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?
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