Gender Stereotypes and Feminism

The quote mentioned in the previous post also holds evidence of part of the problem. The woman says, “if I had a slim, lovely figure I would want to show it off.” Its only because of media that society has such extreme standards of beauty. For women, a “lovely figure” is often associated with a thin waist and full hair, occasionally a thigh gap or curves as trends change.  

Maybe its just me but I often hear girls complain about why men look so good without makeup. That is only an established ideal in the modern world because of the entertainment industry. The way professional models are selected for fashion lines or restaurant commercials have a large impact on what is and is not deemed beautiful by society.

Men deal with similar issues. Movies and tv stereotypes dictate that men have to be strong, independent, and the economic provider in a household, not to mention the savior of the damsel in distress. Athleticism is a must and an interest in cars and flirtatious personality is more than common. Males cannot wear skirts or like pink or be the stay-at-home parent. Because of the traditional patriarchy system, they’re also not allowed to cry and be “unmanly” or else lose some pride and dignity as a male.

Feminism is the term for female to male equality, however the meaning gets warped sometimes and has to be clarified, hence feminist movements. Even men can be feminists as everyone deserves their human civil rights without gender bias. Many people are aware of these traditional roles and unrealistic portrayals on television or the internet, and small changes have begun, but not enough. The science of it can be argued that men have instinctive urges to protect women, the prospective mother and carrier of their offspring, and that women have imbedded instincts to select the strongest male most likely to produce strong offspring that will survive childhood to carry on the family blood. This is all valid and has been well discussed by thousands of people around the world, but as times change, such instincts are not entirely necessary by the twenty-first century and media must reflect that.