Let’s talk about sex (roles)

“Man, being a woman is a pain,” I thought as I washed my hands before helping to cook one of the many variations of Easter foods a few days ago. I mentally slapped myself across the face and my mind recited a mantra of “idiot, idiot, idiot” on a loop. I try to appeal to as many nontraditional stereotypes as possible when it comes to gender roles and topics of that nature. But why did I say that?

I’m sure you’re thinking “it’s okay, Alex, it’s just society-” blah, blah, blah. Save it for the essays. Society. Conformity. Gender roles. We’ve heard it all in AP English, thank you. But maybe the stereotype is right; maybe being a woman and slaving away in kitchens is challenging. We think this because we do not see men with their arms elbow-deep into a mixture of chicken livers and gizzards like my poor mother pre-Easter day (I know what you’re thinking–gross).

We see men as breadwinners–the multi-talented moneymakers of households all over the world. Fair.

So as I sit here, bath towel on my head, procrastinating on three chapters-worth of history notes, blogging my life away, I will tell you my take on gender roles. I have a voice and it deserves to be heard, darn it!

First off, I am sure we have all heard of or read “Sex Roles.” Before you categorize me in the “boring teenagers” side of your list, the Springer journal contains informative gender-related research as well as contemporary social-change issues. It’s not the juiciest peach in the basket, but it isn’t that bad. I promise.

According to “Aggressive advertising may make for aggressive men,” the writers of the journal mention that hyper-masculinity derives of four aspects: toughness, violence, dangerousness, and calloused attitudes towards women and sex. Four aspects which are all taught to males on video games. I know this from my very limited experience with video games at my cousin’s house. The respective game was detrimental to women (well, all of humanity, really) as the player of the game could “have” any woman he wanted (emphasis on the quotations around “have.” I am trying to keep this PG-13). Additionally, in order to steal a car, the player, a man, was required to shoot, stab, kick, punch, etc. another player in order to survive in the social norm of the fictional world. Tough. Violent. Obviously dangerous. Callous, by all means.

So, women are kitchen slaves, while men are the tough day-to-day go-getters, right? Wrong.

However, women are treated as the complete opposite. Women are roses, while men are aggressive venus fly traps. Flower reference. You can now add me to your “boring teenagers” list. It was my doing.

Looks are all important for girls on tween TV mentions that sure, girls can do what boys want to do, but only if they look super cute doing it. What man is going to look at a sweating woman at the gym? I don’t mean sexy-sweating (GENTLEMEN, THERE IS NO SUCH THING), I mean makeup-dripping-off-the-face-and-armpits-soaking-wet sweat. But, most girls will look at a guy working out, sweaty or not. Men = gym. Women = shopping. I’m not complaining. Television is the same: Superman was a dude. Lois Lane was a chick. Superman is a dude that has superpowers and saves Lois Lane, blah, blah, blah. Lois Lane obviously could not have lived without Superman because he is a man and he is super.

My personal view is that sex roles should slightly bend. Women are able to do what men do and be successful. This is proven in single-parent families (based on my own research). My mother, a single mother of two, is able to make a sustainable enough living to uphold herself and two children. This is not the only case in the world. The male gender is not the only one that can make a substantial living for more than one person. Times have changed, and so should opinions.

Gay marriage is also tied into sex roles, by every and all means. I do not have extensive research on the why and how of gay marriage, but I do know that gay love should not be something that is so deeply speculated, especially not during this or upcoming generations. Gay love is becoming a standard occurrence. Deal with it.

Women are linked to eating disorders and depression much more than men are, however, scientifically women are happier. In contrary, men are linked to assaults and felonies on a grander scale than women. Both roles should be attributed to all of the latter mentioned occurrences. Sex roles and stereotypes are one and the same.

I thought being a woman is tough because kitchen-work is a woman’s duty; she is expected to cook. I’m sure if I was lifting 500 pounds of weight at the gym, I would think being a man is tough. I would also have broken my back and perhaps a variety of bones, but that’s a different story. The last three sentences were stereotypes.

The bottom line is that one should love whomever they want to love, whether following conformist beliefs or not. Women can be just as tough as men, and men just as delicate as women. No judging coming from this blogger. And on that note, this blogger has history notes to cry onto.

Thanks for the read.