Agreeing 100% with this. The whole attitude towards both genders is messed up. Feminine is not weak and masculine sould not be this image of some muscle guy with loads of women, fighting and going to war. People should just be themselves. Screw societally engineered stereotypes.
Men and women need to speak out against stereotypes about men and women and work together. Problem is, this has been going on for centuries, millennia even, passed on down the years and deeply rooted in the cultural mores. Little things like, open a door for a woman or if a boat is sinking, then it's women and children first to safety. How about just opening the door to a person, regardless or gender? And why should women get special treatment on a sinking ship? Children, I can understand, but not women. I guess it's because women are the ones who carry children, and you only need a small number of men to create the next generation with those women. That might be the reason
It is ridiculous in these times that if a man is abused in any way by his wife or other women that the man is then laughed at or thought of as weak. Abuse is abuse, the gender shouldn't matter. That kind of attitude also assumes that women are weak and incapable of hitting or phsically hurting a man. That sort of attitude does neither gender any favours.
Then there are the adverts that basically boil down to men should buy this product to get women. It treats men like their only goal in life is women and sex, and reduces women to sex objects.
Then there are the adverts saying that men should have muscles and only 'manly men' drive good cars and have loads of money, while 'geeky guys' get nothing. It's utter rubbish. These 'go daddy' adverts are just dumb. The one with the stereotypical fat guy with glasses being kissed by a blode woman with huge tits. What kind of message is that to send to men and women? That women are objects and eveything a man does is to get women...:facepalm:
It's also saying that 'geeky guys' or bigger guys won't ever get a lady. Well, what if they don't want a lady? Besides, some of the nicest guys I know are a bit bigger, but it doesn't make them ugly or whatever rubbish these adverts are trying to say. Messages like that are really damaging to men and women.
The most worrying one for me is when it regards rape. Men can be raped, and it does happen. But because it's treated like something only women go through, men get ignored, or they feel too scared to speak out.
I also notice that if a woman rapes a man, either by force or drugs, it is treated like a joke, or people say the man must have enjoyed it because men always want sex; unless it was with an ugly lady. That kind of attitude is so messed up. Rape is rape. Women can do it and men can do it. Again, it assumes that women are weak, and that rape done by women is not as serious. I think it's because the image of women raping a guy usually involves normal sex, and of course all guys love sex, even if it's forced:facepalm: but, male rape can also involve objects used in forcible ways...you know.
What also bothers me is the image that any man could be a potential rapist or molestor and that male sexuality causes violence. What kind of image is that to send men and women?
On the other side, about men raping women, it's usually treated as serious. However, I know of cases where they blamed the woman for wearing clothing that made a guy want to do it, or the girl should not have had a drink or she should not have been in that place. Here's an idea: just don't rape.
Why should the onus be on women to protect themselves and follow all thses rules? It also assumes that men have no self control and are like sex maniac animals.
It brings me on to the stereotype of thinking it's ok to whistle at women or shout obscene things from their cars, or approach women and then call them sluts when the women turns them down. So a woman is a slut for rejecting sex, but also a slut if she has sex. That just doesn't make any sense.
And why should it be ok for men to be promiscuous, but women can't be? And a guy is seen as a hero for losing his virginity, but a woman is a slut for doing the same thing.
Sure, I can see why back in the times with no birth control as there would be unwanted babies everywhere, but in this day and age, either both men and women can have the same sexual freedom, or they both don't have sex until marriage.
Again, another idea that is damaging to both genders.
The attitude towards men and children is also disturbing. If a man kills a child or molests one, it is almost treated like it is expected or part of male behaviour. Yet, if a woman does it, the woman is treated as abnormal, she is treated as being under pressure, stressed, or mentally ill. The most that usually hapens is that she is sent to therapy. A man is usually put in prison for the same crime.
If a male teacher has relations with a pupil, he is sacked and shamed and called a predator of children and sent to prison. But if a female teacher does it, the boy is told he is lucky and it is treated as something to joke about. What sort of a messed up stereotype is that? No wonder men are reluctant to be teachers.
Why don't they treat both cases equally? In both situations, it is an adult abusing their position of power and trust with a minor or impressionable teenager. What sort of 20 something or older would want to be with a teenager anyway?! They're like children to me. Any adult who tries to date teenagers clearly has some problems.
It's like when that 23 year old teacher had a relationship with a 16 year old boy. On the news sites, the comments were filled with messages about him being a lucky boy and guys wishing that they had her as a teacher when they were in school, and some guys saying they'd do her too. Sometimes, men don't help themselves when they feed into that kind of rubbish and perpetuate the stereotype of sex crazed moron.
It's a shame that there is usually a very vocal minority who show that stereotype, while guys who do not approve are not heard.
Then there's the attitude to childcare in general. The stereotype about children being womens work is just as damaging to women as it is to men. They always say 'maternal instinct' as if all women have it and that women should be the ones to stay at home, while the man busts his butt at a job to support them all.
But I know plenty of women who do not fit this stereotype. Internet is full of women stressed out on forums, saying they don't feel maternal instinct, no sudden instant love for their baby and fall into depression because they feel like they have failed as a woman.
Some women feel that all there is to life is to pop out children. That they were put there t be breeding machines with o identity outside of the children and mother role. They have no ambition, no drive to do anything else. It's sad. There's a whole world out there and they are at home, postin on forum about how depressed they are.
On the flip side, there are loads of dads totally ecstatic that they are fathers and wish they could be at home with their children instead of working.
Women these days can work, or still expect their husbands to pay for them while they stay at home. Men should be able to have the same choice if they want to. Why should looking after children be only for women? I know guys who would love to quit the work rat race to be at home all the time with the children. My Dad took a lot of time off to be with me when I was small and I'm glad he did. Children need their dads at home as much as their mums.
Which brings me to fathers, children and divorce. Too many times, I see the children awarded to the mother, even if she is dangerous or unfit. Again, I suppose this springs from the idea that women are best for looking after children.
Then men are also expected to pay the woman and pay for her lifestyle if she does not work, as well as pay for his children. In a lot of cases, the woman keeps the house if she has children, and a lot of the man's assets, even if she has never worked a day in her life. That is not fair at all on the man, expecially if the women has never held a job or contributed financially to the household. So the man doesn't have the family home anymore, has his wages garnished to pay for a women he no longer lives with and has his life messed up.
I guess these days, it's best to be sure about who you're marrying just in case that happens, because it seems that courts are still in favour of women when it comes to keeping the children, and matters of money and property. It really annoys me when women who have never worked get to keep everything the man has worked hard for. Why should she? She is lazy and just used the man for a free ride.
Then again, the idea of women should be at home with the children and not have a job has unfortunately gone a long way to helping women take as much as they can from divorces, especially if they involve children.
Which brings me on to jobs. Even now, it is seen as strange for a man to be involved in fashion design, stage makeup, or some kind of creative job. That stereotype of it being woman's work needs to go because it is damaging to both sides. Some fo the most famous fashion deisgners are men and the same goes for successful chefs. It doesn't make them gay or any of that rubbish...and why should gay be a bad thing anyway? Some guys are gay, get over it. Being gay doesn't make them less of a man or a person or whatever.
That brings me on to sexuality. Why is it men being homosexual is bad, but lesbian women are seen as hot and that every man wants to be involved in a lesbian threesome? :facepalm: The idea of female sexuality being non threatning needs to stop, while the idea of two men being together seen as disgusting also needs to stop. It's like it's also saying that men are ugly and women aren't.
And why should a guy be bullied for liking other men? This pervasive image of what it means to be masculine needs to stop. Not every guy likes women, some guys don't want to be with men or women, yet they're bullied, sometimes to the point of suicide. Or if a guy wears pink, he is, or could be, gay. Just because pink is the stereotypically female colour, it is seen as gay. Why? That is the dumbest thing ever. So feminine pink is bad but masculine blue is ok:facepalm:
There are countries, usually extremely religious ones, that preach weird stuff about gay men eating their partner's faeces and other weird stuff. How the heck are they allowed to get away with such slander? And the audiences believes it. Then again, these places are usually uneducated and their only source of information is their place of worship. Not surprising really.
Got to say though, the image of lesbian women isn't all too great either. Still being called dykes, the image of lesbians wanting to be, or look like, men; the idea that male abuse led to women being lesbian, or that feminine looking lesbians just haven't met the right guy yet.:facepalm: So it could be the fault of men that women are lesbian? That is so stupid. Some women just like women and that's that. Then there are countries that use 'corrective' gang rape to rape women into not being a lesbian anymore. Then again, these are also the places where it is said that men raping a baby cures aids. Totally sick and messed up.
Both men and women have a long way to go before equality happens. Corporations like using stereotypes to sell products, and whether we like it or not, stereotypes about both genders are deeply ingrained into the subconsciouness of society and enforced at every level, such as in places of education and worship.
