April 15, 2014 - Written by: Charlie Sutcliffe

The Blurred Lines of Gender Stereotypes

The problem with society seems to be that women are now apparently no longer allowed to want to be desirable or modest because that’s somehow contrary to feminism.

Feminism is about equal rights, is it not? It means that I can get a law degree, fight in the navy, sign up for football practice and have sex with everyone on my team, no one can judge me, right? Yeah, okay.

So what if I wanted to do that and also look good? What if I didn’t want too many curves and I preferred to be petite? I’d probably get judged for trying to please a man.

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I mentioned a quote by Dita Von Teese to a friend the other day who was going through heartbreak:

‘You can be the ripest, juciest peach in the world, but there’s always going to be someone who doesn’t like peaches’.

Aside from the fact that Dita von Teese is a raging burlesque dancer who may or may not have any more talent than a potato, her point is still valid. However, my friend looked at me all enraged and told me that that’s an insulting quote because being compared to a peach is somehow offensively sexualising women which consequently puts them in a lower category to men.

Really?

Well did you know that there’s another quote by the typically regarded woman’s woman, Eleanor Roosevelt that says:

‘A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water’.

Both Roosevelt and Teese have made valid points here, but apparently the former isn’t acceptable because its symbology is that of a sweet and juicy fruit rather than a crusty old teabag.

Feminism is about advocating that all social, political, educational and sexual rights are equal to both men and women.

Together with all the other new-world rights of the century, it means that we can only discriminate against dumb people and ugly people. I’m all for it. However, I am not all for the stepping on egg-shells approach to every single statement made by every single man (or woman) pertaining to every single subject.

If I write an article suggesting that women are less emotionally equipped to deal with casual sex, it is apparently seen as slut-shaming. If I change my mind and do want to sleep with every male at Ric’s, I apparently shouldn’t maintain myself because everyone’s equal and everyone grows hair.

We’re trying to avoid double standards here, but we’re really just creating them. I also can’t spend all day baking banana bread. Apparently I can’t amp up my appearance for a job interview either. What if I want to?

I’m so bored of reading lists about girl habits and scrolling to the comments section to find masses of illogical misogynist shaming. Apparently sitting around your room with friends, talking about sex and applying makeup is now seen as vapid and fuelling gender stereotypes.

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We’ve just got to be careful that equal rights don’t get confused with equal characteristics.

I don’t think there’s any man who would deny being turned on by a woman’s nurturing side, her physical vulnerability or pretty features. Similarly, there’s no woman who would deny being turned on by a confident, brooding male who takes control.

Similarly, a man can be sensitive and confident at the same time. Sexualising women is not not harmful, because women can be pretty sexy.

Do guys give a damn about being sexualised? Probably not. It probably flatters them.

A woman can still rule the world and look good at the same time – what up Beyonce? A woman can still sit around discussing relationships and shoes with #besties before heading back to her CEO office. She can still accept that a man wants to open doors for her and pay for meals. It’s nice.

Women and men look after each other in different ways.

Genetically, men are more pragmatic, women are more emotional. There’s nothing wrong with this. The world would have a difficult time working out if it were any other way.

A woman shouldn’t be seen as a sex object. She shouldn’t be objectified or domesticated. She should be paid the same as a man in her same field. She should be able to have a voice and have an opinion and go to university and not be subjected to honour-killings.

However, she should also be able to dress like a woman and to appear feminine and attractive if she wants to. She should also be able to want to stay home with her maternal instincts if she wants to. If she wants to fall in love with a man and have him protect her, she should be allowed to without being referred to as weak or old-fashioned.

Furthermore, there is absolutely no harm in being symbolised as a peach. They’re soft and sweet and everyone appreciates them, even if they don’t align with their desires.

If you enjoyed this article,why not check out ‘Natalie Portman and Sinead O’Conner: Why I Need to Drop the F-Bomb‘?