Gender is a social construct, a fundamental component that humans and their societies have created. Humans define the gender roles their newborns will play based on the genitals they are born with, which means that children’s roles have already been decided from the start. Throughout history, and even in ancient times, men were mostly out hunting and gathering food and materials, while women stayed at home to sew clothing or take care of the children. From the past to the modern day, gender roles have had a profound effect on us and our communities. However, that is not the subject I want to address today; instead, I want to use this opportunity to reflect on the hypocrisy of women being referred to as “sluts” when men are referred to as “players.”
In today’s society, men often brag on how many people they’ve dated, as though it’s a “achievement.” Until now, there have been numerous questions about that, especially why a man of that caliber will be referred to as a “player,” which is a rather “cool” term among men. Every man aspires to be one of those “players,” for some cause it is deemed admirable in today’s culture. However, when a woman performs the functions of a “player,” she is referred to as a “slut.” People today are so ignorant that they are eager to use the term “slut” to apply to a woman who possesses the morals of a man without hesitation, however “A slut, to women, is considered to be a hugely awful thing in modern day society”. The term slut has such a negative connotation that many men find it inappropriate. No one wants to be a slut, but are we arguing that women with the morals of men are a bad thing in our society? Aren’t they identical to men? I recently learned that women and men are now equal, so why do men object to dating a woman who was once considered a “slut,” but women have no problem dating a man who was once considered a “player.”
We have come a great way on the road to gender equity, but we still have a long way to go. To fully equalize women and men in social perspectives, we must move far beyond what the statute requires. To begin, people who enjoy intercourse, regardless of their premarital or non-heterosexual status, are not sluts. Throughout history, men have been commended and often welcomed to have as many wives as they desired. That’s understandable as long as the same goes for women, the amount of individuals with whom a woman has had relationship with in the past cannot be held against her. Second, women have the freedom to dress in whatever is most appropriate for them. When a woman wears clothes that exposes her skin, even appear nude or topless in photographs, she is not “objectifying” herself. Since women are not objects and have the freedom to be proud of their bodies and fashion choices without fear of being judged. No woman, regardless of how much or how little she weighs, regardless of her age, should feel inferior or less than beautiful simply because she may not fit some person’s standard of beauty. Finally, regardless of whether a woman works as a model, a pornography actor, an erotic dancer, or a prostitute, she is indeed a human being deserving of respect.
It may be impossible to reform society’s prevalent mindset toward “sluts” and “players.” Thus, if we believe that it is important to maintain equality, justice, and the integrity of all beings, maybe the majority of males will embrace the power that females now possess. We must be aware of and capable of recognizing when women and men demonstrate power, especially with regard to their own ideas, compassion for others, and personal strength. Anything else is unequal.