About the discussion in class today, particularly Carmen’s question about whether men have faced a struggle. I think the whole conversation is a little convoluted, but I do believe that men have faced a struggle in becoming MORE “feminine”. To be honest, I can’t stand vacuous assholes who are too hung up on their own machismo to think an original thought. You know the type that I’m talking about. But, for the most part, THAT is still held up as the “ideal” man, at least within the male community. If you treat your girlfriend as an equal instead of an object designed solely for your sexual pleasure then you are “whipped”, at least according to some males (many on this campus). I don’t know, what I’m trying to say is probably coming across as juvenile, but it’s definitely something that I’ve recognized. It isn’t cool to be “sensitive” anymore, if it ever was, and I believe that is the struggle that men face…shedding centuries of “I am male, I eat steak and watch football” BS, because largely, if you don’t subscribe to that lifestyle, then you’re considered “less of a man”. Gender equality doesn’t equal a loss of masculinity, it just means that you’re probably more intelligent if you don’t believe that women are inherently inferior to men.
Another comment on something Carmen mentioned, about the “super bimbo”. I’ve definitely recognized this. It really gets me when people talk about young girls “growing up too fast” because they’re dressing like sluts! I was watching Tyra the other day (because of my girlfriend, I swear) and it was about over-sexualized young girls. Before a 13-year-old girl who dresses like a stripper comes out, Tyra describes her as “thirteen going on thirty.” Jesus, so it is a requirement to dress like a whore to be a “woman”? That’s news to me.
I would tend to assume that if a girl was growing up too fast, then she was brilliant and graduating from law school at 19 or something, not wearing halter tops and mini skirts at fourteen. This is definitely prevalent in pop culture, particularly music…Remember all those “pop princesses” from the late 90s…Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson? Then just a few years ago they all “grew up” and “became women” by parading around like hookers and singing about orgies and popping cherries. Great example for young girls, there. To grow up you have to be a sexually objectified moron. I really believe that’s the message that a lot of 10-15 year olds are getting from pop culture.
Basically, to sum up this post, I believe that we’re regressing as far as gender equality goes…I know there are many many strong intelligent women out there that I greatly respect, but pop culture has definitely gone backwards, and I believe male culture needs to take a HUGE step forward. Femininity as a movement has come pretty far since the ’50s and ’60s (obviously) but males as a group have remained largely in the dark.