Stop saying

 

 

 

So I'm pissed as hell because I don't like when people make blanket statements about genders. For instance, I DESPISE it when people (in my experience mostly guys have said this) say "I'm not a girl. I don't know anything about makeup" or "You're a girl. You should know about makeup and skincare and etc." 

 

NOOO!!!! WHO THE HELL SAID THAT I HAD TO KNOW ALL THIS BECAUSE I'M A GIRL!?!? I grew up with nobody around to teach me how to take care of my skin or wear makeup or properly do my nails and hair. For sixteen years of my life, I wore NO makeup. Does that mean I am not a girl?

 

I should explain: Just now my brother was talking about how thin his hair was and he said that he used Suave shampoo. I replied, "Suave? Why would you use that? It's bad for your hair." (It always dried out my hair when I used it). 

He responded, "Well I wouldn't know these things. I'm not a girl."

I was horrified because, as I said earlier, I HATE remarks like this one, so I called him out for being ist and told him never to say that again. THEN, I told him that I knew about Suave NOT from being a girl, but from actually USING the shampoo. 

 

And HE responded, "Well girls typically use that shampoo."

I told him to shut up and he said "Jesus." And now I'm writing this. 

Did I overeact? Probably, but it's because it's a topic that I feel so strongly about. I personally feel that simple mondane remarks like these indirectly contribute AND stem from inherent ism in society. Because society tells us that ALL women are health-freaks who ALWAYS wear makeup and worry about how they look, I feel that the women who do not do any of these are often subject to criticism. I know because I only started wearing makeup a year ago; I'm 17 years old (bday last thursday :D). And I don't care about nail salons or dressing to please ANYONE but myself. I do not believe girls should be forced to wear dresses. Frankly, I think guys and girls should wear what they please. And I have been told by people in my life "You're a girl; you should be knowledgeable about ________". It always pissed me off because they were basically telling me that I'm not a girl. How? By the previously mentioned statement, if I'm not knowledgeable about _____________ (e.g. makeup), then I am not a girl. 

BUT WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME WHO OR WHAT I AM?! 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on matters like these. Do you think it's a problem or just something we should forget about? 

Comments

You must be logged in to comment
DingKey
#1
First of all,happy belated birthday baby!

Here we go. You didn't over react.
I also encounter such instances all too often. Daily to be exact.
I have a very short haircut. And I wear shoes,wear pants and Tees. I don't wear dresses or ear rings. Does that change my gender? I become a boy by dressing like one? It doesn't. But the people around me constantly tell me " you're a girl! Be like one! Wear a skirt! Put on your earrings! Don't wear shoes,wear slippers!" You're a girl! "mind your tone Miss,mind your language,mind your loudness" you're a girl. "Put your legs down,behave like a girl". What is 'behaving like a girl'?
I'm fed up of these to the point that I don't react to these anymore.
I know what I am. Why does someone want to tell me who I am? Who are they? Is it a sin to be a yourself? Free and do what you want?
I agree with you. Is it a must for a girl to wear Makeup? You're not a girl if you don't wear Make up? You're not a girl if you don't keep quiet seeing the injustice? Why the heck do people think women are weak?
No one knows exact answers
We'll never get answers to these questions. It's on our hands to change this. Change the future. Drop the old rotten thinking ways and think as humans. Value equality. It's up to us. You're gonna be judged anyway,so live your life the ing way you want. (my motto)
wintersoldier
#2
I know we don't know each other, but I also completely agree with you on this! No, you did not overreact. I hate it when people say that the women should be the ones who stay at home and cook, clean, wash clothes. I hate it when people say that all women should have babies. And if a woman says they don't want a baby, she gets judged and criticized. I hate that when a man has with many girls, he's seen as a hero. But, when a woman has with many guys, she's seen as a . I hate it when people say women are always physically and mentally weaker than men. I hate that school dress codes are there to make sure that all females aren't showing too much skin to "distract" the guys. Women are paid less than men.

I'm a k-pop fan and I watch a lot of Korean variety shows and the amount of ism in Korea astounds me. In Running Man, Jihyo is constantly degraded and seen as weak. I know she's nicknamed "Ace," but Kim Jong Kook & Ji Suk Jin always say so much ist stuff about Jihyo and any female guests. In the latest episode, Zico was the only male participant in a game and Ji Suk Jin said something along the lines of "Oh, Zico is the only male participant so he has the highest chance of winning the game." In another recent episode, a female guest lost the game quickly and Jong Kook said, "That was expected. She's a girl." In another old episode, Kim Jong Kook said, "Because we have Jihyo, a girl, on our side, we have one less player on our team." Kim Jong Kook and Ji Suk Jin are kind people, but their careless remarks about women angers me so much. Most, if not all, Korean shows have all-male casts. Korean girl groups are always degraded and are seen as s. Girl groups are always criticized for the smallest actions while male groups are always praised and loved.

This is 2016, but women are STILL treated like objects and inferiors to men. & no, this is not something we should forget about.

Sorry for this long message, I got so passionate haha.^_^