Constant male criticism continues to create gender inequality. Graphic by Abby Hoehn.
MEGAN DRAKE | OPINION COLUMNIST | medrake@butler.edu
Gender inequality has been around for centuries, and at this rate of change, it’s going to exist for many more. Existing as a woman means much more than rainbows, butterflies and the color pink — it entails constant criticism by men for daily occurrences.
As a young woman, college has taught me that men have a lot more audacity than I previously thought possible. Who knew that I could get criticized on almost every aspect of my life by someone who is not living it?
With that being said, here is a nowhere-near-complete list of things men bully women for.
Appearance
The guy that wears the exact same font of outfit every day to class is the same man that would ask a woman why they put no effort into their fit that day.
Anna Fosco, a sophomore music education and vocal performance double major, talked about expectations of physical appearance when it comes to identifying as a woman.
“I think women are held to such a high standard in society by men,” Fosco said. “It’s expected that women are put together every day for class, or if you’re going out to dinner, you have to look super nice.”
Being a woman oftentimes comes with expectations to put the absolute most into our physical appearance. While some women enjoy getting dressed up for themselves, wanting to wear sweatpants and a hoodie to a class should also be equally as acceptable.
No matter what women wear, men will either tell them they are trying too hard, or they aren’t trying hard enough. But in reality, who gives a f*ck what I wear to my 8 a.m. natural world.
Having interests
For my adoring fans that do not already know, I am a proud, self-proclaimed fangirl. However, because I have interests that are outside of a sports team, men like to harass me for it.
Kayla Miller, a junior history and secondary education double major, talked about how men often criticize her for her interests.
“Some guy DMed me because I reposted Taylor Swift and was like, ‘overrated,’” Miller said. “I’m like, just let me enjoy my little songs and nice little concerts, and leave me alone.”
I’ve been told by men before that liking to craft or read makes me seem old and therefore it’s not an attractive thing to like. Someone, please enlighten me with what an attractive thing to like is, because apparently my interests — and many other women’s interests — are unattractive. I do not engage with my interests for male attention. If someone told me, “You’re pretty because you like Harry Styles,” I would be utterly confused.
Menstruating
It’s no surprise that most men are tragically unfamiliar with menstruation.
Fosco expressed how she feels like some men do not understand what it is like to menstruate and how men use it against women.
“I feel like some men don’t really understand what [having a period] entails,” Fosco said. “Men think that women use their periods as an excuse, and [when a woman says], ‘I have cramps,’ they are like, ‘Okay, who cares?’”
I have been asked if I am PMSing by a man at least once a month since I was around 14 years old. If I see someone who menstruates showing any type of emotion, my first thought has never been, ‘I bet she’s bleeding out of her vagina right now,’ but it seems to be men’s.
Mental health
Many men do not hesitate to judge a woman because they go to therapy, take medication or do anything proactive to help their mood.
Miller talked about how men can use women’s mental health to help hide the fact that they might have treated someone poorly.
“It’s often ‘I’m going to call her crazy so I can discredit her,’” Miller said.
Now I normally like to save my relationship advice for The Birds and the Bulldogs, but I do have one piece of advice — if anyone says their ex-partner is crazy, they are most definitely covering their tracks.
Lucy Panyard, a sophomore philosophy and psychology combined major, discussed how men will criticize women for going to therapy when many women go to therapy because of male criticism.
“I believe part of the reason [most women] go to therapy is probably for the trauma that men have caused,” Panyard said.
Anything else
In case you were thinking I missed a major topic, do not worry; my final and most important thing is everything else. From driving to working out, men can’t mind their own business.
Getting judged and criticized for outdated ideals of the patriarchy is so ridiculous, and I feel like in 2023, we should be far past this point.
Miller talked about how she feels like sexist judgments can be extremely impactful in general.
“Getting hate when it relates to gender is so stupid,” Miller said. “It’s forcing all of us to do things we probably don’t want to be doing, or question ourselves in ways that we shouldn’t have to.”
People should not be rude regardless of the topic, however when sexist judgments are made, the rudeness can be especially detrimental. Getting criticized and put down by others is difficult enough, but it can take a lot of time to recover from if the rudeness is just because you’re a woman. As hard as it can be, just remember that people who make misogynistic comments are most likely not worth your time.
So next time a man says something out of pocket and rude, tell them to “shut up” and carry on with your day because you slay no matter what men think, bestie.
