Why is it that everyone has to make fun of feminism? I was hanging out with one of my guy friends who is taking gender issue in sport and we were talking about some of the gender issues that he had learned about in his class. I found it fascinating that he actually had an interest in feminism (whether it was because he actually cared or he just wanted a good grade in his class). So we were talking about title 9 and he wanted to know what I knew about it. He knew that I had taken multiple sex and gender classes. Just as I began telling him reasons for why women were refused an education, his roommates walked in. They asked what we were talking about and I said, "We're talking about the history of feminism." Each guy burst in to laughter and would not stop hysterically laughing. I know that guys sometimes are embarrassed about talking about or taking an interest in issues dealing with women, but why is this? Why is it that there are barely any guys even in our class? Is it really that embarrassing to admit that a guy has an interest in the history of women's rights? And if a guy does have an interest then why is it that all of his friends laugh at him? I don't understand what is so funny about it. Even if I ask the guys that laugh why they were laughing they won't give me a clear response. They never have an actual reason for making fun of feminism. So why is that as a society we ingrain in the minds of boys that learning about women's rights is something to laugh at? Where did the joke that I hear day after day about women making sandwiches even originate from? Yeah I get it, women belong in the kitchen, but what the fuck, really, it's 2011. Who even thinks that way anymore?
Just the other day I was with a few of my friends hanging out at a restaurant and I happen to see a girl that I know from one of my other classes that considers herself to be a feminist activist. I say to my friend who is a girl,"Hey, thats the girl I was telling you about who's really in to feminism." One of my guy friends over hears and says, "What? Does she have really hairy armpits?" Why did he say that? Why is it that feminism has such a negative stereotype? And what can we do to change it?
These are just two things that happened to me in the past week. But constantly I am either over hearing or being told jokes about women. What does everyone think about this? Does anyone else notice how often these jokes are being made?
I was in Florida over break and discovered that people there are STILL telling Hillary Clinton jokes, and the kind that refer to her as Bill's wife, not the secretary of state. Really?
ReplyDeleteI notice jokes about women all the time. The thing that really bothers me is that men can make jokes about women, and everyone thinks they are hilarious, but if a woman makes a joke about men, she's bitter and nagging. I'm sorry, but if you can dish it out, be able to take it!
ReplyDeleteYa being one of the very few males in our class, I haven't been supported by any of my male friends for taking this class. They all find it pretty ridiculous that I'm taking a class titled, "Woman's Studies" and said they would never take it themselves. I think men think that they can belittle or demean women because they know they have nothing to lose. They know women have to be a part of their life. They have female family members like mothers, gramdmothers, and aunts in their lives so they know they can't be sexist. Which makes them think it's ok to treat women poorly. It's kind of hard to explain in written words, but that's one of my theories.
ReplyDeleteJustin- I think I get what you're saying and thats a really interesting theory. If guys know that there won't be any ramifications of there act then maybe they just don't care. Also, I'm sorry you haven't been supported by any of your guy friends for taking this class. I know for sure that even a lot of my girl friends think its kind of ridiculous that I'm taking this class. I think anyone can benefit from learning views of other people, whether or not they agree with them.
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