Stereotyping Genders
When was the color blue attached to boys
while pink for girls? Who ingeniously decided that football was for men while
fashion was for no one but women and gay guys? Why was Twilight declared
for females and Lord of the Rings for males? Most significantly, why is
anyone breaking those ‘rules’ immediately labeled as a weirdo, nerd or worse?
It seems to me, ladies and gentlemen of
the twenty first century, that we have evolved minimally, from the times of our
ancestors. Adults in TV shows and high school are always whining about how
teenagers are conforming to stereotypes. The real question is, who gave us
these stereotypes? These tiny unbreakable boxes? Weren’t your parents the ones
to get your little sister a Barbie doll and your brother a video game? Didn’t
they shop for you right after the sonogram came out telling them your
anticipated gender?
Until today, in a majority of the world’s
cultures, it’s okay for a guy to fool around before marriage but it doesn’t
work with the opposite sex. A stay-at-home dad is considered someone with lack
of chivalry and honor, but housewives are okay.
My point is not about showing that society
is biased against a particular gender. The double standards we live in are
unjust to each and every one of us, male or female. The tragic part is that we
are the one to blame. We cling to stereotypes to avoid our insecurities. If
each one of us was really confident and had a sense of their identity we would
make our hobbies and interests, rather than sexuality, define who we are. It’s
a matter of choice.
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