+223 Girls: while it's hard being female because of all the stereotypes and unfair expectations put on us by men, if you think about it women do the same thing to males the only difference being that it's more socially acceptable. amirite?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

This is (mostly) still because of misogyny. Take wearing trousers for example: women can do it because being masculine is OK - behaving like a man is an upgrade! Men can't wear skirts (without being mocked) because they're better than that, being female is shameful. Why would a man degrade himself in the ultimate way: by acting like a woman? There are some exceptions but a lot of comes down to the rule that women can be both masculine (some exceptions; there are a lot of male-dominated fields that will relentlessly mock/demean women for being included) and feminine, but men can only be masculine because being woman-like is supposed to be humiliating. EDIT: I didn't really explain how this relates. What I mean is, internalised misogyny is a thing and women will often laugh at men for being 'feminine', despite the fact that this does them no good whatsoever. Most strain put on men is to be "manly" and adequate; an expectation not put on women because... no one expects women to be adequate.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Wow I really really like this comment- I never thought about it in that way, and you explained it really well. Kudos!

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Thanks! I'm glad you took something away from it. :)

by Anonymous 12 years ago

My brother, dad, and I had a conversation about this the other day. Particularly in the emotional sense since there are sensitive guys, but there is tones of pressure to act manly and not show emotion. Even being emotional for a guy is considered "girly". Me and my brother kind have the opposite problem in this area. I'm a girl who doesn't like showing much emotion and don't really show much emotion anyway naturally (not in an automaton kind of way, but just less than average), but girls are expected to be emotional and cry a bit when they are sad (under the right circumstances, not at all times), jump for job when they are happy, be very into hugs and things. My brother on the other hand is the exact opposite of me and is an emotional guy. When he looses in sports he wants to get angry, when he is excited he wants to party, and just express how he is feeling in general. But guys are supposed to remain calm and collected at all times, after all who is the woman going to depend on if the guy is emotional? It's ignorant that in society how emotional you are relates to how masculine or feminine you are, when it should just be a part of your personality. Good comment Chou!

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Yes... yes! I've been saying this for so long - most women are actually pretty misogynistic. For example, you see women being cold, stoic, and heartless in movies. They are praised for being strong women. If they are kind and emotional, she is "too soft", and if it was a man, don't even get me started! So many women consider it empowering to behave like a tomboy and to hate girly things. But if a man is feminine, it's degrading. It's considered a compliment by women to be accepted by men, but if a man has female friends, it's pathetic. Anything that is womanly, feminine, or girly is despised by society, by both men and women. You'd be surprised how many women consider the word feminine" to mean weak and submissive. It's such a shame.

by Anonymous 12 years ago