Modern Girls Are Imposing Sexism on Themselves

[MostOfAll]

Back in the days of Susan B. Anthony's movement for women's civil rights, women had the mindset that they could do anything a man could. They thought of themselves as very capable human beings, contrary to what men thought of them.

 

With the corrupt society we have now, all of that has changed, and it's a shame that it has. I see girls who "like" Facebook pages that say something along the lines of:

"You're the guy. You talk to me first or we don't talk."

"A girl breaks a guy's Xbox. Who cried harder?"

 

Are you kidding me? This isn't what Susan B. Anthony intended! They have their civil rights now, yet they still think of themselves as weak, incapable individuals who need to rely on men? Seriously? I'm sorry, but Twilight or any of these other books, shows, and movies are corrupting teen girls' minds.

 

In the Twilight series, Bella is portrayed as a girl with little personality and probably no goals whatsoever. She suddenly meets a vampire by the name of Edward Cullen, whom she looks up to as an amazing, perfect, handsome, charming guy. If you read the books (written in Bella's perspective most of the time), you'll know exactly what she thinks of him. She thinks he's way too good for her, and she's nothing compared to him. At one point in New Moon, the second installment of the series, she goes through period of months of depression due to Edward's departure. Edward decides to leave because he feels his and his family's vampire behavior is too dangerous for Bella. Throughout the series, Edward can be seen as a controlling boyfriend who doesn't allow Bella to meet Jacob Black, her best friend who's in love with her. Not only that, but Bella follows what Edward says most of the time!

 

No wonder why girls are so picky nowadays! Their idea of an ideal guy is messed up! They think he has to be perfect, charming, handsome, CONTROLLING, and ABUSIVE all at the same time! They think they're inferior to these "perfect" guys, too! Wow! These girls are obviously brainwashed into thinking sexism is acceptable!

 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those guys who extremely hate the Twilight series. In fact, I like the werewolf aspect of it. I only hate it because the Edward-Bella stuff just irritates me a lot, especially how Edward and Bella are portrayed. It's misleading.

 

What do you think?

[Vercetti27]

you've read twilight?

 

uh oh

[vinnygorgeous]

On the subject of sexism one thing that bugs me is the portrayal of men in British TV ads, they are always the butt of the jokes inflicted by women who are portrayed as witty and clever while the men are oafish at best. It seems its acceptable for a woman to shoot a man in the groin with a paintball gun and then burst out laughing, while managing to avoid being hit by a single paintball in match where the men are used as slapstick props.

 

In another advert a man is in bed suffering from the flu, his wife (who the audience is told is representative of all women having a higher tolerance to illness, while men fall apart at the slightest snivel) arms their children with snowballs and sends them up to pelt him.

 

Society would not tolerate a reversal of the roles without a media outcry that the producers of adverts are demeaning women. Equality should be the goal not just tilting the equilibrium in the opposite direction where one sex is always portrayed as inferior.

[baptiste]

you've read twilight?

 

uh oh

I feel myself agreeing with this big time.

[meta187]

 

 

 

 

I thought this was going to be a tirade on how 12 year old girls are now dressed like they are going out for a slutty night of GHB guzzling club hopping whenever they go out for something as trivial as a grocery run to the supermarket or how everything down to Halloween costumes are becoming ridiculous and suggestive.

 

i.e.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I get a dissertation on the weaker points of Twilight and it's harmful effects on the fragile female self esteem and how Shark Boy is somehow less lame than Glitter.

 

Sorry to be harsh...I just...I just did not expect this. This isn't what Susan B. Anthony intended.

Edited November 28, 2010 by meta187

[King Of Monra]

I didn't even know that there was guys who did read twilight.

[Typhus]

Do labels like 'sexism' really matter? Both genders seem equally concerned with nothing but breeding and pleasure seeking. Like rats, they continue to pollute the earth and trade in their ambitions for the withered ego and broken dreams of the nuclear family.

With both genders doomed by they need to procreate, does it matter who gets the worse deal? Your genetic impulses make you slaves, so why quibble over whose chains are more constraining?

[MostOfAll]

 

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I get a dissertation on the weaker points of Twilight and it's harmful effects on the fragile female self esteem and how Shark Boy is somehow less lame than Glitter.

 

Sorry to be harsh...I just...I just did not expect this. This isn't what Susan B. Anthony intended.

Open your mind up, son. Quit speaking like you're clever and stuff. It obviously doesn't do you any good to always think negatively about anyone's ideas.

 

P.S. Why the hell is Susan B. Anthony's name in italics?

[MostOfAll]

 

you've read twilight?

 

uh oh

I feel myself agreeing with this big time.

I'm not one of those people who hate on the series for no valid reason. It's better to criticize a series after you've witnessed it yourself than to blindly follow the crowd. It gives you more insight on the topic. If you were ever to argue with someone about the series, you'd know to point out actual events in the series to support your statements. Being fair, not biased, is the best way to do things.

Edited November 28, 2010 by Allen14n

[meta187]

 

Open your mind up, son. Quit speaking like you're clever and stuff. It obviously doesn't do you any good to always think negatively about anyone's ideas.

 

P.S. Why the hell is Susan B. Anthony's name in italics?

Negatively?

 

This was ehhh...a "mirthful observation" at best, an unexpected misdirection of the topic title at worst.

 

Don't make me the villain. You just have a rather unorthodox approach to a subject matter that has deeper and more valid points than the ones you chose to go with.

 

 

 

P.S. Will not explain italics application to you. Secret of the interwebz.

 

 

 

@Typhus: I actually kind of agree with that last bit.

[Runey]

The facebook sh*t, just ignore it.

 

Thank god none of my friends get sucked up into that bullsh*t, or else I'd delete their ass.

 

 

I'm not one of those people who hate on the series for no valid reason. It's better to criticize a series after you've witnessed it yourself than to blindly follow the crowd. It gives you more insight on the topic. If you were ever to argue with someone about the series, you'd know to point out actual events in the series to support your statements. Being fair, not biased, is the best way to do things.

 

Or do like I do and not give a sh*t either way.

 

 

Edited November 28, 2010 by Runey.

[nerner]

I'm with meta on this; I would have thought that the topic would have been more about real life occurences like the sexing up of schoolgirls rather than on something as mundane as a book series. Which is, after all, imaginary.

[93Sean93]

Do labels like 'sexism' really matter? Both genders seem equally concerned with nothing but breeding and pleasure seeking. Like rats, they continue to pollute the earth and trade in their ambitions for the withered ego and broken dreams of the nuclear family.

With both genders doomed by they need to procreate, does it matter who gets the worse deal? Your genetic impulses make you slaves, so why quibble over whose chains are more constraining?

You need laid.

[Wordsworth]

 

Do labels like 'sexism' really matter? Both genders seem equally concerned with nothing but breeding and pleasure seeking. Like rats, they continue to pollute the earth and trade in their ambitions for the withered ego and broken dreams of the nuclear family.

With both genders doomed by they need to procreate, does it matter who gets the worse deal? Your genetic impulses make you slaves, so why quibble over whose chains are more constraining?

You need laid.

You need prepositions.

 

 

I thought this was going to be a tirade on how 12 year old girls are now dressed like they are going out for a slutty night of GHB guzzling club hopping whenever they go out for something as trivial as a grocery run to the supermarket or how everything down to Halloween costumes are becoming ridiculous and suggestive.

 

This is one of my biggest peeves about modern society. Little girls are not allowed to grow up at a normal pace anymore. Sex and sexiness are hurled upon them at a younger and younger age and it bothers me as a grown man. I don't like seeing little 13 and 14 year old girls wearing thongs and covered in makeup. What's the rush? Why are parents not more involved in this?

[Ari Gold]

Baby boomers, ey.

 

Don't mistake me for one of those family-value conservatives (Tea Partiers ), but there is a severe lack of parental control in society nowadays. I'm honestly not sure whether this occurs over in the US, and to what extent it does, but I know that in Australia, a lot of parents basically let their kids do literally whatever the f*ck they want to do, and it's appalling! I mean, sure, all teenagers like to act rebelliously, they have for generations and I know that I definitely do that, but it's as if parents have given up to their kids demands and basically let them loose.

 

At the age of sixteen, they actually let their kids go out and get pissed drunk with their friends! Which sane parent would actually support their son/daughter doing that at such a young age? I mean, whatever happened to the good old days where you had to sneak out under your parent's eye and had to do all your fun without your parents knowing? This, in my eyes anyway, is great, as the kids still have respect for their parent's authority, even though they know that what they're doing is not going to make them happy. I certainly think that experiences like those make kids better contributors to society and more willing to live with life and its controls than people and a lot of children these days. When they know that their parents simply don't care, they're more inclined to do more and more rough and rebellious sh*t, which results in greater harm being dealt onto themselves.

 

It's like 80% of the population are a bunch of f*cking nihilists, who don't care about anything; that's what sickens me the most.

[tubbs51]

Allen14n, Give me one of your man cards.... Twilight really? im assuming that you were kidnapped and tortured into going to it and didnt go by yourself...

cookie for any one who gets the TV Show reference above

 

 

 

if its the latter then stop popping those estrogen pills

[MostOfAll]

 

I'm with meta on this; I would have thought that the topic would have been more about real life occurences like the sexing up of schoolgirls rather than on something as mundane as a book series. Which is, after all, imaginary.

Girls who are dressing up inappropriately to their age - That's a problem, but that's known widely around the world already. I'm not going to act as if I just found that out recently and post about it. It's too easy to just sit down and talk about kids and parenting; I don't even have to think or analyze when talking about that. You guys are pretty much just repeating what millions other people said before.

 

This topic wasn't even about a book series. I was just talking about Twilight as part of an example.

 

If you're so pissed off over being "misled" into a different discussion, you need help. Calm the hell down and get out of this topic. It's as easy as that. I want some real opinions, not some trolls acting smart and talking about the topic name.

Edited November 28, 2010 by Allen14n

[MostOfAll]

Allen14n, Give me one of your man cards.... Twilight really? im assuming that you were kidnapped and tortured into going to it and didnt go by yourself...

Do you want me to talk about Hannah Montana or something? It's obvious Twilight has an effect on teenage girls' mindsets.

 

Read what I said other than the Twilight part. Shut the hell up and get it straight.

[Wordsworth]

Allen dude you have got to start using the edit button. You double post like a madman.

 

I will agree it's easy to get wrapped up talking about girls dressing inappropriately for their age. It didn't just start happening yesterday. Though it does seem that as time goes by it gets worse and worse. I'm 27 now and I often have to stop myself and wonder how close to legal a girl is because so often you just can't tell.

[MostOfAll]

Allen dude you have got to start using the edit button. You double post like a madman.

 

I will agree it's easy to get wrapped up talking about girls dressing inappropriately for their age. It didn't just start happening yesterday. Though it does seem that as time goes by it gets worse and worse. I'm 27 now and I often have to stop myself and wonder how close to legal a girl is because so often you just can't tell.

I'll try not to double post.

 

Anyway, I'm just saying that girls' inappropriate dressing started way back in 2000 or maybe even earlier than that. A whole discussion about that as if it happened just recently is pretty foolish and rather repetitive. I've read and heard this stuff so many times already that it seems mundane to me. I find it surprising that "nerner" finds my theory "mundane", yet he considers girls' inappropriate dressing something worth talking about. Ironic, isn't it?

 

Did nerner and meta187 just crawl out of a rock after ten years or something?

 

Stop acting like I just wrote a review about Twilight when I was just using it as part of my theory on why girls are imposing sexism on themselves.

[Ari Gold]

 

I'm with meta on this; I would have thought that the topic would have been more about real life occurences like the sexing up of schoolgirls rather than on something as mundane as a book series. Which is, after all, imaginary.

Girls who are dressing up inappropriately to their age - That's a problem, but that's known widely around the world already. I'm not going to act as if I just found that out recently and post about it. It's too easy to just sit down and talk about kids and parenting; I don't even have to think or analyze when talking about that. You guys are pretty much just repeating what millions other people said before.

 

This topic wasn't even about a book series. I was just talking about Twilight as part of an example.

 

If you're so pissed off over being "misled" into a different discussion, you need help. Calm the hell down and get out of this topic. It's as easy as that. I want some real opinions, not some trolls acting smart and talking about the topic name.

The only one that needs to calm down is you. You've got to stop being so literal and expect everything which everyone says to be exactly how you wanted it to be; forums don't work that way, it's like having a conversation with someone.

 

If you want my honest opinion, I actually disagree with your general point of view. I do agree that maybe it's coming across that the Twilight series is, perhaps, "promoting sexism", but it's pointless to comment on one particular book/movie series since every form of entertainment nowadays can be considered as having a hidden agenda behind it, to try and influence people to think that way. Remember, these people who write these books write for a living; they're writing so they can make as much money as they can as reward for their "brilliant" (in their eyes, anyway) pieces of writing. Analysing Twilight in depth like this makes you sound like an English teacher.

 

I'm not sure if you watch the show Entourage, but there's a scene in an episode from Season 2 where James Cameron (director of Titanic, among other acclaimed films) is applying for a movie ticket at the Sundance Film Festival, and the woman at the counter asks him, "Was the sinking of the Titanic a foreshadow of the tech-market crash around 2000?" He simply replied, "No, I just wanted to make young girls cry." Of course, it's a TV show and shouldn't be taken literally (which almost defeats the purpose of my whole post ), but, the idea's still there.

 

I don't actually think that Twilight has that much of an impact on pop-culture, to be honest. It's no where near as influential as the Harry Potter series, and we're yet to see cults dedicated to wizardry pop up, so I think we're safe, actually.

 

To be honest (as a side-note), I don't think much has changed from fifty years ago, in terms of the general opinion regarding sexism and women within society. We have "equal" rights in terms of sexuality and homosexuality, but I think on those two issues in particular, it hasn't been women bringing sexism onto themselves as much as it is the status quo simply remaining. It'll take a long time before society actually treats women and men in exactly the same light, perhaps even longer than it took for many ethnicities to receive equal treatment. The only thing different now is that women generally receive more sympathy out of the notion that they are 'weaker', but even that notion applies to relatively few things. I mean, look at women such as Golda Meir, Indira Ghandhi and Margaret Thatcher; you probably wouldn't want to f*ck them, but by God, you wouldn't want to f*ck with them.

 

Moral of my post: Society's more Gesellschaft and individualistic nowadays, with individuals shaping society, unlike fifty or so years ago, where society largely shaped individuals. It's very easy to break apart from certain stereotypes in most parts of the world.

 

A more interesting argument (in my opinion, anyway), is whether Facebook is actually beginning to diminish the art of human interaction and relation.

[MostOfAll]

The only one that needs to calm down is you. You've got to stop being so literal and expect everything which everyone says to be exactly how you wanted it to be; forums don't work that way, it's like having a conversation with someone.

 

If you want my honest opinion, I actually disagree with your general point of view. I do agree that maybe it's coming across that the Twilight series is, perhaps, "promoting sexism", but it's pointless to comment on one particular book/movie series since every form of entertainment nowadays can be considered as having a hidden agenda behind it, to try and influence people to think that way. Remember, these people who write these books write for a living; they're writing so they can make as much money as they can as reward for their "brilliant" (in their eyes, anyway) pieces of writing. Analysing Twilight in depth like this makes you sound like an English teacher.

 

I'm not sure if you watch the show Entourage, but there's a scene in an episode from Season 2 where James Cameron (director of Titanic, among other acclaimed films) is applying for a movie ticket at the Sundance Film Festival, and the woman at the counter asks him, "Was the sinking of the Titanic a foreshadow of the tech-market crash around 2000?" He simply replied, "No, I just wanted to make young girls cry." Of course, it's a TV show and shouldn't be taken literally (which almost defeats the purpose of my whole post ), but, the idea's still there.

 

I don't actually think that Twilight has that much of an impact on pop-culture, to be honest. It's no where near as influential as the Harry Potter series, and we're yet to see cults dedicated to wizardry pop up, so I think we're safe, actually.

 

To be honest (as a side-note), I don't think much has changed from fifty years ago, in terms of the general opinion regarding sexism and women within society. We have "equal" rights in terms of sexuality and homosexuality, but I think on those two issues in particular, it hasn't been women bringing sexism onto themselves as much as it is the status quo simply remaining. It'll take a long time before society actually treats women and men in exactly the same light, perhaps even longer than it took for many ethnicities to receive equal treatment. The only thing different now is that women generally receive more sympathy out of the notion that they are 'weaker', but even that notion applies to relatively few things. I mean, look at women such as Golda Meir, Indira Ghandhi and Margaret Thatcher; you probably wouldn't want to f*ck them, but by God, you wouldn't want to f*ck with them.

 

Moral of my post: Society's more Gesellschaft and individualistic nowadays, with individuals shaping society, unlike fifty or so years ago, where society largely shaped individuals. It's very easy to break apart from certain stereotypes in most parts of the world.

 

A more interesting argument (in my opinion, anyway), is whether Facebook is actually beginning to diminish the art of human interaction and relation.

Thank you. That was actually exactly what I wanted as a reply. I don't mind if you disagree. Just add some valid reasoning on why you think what you think. I don't want any smart aleck comments.

[darthYENIK]

On the subject of sexism one thing that bugs me is the portrayal of men in British TV ads, they are always the butt of the jokes inflicted by women who are portrayed as witty and clever while the men are oafish at best. It seems its acceptable for a woman to shoot a man in the groin with a paintball gun and then burst out laughing, while managing to avoid being hit by a single paintball in match where the men are used as slapstick props.

 

In another advert a man is in bed suffering from the flu, his wife (who the audience is told is representative of all women having a higher tolerance to illness, while men fall apart at the slightest snivel) arms their children with snowballs and sends them up to pelt him.

 

Society would not tolerate a reversal of the roles without a media outcry that the producers of adverts are demeaning women. Equality should be the goal not just tilting the equilibrium in the opposite direction where one sex is always portrayed as inferior.

That's how it is in America as well. It all comes down to the fact that women shop more, on top of which many of them have no sense of humor and are vengeful people. So making a woman the "Mr. Bungle" type character that uses "brand X" would drive people from buying those products.

 

I say, lets be the bigger people, and just ignore it.

 

As for the actual topic. I agree, a lot of women want true equal rights. But it seems like many of these women want to be more equal than men, if you know what I mean.

[meta187]

Well at this point you have about three different sub topics creeping into the conversation so I'll try and get back to the essence.

 

Are girls dressing inappropriately for their age anything new? No.

 

Save the fact that I'd say the overall exploitation and sexualizing of our youth in general is far less subtle than it was even 10 years ago when I crawled under the rock. By the same token, women being presented with unrealistic fictitious "Prince Charming" types in books, movies and media in general is nothing close to new either.

 

Controlling, confident, dominant. Women say they want one thing from a guy as far as being understanding and cordial but on a chemical level respond to aggression and in a lot of cases a disregard for their feelings which feeds that low self esteem and makes them feel "lucky" to be with the calculating douche bag.

 

Honestly, I could have stepped aside the moment you mentioned Twilight in any familiar way because that's like throwing meat to hungry dogs in any context at a gaming forum populated mainly by males but the larger point was that the topic even within the niche example you've set is broader than you initially addressed it or at the very least could have used a few more supporting examples.

 

In many cases "female empowerment" is a ruse and people simply exchange things to get what they want. Some prositutes do their business honestly on a street corner, others target a man who is well to do and possibly on his way out or easily controlled. It's a game that's been played between men and women from the time we were clubbing them over the heads and dragging them into caves to the moment they started taking half our sh*t in divorce court.

 

For every intelligent young women, confident in herself and her abilities in not requiring a man to make her life complete there are ten the lesser to take her place. And even for that one there will most likely be some compromises in that once she feels swept up in a relationship and she will be every bit as vulnerable as the bimbos she dismisses once it seems important enough.

 

Things such as sexism, racism and religion are touchy topics for a reason, there's no clear cut circumstance that applies to everyone and the details change from person to person.

 

Sorry for making you feel "attacked" but that really wasn't the aim here, some food for thought just the same.

Edited November 28, 2010 by meta187

[NickRad]

Youve gotta remember Edward actually respects Bella and doesn't care about sex...

[E.A.B.]

1;The Women's Rights' Movement was about fixing society and its f*cked up gender roles.

 

Sure, no woman complained for over 1900 years when the man was allowed to plow the fields and she had to stay home and care for the children. That's the way society worked because it had to. But that sh*t isn't needed anymore when a woman can file papers just as well as a man. Gender roles aren't as strict in this modern society.*

 

That being as it is; women are still women

 

MEN AND WOMEN ARE INHERENTLY DIFFERENT. Just because a girl isn't smoking a joint with the rest of the guys and thinking differently doesn't mean that she's being held down. It's as retarded as blacks that think you're a sell out if you move up the social ladder.

 

Girls think differently. Girls are (generally) more 'softer' and emotional. After all, they're women. Just because Bella is swooning over Edward doesn't mean she's being a sexist towards women on men's behalf. sh*t, the book was written by a woman. So you can't say it's a man trying to keep women 'down'.

 

2; Twilight is just some girls wet dream.

 

*I'll also add that in agricultural societies, Gender roles are stricter and women are more...feminine, I guess. I mean, I'm all for a girl that can challenge me in my profession, but this 'I am woman hear me roar' bullsh*t has to stop. Nobody wants to hear you roar, bitch.

Edited November 28, 2010 by E.A.B.

[tubbs51]

ok women dressing provocatively has been going on forever... it hasnt just started believe it or not...

 

prostitutes come to mind in the 1700's and 1800's and 1900's...

 

its their choice to dress the way they want... if they want to wear dental floss and call it a bikini then so be it...

[E.A.B.]

Keep in mind that not being dressed like a full fledged ninja was considered whore-ish in the 1920's.

 

Think 'flappers'.

 

But this sexual revolution sh*t is too much. I understand that we were an uptight society before, but now it's gotten ridiculous.

 

Balance, people. Balance.

[trip]

I will agree it's easy to get wrapped up talking about girls dressing inappropriately for their age. It didn't just start happening yesterday.

Exactly. It all started after the exiting of the repressive 50s and the birth of openness in the 60s.

 

If women gave up their femininity for equal rights there would be a lot of unhappy men. I was a young man in the 70s and I wouldn't trade in the make up wearing, tube top loving, hot pants hugging, super cute chick I used to couples skate with at the roller rink for anything.

 

Before series like 'Twilight' the world had Barbie to blame for imposing questionable social images on young ladies.

[Pac.]

I beleive that World peice, Criminality and things like sexism will never cease to exist, so whilst people go and say their goals about sexism that equality should be the key, i agree it should but it will never happen, human beings are ignorant swine, doesn't mean though we can't try and be nice and pleasurefull.