A sensitive issue these days is the issue of the opposite genders. There are the obvious differences, the unchangeable biological differences, and then there are some similarities. It’s odd, the battle of the sexes debate is so much more, for lack of a better way to put it, unique than other kinds of discrimination. In racism, the differences are almost negligible compared to the differences in men and women. While one race can make up a large part of the world, men and women basically make up all of it. That just makes the issue all more significant and controversial.
Feminism, it seems, is the standard now, its understood now, almost like how “going green” is now supposed the right and neat thing to do. In the media, in regular conversations everywhere, feminism gets the high reputation. This often causes other issues to go overlooked. Yes, there is a wage gap, and it’s a terrible thing. But, if you were asked, who in this world is the one most likely to get a job that is rated as one of the worst jobs in America (or in this world I should say)? Well, you’d probably answer men. Which gender most often (there’s never an always) does the most menial, dirty, downright despised jobs? Who’s usually on Dirty Jobs anyway? Also, in domestic issues, women get the upper hand. As stated by one person, (I’m sorry I don’t know who this is, but it’s a memorable quote), “the women who gets divorced three times and doesn’t have a Ferrari is doing something wrong.” In custody issues, guess who usually wins? I remember a story where some male workers (construction maybe? I’m not sure…) had a rally because they were not allowed to see any of there children. If I remember quite right, they were struck down fairly fast and ruthlessly. Also, men aren’t the only ones that commit domestic (or other forms of abuse too) abuse. Both genders do (even if the statistics on who commits it more are disputed, it’s undeniable that both genders commit domestic abuse), but you never hear about the other side of the coin. Men probably don’t report abuse as much either, because of social constraints, and the f@#%!&* parameters of convention. In the past quarter century, we exposed biases against other races and called it racism, and we exposed biases against women and called it sexism. Biases against men we call humor (Warren Farrel, Women Can’t Hear What Men Don’t Say.
But as always, there’s the other side of the coin. Now it just gets annoying. Yes, men do get advantages too. In politics, back in the cloakrooms of Congress or elsewhere, males (most often Caucasian) are mostly dominant. Yes, there’s Hillary Clinton, and now Sarah Palin, but Congress and most of the government is still controlled by men. Many men are still chauvinists, misogyny is still alive. There are still many that see females as the weaker race, just as how racism is still alive in today’s world. You know, I won’t go into further detail, but anyone reading this can’ think of countless more ways men get the upper hand. In the music business I’m sure, there are more successful male musicians. More male producers, more male A &R people, more males in general probably. In business, in science, in mathematics, men have the home court advantage. Sure there are a lot of prominent women, but when did Einstein, or Newton, or Tesla get a sex change?
Another thing is the portrayal of this issue. Depending on who you talk to, and about what, sometimes it seems men are the underdogs, and sometimes women are. But the media always has a funny view on things. The media will always conform to the people, because that’s what people want to read about, what they want to watch. Men can be portrayed as the pervert, the rapist, the asshole abuser, the bum, the idiotic jackass, the nerd, the shy guy, while women can be perceived as sluts, money loving whores, emotionally uncaring bitches. It goes both ways. I’m not saying which is more prominent, which is more important, but both are there. I mean, just look at the t-shirt there. What does that do to kids? When boys see something like that, they’ll see women don’t care, they’ll become emotionally shy. Although I don’t think I was, I don’t think I saw any of that as a kid, and I doubt I cared either. It could do the same to girls too. But today, with the media and internet everywhere, who knows?
Can this all work out? Will stereotypes be gone? That’s easily doubted, but how prominent will this issue be in the future? Personally, I don’t what to think. I choose neither side. Picking a side in an issue like this is fucking stupid. Compromise probably won’t lead anywhere either. Heck, my favorite musicians are females, and gay. My favorite guitarists are males. Most of my favorite films have male leads. I almost actually prefer female singers too. So, ummm…, who cares.
Can you see my problems, if I never explain it?
-digital delay
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