of it being a "battle of the sexes." However, I do strongly believe that men have it easier in life. One reason being pay roll. Pay roll has been improving to get women equal pay but it was not like this for all of time. Up until recently women would have less in their paychecks even if they worked the same hours as their husband or boyfriend or whatever. Another reason would be that women experience monthly cycles, from what I've heard, are very painful. While women have to do that, all men have to do is produce sperm which isn't painful at all. My final reason would be that women have it harder in life. Men have very low expectations in life so if they don't succeed, it's okay but when women don't succeed, they're shamed upon by society. Now it's pretty bad when both genders don't live up to the sterotypical body and lifestyle that's normal but it's just way harder on women when it happens to them.
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