Saturday, May 16, 2015
Friday, May 8, 2015
Gender Privilege isn't always what it's cracked up to be
Okay, let's get real. I am not going to sit here and pretend that men don't have it all over women in the United States (I don't live in other countries, so I'm not addressing their gender-privilege issues; I am, however, acknowledging that the Internet is a global thing). We do. We get better pay (statistically, if not in my personal recent experience). We are thought more highly of when we're in a position of power. Hell, our reputations are improved by the accusation that we've had sex. In a lot of ways, being a man is pretty awesome (sorry, ladies).
But I recently stumbled across a link on Facebook to this article: Proof of Male Privilege that lists various proofs of, well, male privilege, and I was taken a little aback by #4: that men can show skin. Oh, sure, he's talking about a man's ability to go home, throw on a pair of shorts, strip off his shirt, and go out for a jog, letting his nipples breath the fresh air.
My thoughts, however, immediately went to the workplace. Let's look for a moment at what's considered "Professional Dress" for men:
Please note: this is from an Internet Search for "professional dress". My professions have generally allowed jeans and a polo shirt, but this is more the standard for Professional Dress.
Now, let's look at professional dress for women:
Do you see what I see?
Like I said, I don't want to pretend that men don't live in a near-constant state of privilege around here, but there is one place where women have a distinct advantage, and that is dress. Not only can any of the women above go strolling through the city on a June day and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine on their arms and legs -- and in some cases, parts of their cleavage (oh, the poor man on the far right who has to run out in a heat wave in that three-piece monstrosity ;) ). but look what else women have.
Women have COLOR! Fuscia, ivory, aqua (not pictured), lavendar (np). And, of course, they can wear gray if they so desire. Men? Well, sure we have color choices. We can wear slate gray. Or we can wear charcoal gray. Or we can really get wild and crazy and go for NAVY! Nope, if a man wants color, to express his individuality, well, I suppose he has the tie.
I'd move on to beach wear, but I'm pretty sure that *is* a case of male privilege. With the teeny tiny beach wear I see available for women, it just screams that women are required to have large chests and itty-bitty waists, whereas men get to just take their shirts off. It was clearly designed by heterosexual males so they could ogle women, just like board shorts for men were designed so men wouldn't have to be accosted by each others' more private parts.
Anyway, before you go off in a rage about how I'm ignoring the very real ways that women are still subjugated, let me say again what I said at the beginning: Male Privilege definitely exists. The article I linked to at the beginning makes some real points about how advantaged we are. It's just that to say "We can show skin and they can't" is a little ... short-sighted. Also, please don't take me overly seriously here.
But I recently stumbled across a link on Facebook to this article: Proof of Male Privilege that lists various proofs of, well, male privilege, and I was taken a little aback by #4: that men can show skin. Oh, sure, he's talking about a man's ability to go home, throw on a pair of shorts, strip off his shirt, and go out for a jog, letting his nipples breath the fresh air.
My thoughts, however, immediately went to the workplace. Let's look for a moment at what's considered "Professional Dress" for men:
 |  |  |
Now, let's look at professional dress for women:
 |  |  |
Like I said, I don't want to pretend that men don't live in a near-constant state of privilege around here, but there is one place where women have a distinct advantage, and that is dress. Not only can any of the women above go strolling through the city on a June day and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine on their arms and legs -- and in some cases, parts of their cleavage (oh, the poor man on the far right who has to run out in a heat wave in that three-piece monstrosity ;) ). but look what else women have.
Women have COLOR! Fuscia, ivory, aqua (not pictured), lavendar (np). And, of course, they can wear gray if they so desire. Men? Well, sure we have color choices. We can wear slate gray. Or we can wear charcoal gray. Or we can really get wild and crazy and go for NAVY! Nope, if a man wants color, to express his individuality, well, I suppose he has the tie.
I'd move on to beach wear, but I'm pretty sure that *is* a case of male privilege. With the teeny tiny beach wear I see available for women, it just screams that women are required to have large chests and itty-bitty waists, whereas men get to just take their shirts off. It was clearly designed by heterosexual males so they could ogle women, just like board shorts for men were designed so men wouldn't have to be accosted by each others' more private parts.
Anyway, before you go off in a rage about how I'm ignoring the very real ways that women are still subjugated, let me say again what I said at the beginning: Male Privilege definitely exists. The article I linked to at the beginning makes some real points about how advantaged we are. It's just that to say "We can show skin and they can't" is a little ... short-sighted. Also, please don't take me overly seriously here.
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